Oxo-biodegradable plastics do not biodegrade — they fragment into persistent microplastics. The 'biodegradable' label constitutes systematic greenwashing that increases consumer confidence and plastic consumption.
A 2025 peer-reviewed critical analysis exposing oxo-biodegradable plastics as a greenwashing practice. After 180 days of exposure, oxo-biodegradable bags showed only fragmentation — not biodegradation — producing persistent microplastics instead.
