HSV’s advice on Australian standards for biodegradable plastics

HSV has recently published a fact sheet that clarifies the standards HSV suppliers must meet to have a plastic product assessed as biodegradable.

The fact sheet was developed following claims by several suppliers about the biodegradability of their products.

HSV’s Deputy Director Procurement Sandra Ireland says plastic products supplied by HSV must be certified as biodegradable in accordance with Australian standards.

Sandra says the fact sheet was developed to give health services clarity on what can be a complex topic.

“We hope it will make purchasing decisions easier and prevent additional funds being spent on products that may not deliver the environmental benefits they claim,” she says.

“There are certain brands of nitrile examination gloves that claim their products are biodegradable and will disappear in landfill within a few years. According to expert advice, nitrile butadiene rubber is not biodegradable, so we have to assume these products contain fragmentable additives designed to accelerate the breakdown process of the rubber,” Sandra says.

“These additives are problematic because tests have shown that while they accelerate the breakdown process, they cause plastic to fragment, creating microplastics, which are also harmful to the environment.”

It’s also important to note that surgical and examination gloves must be disposed of in the manner outlined in clinical waste guidelines, regardless of product claims, she says.

HSV has also received claims from a new supplier of non-woven sheet products that its product is fully biodegradable in landfill because it substitutes commonly used polyester staple fibre with a viscose staple fibre.

However, the production of viscose fibre has considerable environmental impacts and environmental health risks due to the manufacturing process used. In addition, viscose staple fibres may only biodegrade in certain environments and over much longer time periods than expected. 

An examination of available product life cycle assessments did not find evidence that viscose fibre was more beneficial to the environment than polyester fibre.

Details of the Australian standards for biodegradable plastics are listed in the fact sheet. 

If you have any questions, please contact the HSV Helpdesk at helpdesk@healthsharevic.org.au or phone 03 9947 3900.