American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the leader in setting international standards, states that biodegradable is a degradation of a material, brought about by a biological activity, particularly enzymatic action, which can lead to chemical structural changes.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), another US government agency created to protect consumers and pursue law enforcement, has created guidelines on what legitimately qualifies as biodegradable being materials that after breaking down and decomposing with exposure to air, moisture and bacteria, they will become elements found in nature.

Since the FTC will take actions to prohibit and eliminate unfair and deceptive practices, their definition is the one that manufacturers must worry about if marketing a “biodegradable” product.

Biodegradable Materials

Examples of biodegradable materials include fruits, vegetables, leaves, paper, seeds, and many others.

Plastics are generally non-biodegradable. The exception is bioplastics. These plastics are made from organic materials such as cornstarch and tapioca. Hence, when exposed to decomposing agents, they can biodegrade.

Most people believe that biodegradable is synonymous to compostable. However, this is not the case. Compostable is more earth-friendly than biodegradable. In the case of plastics, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) said that compostable plastics must be able to break down with the same rate as paper. Its end products would be water, carbon dioxide and biomass.

Non-biodegradable

Non-biodegradable materials, on the other hand, do not break down easily in the environment. These materials pose a threat to the surroundings since they simply pile up even after many years. Materials that you see in landfills are mostly comprised of non-biodegradable materials such as plastics. In fact, plastic containers, bags, and other plastic materials create more trash in our landfills than appliances and furniture combined.