Many biodegradable plastic products are being marketed with misleading claims that don’t match their actual certifications. (Image courtesy of the Korea Consumer Agency)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s consumer protection agency revealed on December 3 that many biodegradable plastic products are being marketed with misleading claims that don’t match their actual certifications, potentially confusing consumers about their environmental impact.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) examined online advertisements for 80 biodegradable plastic products currently available in the market. Biodegradable plastics, which can be completely broken down into water and carbon dioxide by microorganisms like bacteria, algae, and fungi under specific conditions, are commonly used in kitchen sink strainers, shopping bags, pet waste bags, and drinking straws.
The investigation found that 54 products were advertised with potentially misleading terms such as “naturally biodegradable,” “100% biodegradable,” or “oxo-biodegradable,” despite only being certified for decomposition in specialized composting facilities.
Furthermore, 41 products failed to display their biodegradability test results or certification documents on their sales pages, while seven products incorrectly suggested they could be disposed of with food waste.
These marketing practices appear to violate South Korea’s environmental advertising guidelines, which prohibit the use of broad environmental claims without objective scientific evidence.
The confusion extends to consumers as well. In an online survey conducted by the agency in July, polling 500 South Korean consumers aged 20-69, only 18.2% (91 respondents) were aware that biodegradable products in South Korea require specific composting facilities for decomposition and should be disposed of as general waste in standard garbage bags.
The vast majority – 81.8% (409 respondents) – incorrectly believed these products would naturally decompose when buried in soil or could be recycled. Additionally, 74.6% (373 respondents) reported insufficient information about proper disposal methods.
While everyday items can receive biodegradable certification if they decompose in industrial composting facilities rather than in nature, there is no separate collection system for these products. Consumers must dispose of them as general waste in standard garbage bags.
The KCA plans to share these findings with relevant government departments and recommend better monitoring of biodegradable products in the market and stronger advertising guidelines.
The agency also advised consumers to check for environmental certification marks, biodegradability test results, or other certification marks when purchasing such products, and to dispose of them in standard garbage bags rather than with other types of waste.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
