Study: Bio-plastic goods not eco-friendly

The Guardian reported Saturday that its study determined the plant-based goods being embraced by supermarkets worldwide can cause environmental problems and add to the world's food crisis.

The replacements for oil-based plastic goods have been found to increase greenhouse gas emissions when placed in landfills, the British newspaper said.

The study found that some of the supposedly eco-friendly goods only begin to decompose at high temperatures and others cannot be used for recycling purposes in Britain.

The increasing amount of land needed to create the materials for bio-plastic goods can impact the food crisis currently facing the international community, the Guardian said.

The newspaper said its study found the growing amount of land used for these purposes means less land is available for food-growing purposes to fight the escalating crisis.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International