Many of the existing, new and beneficial products that meet our current and future needs are made of plastic. Degradable plastics can give us increased flexibility in the design of materials to make products better-suited to their intended use and also minimise any detrimental impact on the environment at the end of the product’s life.

At end-of-life, products made from any type of degradable or compostable plastic need to degrade in the right place, at the right time and in the right end environment.

For this to happen, industry needs to use clear, accurate and consistent information. When selecting a material, designers and manufacturers must consider a product's end environment and base their selection on sound science that includes proof of compliance to standards that can be independently verified.

Consumers and governments must be assured that performance claims can be met and that product labelling is clear, accurate and honest.