Biodegradable vs Compostable
When I first started learning about sustainability and sustainable living, I always thought that biodegradable and compostable meant the same thing just like word accept and receive, and to be honest that was a pretty good guess because I wasn’t that far off.
Before we get to the main difference between biodegradable and compostable, we have to define them.
According to Kiah Terrace who is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a Juris Doctor with a certificate in Environmental Law, a biodegradable item is anything that can be broken down by bacteria or fungi and this harmless residue can be incorporated back into the environment. Another thing that makes an item biodegradable is that this “degrading” happens without the presence of oxygen, and it breaks down to carbon dioxide, biomass and water within a decent amount of time.
An example a non-biodegradable item is plastic. Plastic is not biodegradable because they take hundreds of years to break down. When they finally break down, they turn into microplastic that is still continuously polluting and damaging the environment.
While Compostable on the other hand is like a type of biodegrading. According to Waste Place, compostable item is an item that can be broken down into “carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass in small pieces in about 90 days”.
The difference between biodegrading and composting is that composting occurs with human interaction and within a certain amount of time, while biodegrading is a natural process.
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Why should I care about the difference between biodegradable and compostable?
Great question.
You need to know the difference because not all items marketed as biodegradable are good for the environment. When you are buying an item and it is marketed as biodegradable, do a quick research and see how long it would take for that item to breakdown
We want to get into the habit of buying materials that are compostable biodegradable with harmless residue
If you have any questions or concerns, please comment or reach out to me at visiblesustainable@gmail.com.
Citations
“The Difference between Biodegradable and Compostable.” WastePlace Blog, https://www.wasteplace.com/blog/the-difference-between-biodegradable-and-compostable#:~:text=The%20major%20difference%20between%20compostable%20and%20biodegradable%20is,biodegradable%20products%20break%20down%20on%20their%20own%20naturally.
Treece, Kiah. “Biodegradable vs. Compostable: What’s the Difference?” Treehugger, Treehugger, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.treehugger.com/biodegradable-compostable-difference-5094376.
Treece, Kiah. “Kiah Treece, Environmental Policy Expert for the Spruce.” The Spruce, The Spruce, https://www.thespruce.com/kiah-treece-5092366.
