What does “biodegradable” mean?

‘Biodegradability includes the properties of substances that are decomposed into carbon dioxide, water, biomass and minerals by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere, and decomposed into carbon dioxide, methane, biomass and minerals, with no time period defined.’

“Biodegradable” should not be confused with “degradable”. The former describes the decomposition into components that occur in nature, especially carbon dioxide and water. The latter refers to the weathering or decomposition of large pieces of plastic into microplastics. In this way, it is hardly visible but no less harmful to the environment.

Biodegradable Packaging

Biodegradable packaging is produced using biopolymers, which are molecules commonly found in living organisms, such as cellulose and proteins. This means they are safe to eat, break down quickly and are generally made from discarded plant products.

This type of packaging will also decompose over time. You will be completely back to nature in a relatively short time. It does not require special conditions. Moreover, it is not beneficial to the soil too.

What is different is the way you plan to get rid of it. Biodegradable packaging is not suitable for the soil. Therefore, there is no reason to do more recycling as usual recklessly.

As a general rule, the following materials are biodegradable. (To remind, this means it will decompose and return to nature. It is not as beneficial to the soil as compostable materials).

• Paper, cardboard and brown kraft paper.
• Packaging is made of plant materials such as corn, starch sugar, and mushrooms.
• Some “bioplastics” are made of corn starch or sugar.

Biodegradable packaging is for you if you are seeking environmentally friendly packaging that has a low environmental impact. When it comes to biodegradable packing, paper and cardboard are your best bets, and you have a variety of options for carrying different items. Since biodegradable materials are designed to break down into smaller and smaller pieces naturally, you must tell your customers how to dispose of the packaging after receiving it. Although any biodegradable product can be thrown into the trash can together with other general waste, the landfill lacks the microorganisms and nutrients in the soil and cannot cause the material to decompose, so it takes much longer to decompose. Any recyclable and biodegradable materials, such as paper and cardboard, must be recycled because the process will be faster and will reduce the demand for raw materials.

Why can’t biodegradable packaging be composted?

In principle, the packaging can be composted. However, they have a relatively large material thickness. This causes them to rot very slowly. In an industrial composting plant with a residence time of six to eight weeks, there is usually not so much time available, so the packaging will not rot at all or not completely rot. Even in homemade compost, the degradation rate is quite moderate because the packaging does not have enough time to rot.

Advantages and disadvantages of Biodegradable Packaging

Biodegradable packaging is a promising alternative to plastic. They help alleviate long-term problems caused by the excessive use of plastics. Biodegradable packaging is made of renewable raw materials, while plastic is made of fossil raw materials. In addition, biopolymers are synthesized in a relatively efficient process, which requires much less energy than the production of plastic polymers. Another great advantage of biodegradable packaging is that they are safe for the environment and people. This makes them easier to decompose, and they do not accumulate over time like plastic. After all, biopolymers help us reduce our dependence on oil and control carbon dioxide emissions. This is probably the most important benefit of biodegradable packaging because it aims to mitigate climate change, which is a global problem.

Although biodegradable packaging is largely a positive thing, it is not perfect. It does have some negative effects. With the long-term increase in the use of biopolymers, a problem that may arise is the need for more plant materials to synthesize biopolymers. If more effective synthetic methods cannot be created in the next 50 years, we will need more agricultural land to provide biomass to produce all the biopolymers we need. Another problem is that since this is a relatively new process, we must build many new processing plants to produce these biopolymers. The production of new equipment is an expensive, time-consuming and environmentally hazardous process that may take many years. Finally, not all biopolymers can be composted internally, so special composting facilities are required.

Combining with metal packaging, biodegradable packaging is an excellent alternative to traditional plastics. Biopolymer-based films, coatings, and bags protect perishable foods from contact with micro-organisms and air. They are obtained from natural products and can be produced and processed in an environmentally friendly way. They represent a possible move away from plastics and can help us shed our dependence on fossil fuels.

What are bioplastics?

Bioplastics are not uniformly defined. The supposedly environmentally friendly “organic” can refer to production from renewable raw materials or their possible biodegradability or both. The term is used for various different types of polymers. In the literature, bioplastics are considered to be those that

• are biodegradable and/or
• consist of renewable raw materials (i.e. bio-based).

This results in three different types of bioplastics:

• petroleum-based + biodegradable
• biobased + biodegradable or compostable
• biobased + non-biodegradable

Bioplastics are therefore also materials that are produced organically but are not biodegradable. Bioplastics are also materials that are biodegradable but consist of petroleum.

A Brief History of Bioplastics

Bioplastics are not a new invention, as you might think. As early as 1869, the Hyatt Brothers began to produce celluloid, a cellulose-based thermoplastic that is the main building material for most plants. This material can be used, among other things, to make movies, spectacle frames and toys. As “cellophane”, it has been called cellulose hydrate since 1923, and it is still used as a packaging material today. It was not until 1980 that major developments occurred again: in the context of sustainable development, petroleum-based materials must be replaced. Thermoplastic starch (TPS), cellulose acetate and polylactides (PLA) were mainly used. In addition, manufacturing processes for bio-based polyethylene (Bio-PE), polypropylene (Bio-PP) and other plastics have been developed.

With a market share of about 80 per cent, thermoplastic starch is currently the most important and most used representative of bioplastics. The main vegetable raw material is corn, wheat and potatoes in Europe, Africa and North America, as well as tapioca in Asia. The reasons why bioplastics have not yet been able to assert themselves more strongly are the high price, poor availability and limited material performance compared to fossil plastics. But the disposal situation is also still unsatisfactory.

The market share of thermoplastic starch is about 80%, and it is currently the largest and most widely used bioplastic representative. The main plant raw materials are corn, wheat and potatoes from Europe, Africa and North America, and cassava from Asia. Compared with fossil plastics, bioplastics have not been able to prove themselves more strongly because of the high price, poor availability and limited performance of the material. But the disposal situation is still not satisfactory.

Here are the important facts about Biodegradable:

• Material decomposes due to biological activity, such as microorganisms or enzymes.
• After decomposition, water, biomass and carbon dioxide are left behind.
• Decomposition up to the basic molecules.
• The period is irrelevant.

Are bioplastics greenwashing, or is it a sustainable alternative?

The potential to mislead his customers when it comes to bioplastics is, unfortunately, very high. In short, bioplastics that are 100 per cent biobased and 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable are, of course, a very good alternative to conventional plastic. But of course, there are also those bioplastics that have been produced biobased but are not biodegradable and compostable. And the danger is that you can still rightly be called bioplastics.

If a company advertises with bioplastics and says that it is environmentally friendly, that does not have to be true, and yet it can be said. This means that the risk of greenwashing is very high.

Of course, what you can always do as a consumer is to acquire the necessary knowledge and then pay very close attention to what kind of bioplastic it is.

Are biodegradable plastics suitable for composting in the garden?

No. In the standards for industrial compostability, degradation under the conditions of a large-scale composting plant is tested. In such composting plants, for example, temperatures of well over 60 °C are reached, which is usually not the case with compost heaps in the garden. Only under these conditions does the microbiological degradation of the bags take place quickly and reliably. Under normal environmental conditions, such as those prevailing in a compost heap in the garden, the degradation takes much longer, so that there are still residues left in the finished compost. However, since degradable plastics do not benefit the compost, they should be disposed of as residual waste.

Know more about Biodegradable Packaging. Read our blog on Biodegradable Packaging – The Demand & Difficulties of This