Wave 1
Oxo-degradable / oxo-biodegradable
What oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable claims mean, why Everykind hard-cuts oxo-fake in home care, and the Carmesi pad caveat under review.
Not medical advice. No cure claims. Inclusion rules live on The Standard.
What it is
Oxo-degradable (sometimes marketed as oxo-biodegradable) plastics use additives that make conventional plastic fragment faster under light or heat. Fragments are still plastic. This is not the same as certified home- or industrial-compostable materials.
Why it is a concern
- Shoppers read “biodegradable” and assume compost-bin safe; oxo claims often oversell that.
- Regulators and standards bodies have widely criticized oxo-degradable plastics as misleading relative to true compostability.
- For Everykind, oxo language on a “clean” product is a greenwash / trust risk even when the rest of the SKU is useful.
Where it shows up in our catalog
- Home care hard cut: oxo-degradable plastic sold as compostable.
- Compostable bags we do list (Beco) stay caveat-keep with industrial-vs-home honesty — different issue from oxo.
- Personal care live risk: Carmesi Sensitive Pads caveat currently notes a disposal bag described as oxo-biodegradable. This is Wave 1 re-vet #1 — we need exact pack wording before any status change. Home-care already hard-cuts oxo-fake; personal care historically caveat-kept oxo claims. Sift will not quietly loosen or invent a new rule without Grove.
Safer alternatives we already list
- Pads with honest plastic caveats (not “fully organic” overclaim): Carmesi / Azah while materials stay disclosed
- Trash: Beco compostable bags with industrial/home clarification — still not a landfill magic fix
- Prefer products that avoid oxo language entirely
What we do not claim
We do not claim every compostable bag disappears in a home bin. We do not offer legal advice on plastic rules. See home care rules.