Breaking It Down: Compostable vs. Biodegradable

You have questions, we have answers.

What does biodegradable mean?

Theoretically, any material made up of organic compounds is biodegradable. No matter how long it takes, the carbon-based material will inevitably be oxidized into carbon dioxide and water via microbial respiration. 

Biodegradable materials are materials that can be broken down naturally by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. The degradation of these materials occurs in the presence of oxygen to produce water, carbon dioxide, minerals, and new biomass over time. However, it is also possible for these materials to biodegraded by anaerobic bacteria (in the absence of oxygen).

What does compostable mean?

Compostable materials, like biodegradable materials, are broken down by microorganisms but with a key difference: The broken-down matter must enhance the nutritious quality of the soil without introducing any toxicity. Also, this entire process must take place within 12 weeks for a material to be considered compostable. 

Commercially produced compostable products (such as the compostable cutlery, cups and plates used by many restaurants) need to be sent to an industrial composting facility in order to biodegrade, where adequate conditions (such as temperature, humidity, etc.) are maintained. They will not break down in a home compost pile or a landfill.

What does degradable mean?

Degradation is a decomposition process that terminates in the fragmentation of plastics under the conditions of heat, sunlight, and moisture, resulting in the weakening of the plastic’s physical structure. So-called « oxo » degradables are in this category.

The end product is many microscopic particles that may be even more problematic than before degradation as they may find their way into the diet of animal life and influence the food chain. Many experts have suggested that degradable plastics do not solve any problem but instead push the problem into the future, with the production of micro plastics. The European Union has banned these plastics for just this reason.

Looking at the definitions of both terms it’s pretty understandable why they are so easily confused but there’s a difference: While all compostable material is biodegradable, not all biodegradable material is compostable – and compostable plastics must go to an industrial composter to work.

BioNatur plastics are truly biodegradable in a landfill environment - where 91% of all plastic waste will end up. Our proprietary organic additive target microorganisms capable of processing petroleum molecules. It has been tested using ASTM D5511 standards to ensure our plastics truly biodegrade in a landfill into water, dirt and gas.

BioNatur plastic uses an organic enzyme to attract naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria in the landfill to digest the enzymes and break down the large plastic polymer molecules into smaller organic molecules that the bacteria then recognize as food. They then digest these smaller molecules and continue the process until the plastic is fully biodegraded, typically in 8-12 years.