# Biodegradable and Compostable Shopping Bags under Investigation by FTIR Spectroscopy
## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Essential Technical Details  
Improving the natural environment, protecting it, and consequently guaranteeing for the future increasing better living conditions for humanity are fundamental issues in the interest of the world population. A strategy pursued by several countries consists of the total replacement of plastic-based shoppers with biodegradable and compostable ones. Italy was the first European country who took steps in this direction, by decreeing non-biodegradable plastic-based shopping bags as irregular since 2011. Furthermore, a future-oriented agenda of actions, in co-creation with economic factors, consumers, citizens, and civil society organizations, aims to achieve a global circular economy. Such a condition could ensure cleaner and more competitive living conditions, providing an entirely new range of sustainable services, as well as high quality, functional, and safe products that are more efficient, cheaper, more durable, and designed for reuse, repair, and recycling [18; 19; 20]. Films for making regular non-plastic-based shopping bags, suitable as bulk food packaging or for hygien purposes, must have the most rigorous requirements, including physicochemical ones, such as a minimum content of renewable raw material (PLA) and a certain thickness. Curiously, PLA is not a polyacid but a polyester, which can derive from synthesis by polymerization of lactic acid, but PLA for bioplastics should derive completely or partially from biomass resources and renewable raw materials, such as corn starch (in the United States), tapioca roots, potato chips or starch (mainly in Asia), or sugar cane (in the rest of the world) [21; 22]. However, PLA is too fragile and is not compatible with many packaging manufacturing processes, therefore it should be strengthened with proper additives [21]. Less restrictive requirements are expected for bags used for the transport of non-bulk foods such as those distributed at the checkout counters of supermarkets, joint businesses, pharmacies, etc. In this context, the shopper manufacturing industries, before placing their products on the market, must obtain a certification of conformity and must maintain it, affording and overcoming periodical checks, also carried out within the validity period of the certification issued. Starting from the beginning of 2018, according to the UNI EN 13432:2002 standard [11], all types of light and ultralight bags must be biodegradable and compostable, and must meet specific requirements. Table 4 shows the main requirements for shoppers intended for the transport of packaged food or as primary packaging for bulk food. The penalties for violating producers are very severe, with fines ranging from \(\xi\) 2500 to \(\xi\) 25,000, up to as much as \(\xi\) 100,000 if the violation concerns large quantities of plastic bags or if the value of illegal bags exceeds 10% of the turnover of the industrial products [23]. It is no longer possible to use the old plastic bags marked with the words \"for internal use\" or \"not for goods removal\". With this law, Italy appeared as the first European country that has begun working actively for an innovative path of bio-economy and circular economy. The biodegradability, compostability, and renewable row material content of the different bags must be certified by the accredited bodies previously reported (Section 1, Figure 1). As an example, among those available in Europe, TUV AUSTRIA (formerly Vincotte) is the certification body that currently issues the \"OK compost\" conformity label, similar to the one shown in Figure 2a. Among the several tests required in accordance with the standards mentioned above [11], those relating to chemical characterization, final biodegradability test, disintegration under laboratory conditions, plant compatibility (eco-toxicity test), and earthworm toxicity test (AS 5810 only) are mandatory. The inspections must be carried out in test laboratories approved by the certification bodies in authority.