Our product packaging uses bioplastics, can I make a claim around this?

We currently do not have any claims aimed at highlighting the use of bioplastics specifically.

This is mainly because at present the overall impact of switching to bioplastics is unknown and while we're aware it can reduce the carbon footprint of a product's packaging, we consider that the packaging is only a small part of the product's full footprint therefore the reduction is marginal.

Bioplastics can also have a worse impact than their petrol counterparts when it comes to eutrophication and other environmental pollutions. We consider that the industry isn't mature enough to ensure that the following criteria are met:

  1. the full lifecycle impact of the bioplastic is better than petrochemical plastics,
  2. the materials used come from waste products and weren't in competition with food products and
  3. the material won't contaminate other materials when being recycled.

If your packaging is recyclable, you are welcome to mention that it that comes from bioplastics in your Recyclable Packaging Proof Point. If you have a full product Life Cycle Assessment that shows that your product's footprint has reduced as a result we can also look at surfacing this.