Call something biodegradable and figure environmentalists would love it. Think again. As the word biodegradable is being attached to plastics like garbage bags and diapers, it is a source of concern ...

Using plastic bags is an ecological disaster; it takes about 1,000 years for one to degrade in a landfill (and even then, it leaves behind microplastics that can add toxins to soil or water).

Cape Town — South Africans buying products with "biodegradable" plastic packaging are often duped by companies eager to profit from the current trend towards environmentally-conscious consumerism.