Here in the Netherlands nearly all store bought mass produced organic produce comes in packaging made from GMO corn.
You’ve probably seen it. Often, but not always, it’s the ‘noisy’ plastic you find in the supermarket. Now they have version that’s not noisy, like what the cucumber in the picture above is packaged in. It’s often labelled compostable.
Greenwashing
This is what’s being termed greenwashing these days, taking a product that’s anything but and somehow promoting it as environmentally friendly.
This type of packaging isn’t in any way better for the environment than ordinary plastic. In most cases packaging on produce isn’t even necessary. It’s simply a way to force people who eat organic produce, in order to avoid GMOs, to buy GMOs anyway in their food packaging.
Compostable — Not!
The reason for calling it compostable is because it can’t be called biodegradable. Biodegradable is a legally defined term, and in particular describes something that breaks down into components that are naturally occurring and already present in the environment. This plastic doesn’t do that!
Compostable is an unregulated term, and it’s use in marketing has no particular meaning.
In fact, not only does their use of the word compostable not have any meaning in a marketing sense, but for ordinary consumers who compost their kitchen waste, this material can’t be composed in a normal way. I’ve tried. It simply doesn’t break down like food scraps, probably because it doesn’t pass water or air properly or otherwise support the micro-organisms needed to break it down. Since it doesn’t break down into naturally occurring components you don’t want it in your compost anyway!
Don’t Buy It
Consumers don’t want it. It’s been featured for what it is on local TV, and it’s still being sold. Refuse to buy it and be sure to tell places that sell it you want to buy GMO-free products — including the packaging!
