Compostable vs. Biodegradable – there IS a difference!
Posted by Eco-Products on Sep 3rd 2014
Compostable vs. Biodegradable. You often see these two words used to tout the environmental benefits of products. To most of us, these words simply mean “stuff will break down.” True, but did you know there is a crucial difference?
Biodegradation occurs when something breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. This doesn’t necessarily mean the end result will be valuable for soil or plants. It just means you have a lot of small pieces of stuff.
Look for this label to ensure a product is indeed compostable.
Composting, on the other hand, means that after something biodegrades, it is valuable input for supporting plant life and soil health. Compost provides numerous benefits, including nutrients for plants, increased gas and water permeability (which is a fancy way of saying it will reduce soil erosion and runoff), improved ability to hold nutrients for plant use, stabilized soil pH levels, and a better overall environment for plant roots.
So how do you know if something is truly compostable, instead of just biodegradable? Look for BPI certification. The Biodegradable Products Institute verifies that strict, third-party tests were conducted to assure a product will actually compost and become valuable soil amendment. Eco-Products believes this validation is important, which is why so many of our GreenStripe products are BPI certified. You can find our list of BPI-certified products here.
And while you’re at it, check out some of our super sweet videos. For some YouTube action that is both educational and entertaining, see our videos on how composting works, our compostable cups, and our compostable sugarcane containers.
Our very own Sustainability Maven served up this delicious nugget of green geekery for us today. If this little taste leaves you hungry for more, you can always cruise over to the Greenology and/or Training sections at EcoProducts.com for a full helping. If you have a question you can’t find the answer to you can email her at sustainabilitymaven@ecoproducts.com