Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Please consider researching the materials of this product before purchasing it as an environmental alternative to plastic bags. It is still made of plastic but contains accelerants that cause the plastic to be broken into small particles which still pose an environmental risk and additionally contain heavy metals. Products made from this material will not typically break down in the common landfill setting as they are boasted. I know many discourage the use of wiki articles to find facts, but this one is well sourced and should encourage additional research when it comes to quickly purchasing products that are promoted as "green" alternatives: "While OXO plastics, especially in the form of plastic bags, are promoted and now widely used as a "environmentally sound" solution of the plastic littering problem, there are several environmental issues related to their use.[2] Metal salts used as the catalyst for OXO degradation carry risks of environmental pollution with heavy metals. A study by the Biodegradable Products Institute found significant amounts of lead and cobalt in their "EcoSafe" OXO bags samples.[3] In case of lead, the amounts found had drastically exceeded the allowed concentrations: "The lead level are 4 times higher than those allowed by ASTM D6400-99 in the US and 12 times higher than the concentrations permitted in Europe (EN 13432) and Japan (GreenPLA)"[3] Other often discussed issues are the potential toxicity of the OXO plastic breakdown residue, loss of degradable properties in landfills, the ability of plastic fragments to survive long enough to present danger to wildlife and discouragement of planned plastic bag phase-outs. Although OXO plastic are considered recyclable, the additives could produce unpredictable quality of the secondary product, and there are few independent studies which describe their recycling efficiency and properties.[4] It's also been said that the "biodegradable" public image is discouraging people from recycling, which leads to increased littering and the loss of the stored energetic potential (and therefore the value) of the material, which could be retrieved by recycling and other means of use.[4]"