After a long-drawn-out dispute, the Advertising Standards Authority has upheld an earlier ruling on a statement about biodegradable poop bags.
A product page for dog waste bags on Ancol’s website, seen on March 2, 2018, ran the following claim: ‘Refill Poop Bag Rolls…These thick waste bags are biodegradable to lessen your dog’s impact on the environment’.
One complainant challenged whether the claim was misleading and could be substantiated. The ASA upheld the complaint in August 2018 after consulting with DEFRA, and Ancol sought further advice.
After the ASA’s final ruling, an Ancol spokesman told pbwnews that all Ancol poop bags were produced using an additive called D2W. This additive is added during the bag manufacturing process and encourages the bag to break down in an oxo-biodegradable way when in contact with air.
BEST ALTERNATIVE
He said: “Oxo-biodegradable bags do not just break down into tiny pieces. They convert into biodegradable materials much more quickly than ordinary plastics, and they are, therefore, the best alternative.
“The complainant suggested that most bags would be disposed of in waste bins and eventually end up in landfill. When in landfill, the bags are only in contact with the air for a very short time and the benefits of the D2W oxy-biodegradation would not ‘lessen the impact on the environment’.
“One of Ancol’s arguments was that not all bags are disposed of in waste bins and those that are simply discarded in hedge rows and ditches would actually benefit from the benefits of the D2W additive.
PROTRACTED FIGHT
“After an extremely protracted fight, with some well-informed scientists from all over the world defending the use and effect of the additive in the Ancol poop bags, the ASA decided to uphold the original ruling and Ancol was instructed to change the statement on the website, which was done straight away.”
Ancol sold more than two million waste bags in 2019, with plans to increase the benefits to the environment and consumers choosing to use these bags in the future.
The spokesman added: “The ASA ruling has been a positive catalyst to encourage Ancol to focus on all aspects of the environmental issues surrounding the production, distribution, display and use of the bags, and Ancol hopes to increase sales during 2020 with the new added benefits which are soon to be revealed.”
