Biodegradable vs Compostable Packaging – Which Is Better?

compost bin lifestyle

You’ve likely seen the terms ‘biodegradable’ and ‘compostable’ written on products and packaging. 

But what do these terms actually mean? 

Are they the same thing? 

And should you opt for one term over the other? (hint: one of the terms is more trustworthy).

Is Compostable Better Than Biodegradable?

Yes! We see ‘compostable’ packaging as a more trustworthy and sustainable option than ‘biodegradable’. 

The reason? The term ‘biodegradable’ is meaningless if it’s not backed up. Any material will biodegrade if you give it enough time – even fossil fuel plastic can be considered biodegradable (it takes around 500 years to break down). For this reason, ‘biodegradable’ claims are often used to greenwash or mislead consumers. 

Compostable, on the other hand, is when a product can be organically recycled under specific conditions. If it’s properly certified (through the Australasian Bioplastics Association in Australia, and the TÜV Rheinland Group and DIN CERTCO in Europe), it’s been proven to break down in a home or commercial environment, making it a more trustworthy choice. 

Therefore, it can be said that all certified compostable materials are biodegradable in a composting environment, yet not all biodegradable materials are compostable.

Compostable vs Biodegradable – Why Does It Even Matter?

Why should you care about the difference between biodegradable and compostable, anyway? 

Knowing the difference between these commonly used terms can help you make more informed choices about which packaging you use, while also ensuring you’re able to dispose of it in the right way. 

Educating yourself and others on the difference between biodegradable and compostable helps fight plastic pollution and prevents waste from being sent to the wrong place (for example, a ‘biodegradable’ plastic product winding up in a commercial compost facility can contaminate compost). 

Let’s dig deeper into both terms.

Biodegradable Definition

A used plastic cup with a biodegradable label in the sandA used plastic cup with a biodegradable label in the sand

A biodegradable product refers to a product made of any material, that will break down into smaller pieces by the action of living microorganisms and degrade in the environment over time. Biodegradable material doesn't have to be a ‘bio-based’ material.

So you can no doubt see the issue – most materials could be considered biodegradable because, eventually, every material will break down if you give them enough time (~500 years for fossil fuel plastic). When products made out of non-compostable material degrade, they might take a long time to degrade and leave toxic residue behind, such as microplastics.

You can find some products labelled ‘biodegradable plastic’ or ‘oxo-degradable plastics’ that can be made from conventional plastics, only with an additive that allows rapid biodegradation of the product. The issue is it can also leave behind microplastic fragments.

There is a great misunderstanding and misuse of the term biodegradable, and for this reason, the biodegradable label is not recognised by the organics recycling industry.

If you accidentally end up with a product labelled ‘biodegradable’, it should be sent to landfill (just like traditional plastic).

Compostable Definition

A BioCup that clearly states it must be industrially composted after useA BioCup that clearly states it must be industrially composted after use

Like nature’s version of recycling, a compostable product is one that – when properly disposed of in a composting environment – will rapidly break down and leave behind no toxicity in the soil.

Compostable products are typically made from rapidly renewable, reclaimed, plant-based raw materials. It often helps to think of ‘certified compostable’ materials as a subcategory of biodegradable materials – compostable materials are biodegradable in a composting environment, yet not all biodegradable materials are compostable.

However, making compostable claims requires factual evidence in the form of certifications. Obtaining certifications can be costly, so it’s not uncommon to see companies choose to label their products as biodegradable instead — which unfortunately contributes to confusion around disposal and can result in incorrect disposal, littering or compost contamination. 

There are also companies who choose to label their products as ‘compostable’ without having gone through the required certification process – making it even more important for consumers to not take things at face value and make sure the company producing this packaging actually holds a compost certification.

Compostable claims must be independently certified to local home or commercial industrial compost standards. 

Below you’ll see an example of the ABA Home (AS5810, NF T 51-800) and Industrially (AS4736, EN 13432) Compostable Logos. Look for one of these two logos AND the company’s sub-licence number stated underneath.

The industrially compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.The industrially compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.

Industrially Compostable (AS4736, EN 13432)

When you see this logo, the product should be sent to an industrial compost facility. Get in touch with your council to see if they accept packaging in their FOGO or organics collection or visit Compost Connect for more information.

The home compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.The home compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.

Home Compostable (AS5810, NF T 51-800)

When you see this logo, the product can be thrown into your backyard compost bin to biodegrade.

The industrially compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.The industrially compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.

Industrially Compostable (AS4736, EN 13432)

When you see this logo, the product should be sent to an industrial compost facility. Get in touch with your council to see if they accept packaging in their FOGO or organics collection or visit Compost Connect for more information.

The home compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.The home compostable logo under the ABA, showing the certification logo, type and licence number.

Home Compostable (AS5810, NF T 51-800)

When you see this logo, the product can be thrown into your backyard compost bin to biodegrade.

What About Bioplastics?

‘Bioplastic’ is the term used for plastics derived from plant-based materials (traditional plastic is derived from fossil fuels). 

But just because a product is made from a bioplastic doesn’t automatically mean it’s rapidly biodegradable or compostable.

As you can see from the below diagram, biobased PET and PTT plastics aren’t compostable.

An X-Y graph showing the difference between ‘bioplastic’ and ‘fossil-based plastic’ products. It shows that bioplastics like PLA, PHA and PBS are compostable, while PET and PE are not compostable. BPAT, a fosil-based plastics, are compostable.An X-Y graph showing the difference between ‘bioplastic’ and ‘fossil-based plastic’ products. It shows that bioplastics like PLA, PHA and PBS are compostable, while PET and PE are not compostable. BPAT, a fosil-based plastics, are compostable.

Are BioPak Products Biodegradable or Compostable?

At BioPak, we focus on making ‘compostable’ claims over ‘biodegradable’, which can be seen through our large range of certified compostable products. This means our packaging will biodegrade when disposed of in the correct composting conditions.

We only make factual claims that can be verified through scientific processing – which is why our packaging is either certified home compostable (to AS5810 or NFT51-800 standards) or industrially compostable (to AS4736 or EN13432 standards).

There are so many benefits to choosing correctly certified compostable packaging:

  • Creates nutrient-rich compost
  • Guaranteed to break down
  • Leaves no toxic residue
  • Contributes to a circular economy
  • Supports local recycling

If you’re unsure how to responsibly dispose of one of our products, you can visit our disposal page for more product specific information.

Why We Avoid Using the Term Biodegradable

One of our main goals at BioPak is to educate our customers and consumers on how to properly dispose of our packaging, as well as spot and avoid greenwashing.

The term ‘compostable’ can be verified by certifications, whereas the term ‘biodegradable’ cannot be verified. ‘Biodegradable’ is increasingly misused, misunderstood and not a recognised label for the organic recycling industry. This is why we choose not to use this term.

How To Dispose of Biodegradable Packaging

Have you ever ordered takeaway food or a coffee, then realised it’s labelled as ‘biodegradable’? You might be left thinking – now what?

Remember that compostable certifications (under the ABA) are the only claims that can be trusted. Certified compostable products have been rigorously tested to ensure they break down in either a home or industrial composting environment. 

If your product is labelled as ‘biodegradable’,  this often means it doesn’t hold a certification and it hasn’t been tested to break down in a composting environment. The most responsible thing you can do is throw it in your general landfill bin.

Don’t take the chance and send something ‘biodegradable’ to be composted – this only contaminates compost and gives the whole compostable packaging industry a bad name. 

If the packaging product is certified compostable, you can send it to a commercial facility through your FOGO bin (if the packaging is accepted by your council) or place it in your home compost, depending on what the certification label says. Make sure you read the label before disposal.

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