Theoretically, any material made up of organic compounds is biodegradable. No matter how long it takes, the carbon-based material will inevitably decay into carbon dioxide and water via microbial respiration.

Biodegradable materials are materials that can be broken down naturally by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. The degradation of these materials occurs through the consumption by bacteria to produce water, gasses, minerals, and new biomass over time. It is possible for these materials to biodegraded by anaerobic bacteria (in the absence of oxygen). Some of our competitors are blatantly wrong in their statements. We don’t know if they are lying, or if their salespeople honestly don’t understand the technology. If you read that “biodegradable means microplastics,” they are wrong.

BioNatur plastics are biodegradable in an anaerobic environment, including most landfills - where 86% of all plastic waste will end up. Our proprietary organic additive target microorganisms capable of processing petroleum molecules. It has been tested using ASTM D5511 standards to ensure our plastics biodegrade into water, dirt and gases. And total petroleum hydrocarbon testing demonstrates that no plastics were left in the system after the conclusion of ASTM D5511 testing.

BioNatur plastic uses an organic polymer to attract naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria in the landfill to digest the enzymes and break down the large plastic polymer molecules into smaller organic molecules that the bacteria then recognize as food. They then digest these smaller molecules and continue the process until the plastic is fully biodegraded in a fraction of the time it takes traditional plastic to biodegrade.

Degradation is a decomposition process that terminates in the fragmentation of plastics under the conditions of heat, sunlight, and moisture, resulting in the weakening of the plastic’s physical structure. So-called oxo-degradables are in this category. They often cite ASTM D6954 testing to make their claims.

Some of these oxo-degradable manufacturers claim that by breaking down the large piece of plastic in to microplastics, they can quicken the pace by which they are oxidized by bacteria into water and gasses. None that we have met to date can provide testing data to demonstrate this end-of-life condition.

The end product is many microscopic particles that may be even more problematic than before degradation as they may find their way into the diet of animal life and influence the food chain. Many experts have suggested that degradable plastics do not solve any problem but instead push the problem into the future, with the production of micro plastics. The European Union has banned oxo-degradable plastics for just this reason.

Degradable plastics simply break down into microparticles of plastic. This is why OXO-degradable plastic has been banned in the European Union.

The European Union directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment became law in April 2019 and includes a ban on oxo-degradable plastics. (EU directive 2019/904 Article 5)

Compostable materials, like biodegradable materials, are broken down by microorganisms but with a key difference: The broken-down matter must enhance the nutritious quality of the soil without introducing any toxicity. Also, this entire process must take place within 12 weeks for a material to be considered compostable.

Commercially produced compostable products (such as the compostable cutlery, cups and plates used by many restaurants) need to be sent to an industrial composting facility in order to biodegrade, where adequate conditions (such as temperature, humidity, etc.) are maintained. They will not break down in a home compost pile or a landfill. ASTM D6400 testing will show if a product is compostable – but ONLY in an industrial composter.

Looking at the definitions of these terms it’s pretty understandable why they are so easily confused but there’s a difference: While all compostable material is biodegradable, not all biodegradable material is compostable.