Laws and Legislation

Is it legal to label your product as "biodegradable" in the state of California?

For plastics that do not meet California requirements for labeling as 'compostable' or 'marine degradable', California law prohibits the sale of plastic bags and plastic food and beverage containers that are labeled with the terms 'biodegradable,' 'degradable,' or 'decomposable,' or any form of those terms, or imply in any way that the bag or container will break down, biodegrade or decompose in a landfill or other environment. Beginning in January 2013, this law will apply to all plastic products sold in or into California. See link to the California Public Resource Code:Click Here

While there are provisions in the law for reviewing additional ASTM standards for biodegradable, currently an ASTM Standard Specification for Biodegradability in environments other than composting are not completed for state adoption. ENSO recommends complying with all federal, state and local laws.