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Biodegradable Vs
Compostable: A
Breakdown Of Breaking
Down Waste
January 25, 2023

Heather Seely

It’s a sustainability smackdown!

In one corner of the ring, there’s the reigning champion, biodegradability.

He’s old school and dirty, but he’s familiar.

In the other corner, we have compostability, the new kid on the block
who’s rapidly rising through the ranks of eco-conscious consumers.

It’s time to settle the score between these eco rivals. Biodegradable vs
compostable: which is better?

But before the battle begins, what does compostable mean? And what is
the difference between biodegradable and compostable?

Both terms represent the breakdown of matter, but misunderstandings

about their fundamental differences cause a lot of problems when it
comes to proper disposal.

While “compostable” and “biodegradable” are often used incorrectly and

interchangeably, they are quite different. It’s time we, as conscious
consumers and zero waste advocates, learn the difference.

Without further ado, let’s watch as compostable vs biodegradable dig into

the muck.

Compostable Vs Biodegradable - What's the difference?!

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The Difference Between

Compostable & Biodegradable:
Which Is Better?
What does biodegradable mean?
What does compostable mean?
Is biodegradable the same as compostable?
Compostable and biodegradable standards and certifications

1. What Does Biodegradable Mean?

Image by Svetlana Monyakova

Before we dive into biodegradability, let’s first look at the root of the
word: degradable.

Degradable vs biodegradable

Technically, every product on earth is degradable, because it will

eventually break down either biologically or chemically.

Biodegradable, meanwhile, is a product that will be broken down by

organisms or bacteria.

Traditional petroleum-based plastics and other heavy metal and chemical

based materials fall into the category of degradable, but not
biodegradable. They never break down fully into their natural elements to
be repurposed by the earth; merely into smaller pieces over a long time.

Plastics are the biggest offenders, because they’re either photo-

degradable (break down in sunlight) or oxo-biodegradable (now heavily
restricted in the EU) into smaller pieces called microplastics.

When it comes to microplastics, these insidious buggers are poisoning

every corner of the planet, including fresh snow in Antarctica, and even
human lungs, human placenta and human breast milk.

The UN recently declared the scourge of plastics a global crisis.

Breaking down biodegradable materials

At its most basic, for something to biodegrade is for it to break down into
its natural elements (water, carbon dioxide, and biomass).

This is the same for solid or liquid waste entering water systems (like
natural shampoo or eco-friendlly cleaning products).

This decomposition is accomplished by naturally-occurring

microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi in an environment of suitable
temperature, moisture, and oxygenation.

Things get tricky when factoring in the time it takes to accomplish this.

The rate at which a material biodegrades (from several months to forever)

depends on its environment. Not everything that’s biodegradable breaks
down in any location in a reasonable amount of time.

Landfills, for instance, not only slow biodegradation, but also contaminate
the process with toxic chemicals. Items biodegrade anaerobically (without
oxygen) at landfills, creating huge amounts of not just carbon dioxide, but
methane, a GHG 25x more potent than CO2.

Oceans also provide an insufficient environment for biodegradability—

despite the fact that trillions of pieces of trash occupy them.

The University of Plymouth’s international marine litter research unit found

biodegradable plastic bags were largely undamaged and could still hold
considerable weight three years after being left in seawater OR buried.

This is why there is no set certification or universal legal definition of what

constitutes a truly biodegradable product. From a consumer standpoint,
that means we’re faced with often utterly meaningless labeling.

So what’s all the buzz about biodegradable products?

“Biodegradable” became a buzzword in the 1980s and like many 80s

trends (we’re looking at you parachute pants), it should have stayed there.

Especially because biodegradability wasn’t scientifically proven until

2002. That’s two decades of unqualified claims leading people to falsely
think they’re being environmentally responsible.

Thankfully, we now have methods to scientifically determine whether

something can biodegrade and not leave toxic residue.

Technology has also now made it possible to adapt organic materials to

function exactly the same as plastic packaging. We call these
bioplastics.

Unlike traditional types of plastic made of petrochemicals, bioplastics are

derived from plant-based materials:

Cellophane: wood (one of the first forms of plastic ever made)

Polylactic Acid (PLA): vegetable starch
Plastarch (PSM): plant starch and polypropylene
Mater-Bi: plant starch

However, being plant-based doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good end-of-

life outcome.

Many bioplastics behave the same as regular plastic and take eons to
break down.

For the most part, they cannot be recycled, should not go to landfills as
their organic makeup will release methane gas, and must only be sent to
an industrial composting facility—of which were are only 185 full-scale
operations in the US as of 2018.

There are two other key deceptions associated with biodegradable

materials:

FTC regulations technically only mandate that biodegradable

products break down, not that they must leave no toxic residue.
Many companies blend bioplastic with regular plastic, accompanied
by the clever caveat of “made WITH biodegradable plastic”. Since
they’re not technically calling it biodegradable, the FTC can’t do
much.

No wonder environmentalists are increasingly doing away with the term

due to copious greenwashing and misapplication. In the state of
California, plastic packaging labeled as “biodegradable” is now illegal.

So where does that leave us regarding biodegradable vs compostable

plastic?

Remember, one of the most crucial sustainable product criteria is

conscious packaging. Ideally, that’s zero waste, meaning it’s naked,
reusable, or compostable. Hmm…no mention of biodegradable…

2. What Does Compostable Mean?

Image by ImageInnovation

The official definition of compostable is, ”Something that […] can be

used as compost when it decays.”

Well, duh, that’s not very helpful.

A more practical compostable meaning is any material that can be

recycled back into the completely organic elements in a short (less than
180 days) span of time.

This resulting organic matter is what people call compost, but it’s officially
known as humus (no, not to be spread on pita bread).

“But,” you say, “Biodegradable also refers to breaking down into natural
elements, so is biodegradable compostable?”

In some respects, yes, biodegradability and compostability share the same

foundation.

The composting process aids biodegradation through the balance of

moisture, temperature, and oxygenation to optimize microbial action. You
can think of compostability as the gold standard of biodegradation.

Compostable products are, by nature, biodegradable, but not all

biodegradable products fit the narrower compostable definition.

While biodegradation takes anywhere from months to 10,000 years,

composting usually takes place within 12 weeks—resulting in the key
difference between compostable and biodegradable.

Composting must also occur directly in soil, a compost heap, indoor

compost bins, or commercial composters—not landfills, natural waterways,
or oceans.

Unlike general biodegradability standards, compostable items must also

break down into completely non-toxic components.

Even natural materials may be rendered non-compostable by additives

during manufacturing.

Lumber is a prime example. While wood is 100% organic, building

lumber is typically treated with toxic chemicals that leave toxic waste and
prevent it from safely decomposing into “usable compost”.

Rules for home compostability

In addition to breaking down into usable compost, FTC guidelines specify

home compostable products must do so in “a safe and timely manner”.

A safe timeline to define compostable products is the same as whatever

other compostable materials are being composted with it.

Look at compostable vs biodegradable trash bags. A bag that suits all

other compostability criteria isn’t compostable if it’s meant to go in a
home compost pile with food scraps that biodegrade in half the time.

Home composting definitions are much more limited because a home

compost environment does not reach high enough temperatures to break
things down quickly

The list of home compostable materials is long, but includes:

Any non-animal food scraps: fruits, vegetables, peelings, bread,

cereal, coffee grounds and filters, crushed eggshells, tea leaves
and tea bags (but no staples)
Leaves, grass, foliage clippings
Wine
Dry cat or dog food
Dust from sweeping and vacuuming
Old herbs and spices
Shredded paper or cardboard (must have no coatings, wax, or glue)

Some rules of thumb are to exclude items that may throw off the pH
balance, take longer than 6 months to decompose, or release
microplastics.

Things that are NOT compostable at home include: bioplastic packaging,

biodegradable items, biodegradable bags, compostable bags,
compostable food carriers, dryer lint, cat or dog poop, eco-friendly cat
litter, fish bones, meat, animal bones, milk, cheese, oils, or butter.

Commercial compost facilities are capable of breaking down these

complex products, both due to higher heat and machinery that breaks
things down into small pieces.

FTC guidelines mandate that marketing and packaging must qualify where
something is designed to be composted and explicitly state if it can’t be
home composted.

3. Is 100% Biodegradable The Same As

Compostable?

Image by Tatyana Aksenova

After all that, you may still be wondering, “Does biodegradable mean
compostable?”

Or perhaps more practically, “Can I put biodegradable materials in

compost ever? And if so, which ones?”

If we’re talking about pure, organic matter, yes, but since the term
“biodegradable” is rarely applied to such items, no.

Especially when it comes to biodegradable vs compostable packaging or

plastic, there are very different key elements.

These include the speed of decomposition and the requirement to “leave

no toxic residue”—which is largely a myth with biodegradable plastics that
contribute to our microplastic crisis.

Biodegradable vs compostable plastic bags

There is a “blind embrace” that biodegradable = good, which is why we

see biodegradable materials doing more harm in landfills, where they
improperly break down, releasing microplastics and methane.

Many bioplastics are not even biodegradable and, though plant-based,

“can be designed to be structurally identical to petroleum based plastics”.

Without legal standards for what is labeled as bioplastic or biobased

(heck, even 100% petroleum-based plastics can be called biobased!), it’s
safe to declare most biodegradable products a fraud.

At least until further research, development, education, and management

is addressed, we suggest avoiding single-use biodegradable products
altogether.

What about compostable packaging and products?

Unfortunately, compostable plastics are questionable, too, due to current

lack of education and infrastructure. In the UK, a whopping 90% of
compostable products end up in landfills, and 60% don’t even break down
within six months.

Arguments over biodegradable vs compostable garbage bags are

pointless if both merely exacerbate waste disposal issues.

Professor Mark Miodownik, co-author of “The Compost Experiment”,

writes:

“The bottom line is that home compostable plastics don’t work. Let’s just
stop. Let’s not pretend to ourselves that it’s going to be some sort of
panacea, and you can sell people stuff without really having the
infrastructure to deal with the waste and hope that it’s all going to go
away.”

Unless you know your compostable products are standard-approved and

going to an industrial facility that will accept that, we suggest avoiding
them.

In other words, compostable and biodegradable trash bags are only

suitable if they’re being disposed of in the proper way.

If waste is still landfill-bound, use recycled or reused plastic bags instead

to prevent methane gas emissions.

If you need a composter in the US, BioCycle’s Find A Composter is a

good resource for finding nearby composting facilities. Or use the
ShareWaste App to connect to people locally looking for organic waste,
but this largely only applies to home compostable waste.