Yes. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to make paper out of it. It’s biodegradable. Same can be said for poop, dead leaves, road kill and Sarah Palin’s political career. They all rot.

But the Federal Trade Commission has ruled many products marketed as “biodegradable” aren’t biodegradable. Since many end up in incinerators and landfills where it’s impossible for them to biodegrade within a short time.

Three companies—Kmart, Tender Corp., and Dyna-E International—were blasted for making false claims about their products. The products in question were disposable plates, moist wipes and compressed dry towels. All three claim to be biodegradable.

In a statement, the FTC said, marketers have to carefully choose the testing method to substantiate their claim and take care that it replicates the real-world behavior of consumers”

This begs the question. Under these provisions—aside from discarded food—is anything biodegradable? Recycled cardboard seems harmless, but I’m sure that takes a while to rot. I suspect the FTC will have to develop a variety of timetables.

Via Green Inc.