Posted on Jul 26th 2023
Ever picked up a product labeled "biodegradable" or “compostable” and wondered what it means? You're not alone!
The terms biodegradable and compostable are often used interchangeably. While there is some overlap, they do not mean the same thing!
All compostable products are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable products are compostable.
While it is great that sustainable products are becoming more popular, some of the terms used to describe them aren’t always clear. Understanding the definitions of terms such as compostable and biodegradable empowers everyone with the knowledge to make sustainable choices.
It's important that both brands and consumers know the difference. Customers want to know they're making the best choice when purchasing from you. Your customers need to know how to properly dispose of your packaging. Being clear that your packaging is compostable creates confidence in your sustainable brand and allows consumers to make smarter purchasing decisions.
Compostable Definition: What Does Compostable Mean?
Compostable materials break down completely into their basic parts (water, carbon dioxide, and biomass). They will break down in a timely manner at a rate consistent with similar organic materials and will not release harmful residue or toxins.
Products labeled as compostable must be tested to meet US industrial composting standards ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868. These standards require that compostable products biodegrade and disintegrate within 90 days and leave no harmful residue. Testing includes a seed germination trial, which ensures the compost produced is not harmful to plant life.
Compostable products add value to the planet's ecosystem by decomposing into nutrient-rich compost. Packaging that is labeled as compostable should be disposed of in a compost bin.
More Information on Elevate Packaging’s Composting Standards
Biodegradable Definition: What Does Biodegradable Mean?
If something is biodegradable it can be broken down by naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Every material will biodegrade, given enough time (even centuries!).
Unlike compostable, the term biodegradable is not regulated. There is no time limit for biodegradation, and no testing is done to ensure that the product is free from dangerous toxins. Ideally biodegradable material will break down quickly and safely, however not every product advertised as biodegradable meets these criteria.
A product labeled as biodegradable without any further context is vague and misleading to consumers. Because this term is so vague, biodegradable products may contaminate compost and should be disposed of in trash collection destined for landfill.
Read More: What is Compost Contamination?
Which is Better, Compostable or Biodegradable?
Both terms describe a natural process for recycling organic waste. All compostable products are biodegradable, but biodegradable products are not always compostable.
The main difference is that compostable products have undergone strict testing to ensure that they break down within a specific time frame and do not release anything harmful into the environment. Biodegradable products have no such requirements, meaning that they may not be as beneficial as they first appear.
Compostable packaging will:
Compostable packaging must adhere to strict standards and has been rigorously tested. Packaging labeled only as biodegradable cannot be composted and must therefore be sent to a landfill.
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Degradable
The term degradable defines a broad category of things that are capable of breaking down and disintegrating. There is no standard for how it breaks down, how long it will take, or what it will break down into. It could be safe, but it is most likely not.
Oxo-Degradable
The term Oxo-Degradable is simple greenwashing. Oxo-degradable products are conventional plastic mixed with an additive that helps them disintegrate faster. If you’re familiar with the problems caused by microplastics you can see that this is not only a poor solution to plastic waste, but actually incredibly harmful!
Once disposed of, the plastic becomes brittle and quickly fragments into smaller and smaller pieces. Oxo-degradable products produce harmful microplastics by design!
Both degradable and oxo-degradable products are not compostable and are not suitable for recycling. They should be disposed of in a landfill.
How to Choose the Most Sustainable Packaging
Understanding the nuances between "biodegradable" and "compostable" might feel overwhelming initially, but once you're armed with this knowledge, your sustainable packaging decisions become clearer!
Every phase, from sourcing raw materials to the disposal of the product, has an environmental stake. This is where a product life cycle assessment may be helpful – it provides a view of a product's full environmental journey, revealing areas for possible sustainable improvements. Curious about how to do this? Dive deeper with our guide on how to conduct a product life cycle assessment.
A circular economy aims to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate materials, and regenerate nature. What Does the Life Cycle of Your Compostable Packaging Look Like? Choosing compostable packaging means you're helping to reduce waste and keep our soil healthy. We're here to help you make the most environmentally friendly choices. Together, we can keep moving towards a world with less waste and more respect for our environment.
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*Originally posted Mar 21st 2019, updated July 26 2023
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The word “biodegradable” is probably one of the easiest green labels to understand, so one may assume it is also the least likely to be subject to false claims.
However, the term is still interpreted very loosely and frequently used on products that are toxic, that break down into harmful environmental contaminants, or that can take many decades, even centuries, to decompose.
On top of this, if biodegradable product follows the regular waste stream and is sealed away in landfill, it cannot decompose, so what value does a claim like this have? How do we know when the claim is true? How do we identify a truly “biodegradable” product?
Let’s start by defining the word.
If something is “biodegradable” it should decompose or be broken down rapidly by combination of microbial action, air, and moisture, and also light.
The EU is said to describe a biodegradable substance as:
something that will naturally decompose into mostly water, carbon dioxide and organic matter (or other elements found in nature) within a period of about six months.
However, the fact is that there are no legal definitions, explicit understandings or official standards of the term, making it difficult to regulate its use and to verify or refute a claim. Because of this, many items can be seen as “biodegradable” since they decompose into smaller parts, compounds or elements, but not everything “biodegradable” is good for the environment or its ecosystems.
If we take heed of some of these semi-formal explanations, we can begin to decipher what should be classed as “biodegradable”. Basically, the use of the word should ideally be restricted to products and materials that break down into smaller parts that:
Items claiming to be biodegradable should also have an explanation for how these claims are supported, or at the very least, a full list of ingredients so that the consumer can check up on any suspicious ingredient.
Apart from this, here are a few lists of the kinds of things that are biodegradable:
Many of these items, besides being biodegradable, can also be recycled. To avoid future impacts from all of our non-biodegradable waste (or slowly degrading waste) the following items should be used instead of non-biodegradable items:
The value of biodegradable liquids (in detergents, soaps and body products) is still incredibly large because they are flushed into sewerage facilities and waterways where they are diluted and can be broken down sufficiently.
These liquids may still have hindering effects on ecosystems if present in large quantities; however, they are definitely better than the non-biodegradable equivalents.
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The following items biodegrade quickly and can be composted at home in your garden (in a worm farm, for example) or at a local council compost heap. It is important to keep these items out of landfills, because the benefits of their decomposition into usable compost are not experienced in landfills. Also, methane emissions from landfills will be reduced.
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Landfills present a very interesting challenge: “Environmentally safe”, biodegradable products still can’t necessarily biodegrade if they are compressed and buried away from moisture, air and light. It doesn’t matter how biodegradable something is, or claims to be, if it is designed to follow the conventional waste stream and end up hidden away from the natural elements.
In other words, until all biodegradable products, packaging and produce are diverted from regular landfills and dealt with separately, these types of claims are of little value.
Apart from this, organic materials compacted in landfills decompose anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen), giving off methane gas (a potent greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming) in the process.
Methods and technologies for methane capture (for use as an energy source) have advanced over the last several years; however, they are not yet found everywhere.
Photodegradable refers to materials that break down in the presence of sunlight.
Some plastics are engineered to become brittle and break into tiny pieces, but this doesn’t mean that they are not harming ecosystems, as well as small creatures, who still mistake plastic particles for food and die from lack of nutritional value, choking or from any toxins that may leach from the plastic.
Degradable refers to something that can deteriorate into smaller components or elements in the presence of natural forces (water, light and air). Plastics would therefore be seen to be degradable because they can break up into microscopic pieces, but, this can take hundreds of years, and even longer if locked away in landfills, not exposed to these elements.
Something that can be completely recycled in nature or in the ground, and be ready to be reused by other organisms or processes in a period of about six months to a year, can be termed “biodegradable”.
Anything that takes longer to break down is likely to contain synthetically derived or chemical counterparts and is therefore likely to have a longer lasting impact on the environment, and should be termed as “degradable”, or “photodegradable”, depending on the substance. The latter should be avoided where possible.
It is up to the consumer to ask questions and apply pressure to manufacturers and regulating authorities. This is crucial to ensure transparent labelling of our products, so that the use of the term “biodegradable” only applies to items that we can be sure will not have a detrimental effect on the health of our planet or our families.
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1
Forget about using those single-use plastic bags to pack up a handful of nuts or snacks for your kids or work lunches.
These compostable resealable snack bags are a much more environmentally-conscious alternative that you can easily dispose of in your compost bin.
2
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7
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8
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