Plastics being "Washed Out" of Big Brand's Packaging

More than 150 companies are asking that governments ban oxo-degradable plastic packaging due to the negative effects it can have on the environmental and marine wildlife in a statement organized by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Initiative . These oxo-degradable plastics were once thought to be a "greener" approach to creating packaging and plastic bags when compare to the traditional plastics used; however, some studies now show that the oxo-degradable plastic may break down into "micro-plastics" which reach natural ecosystems due to littering and bad waste management. Some governments in Europe have started phasing out oxo-degradable plastics, France banned them in 2015, and companies such as Unilever and PepsiCo support phasing the plastics out from their packaging.