You’ve probably heard both of these terms when talking or reading about eco-friendly products. So what’s the difference?
Biodegradable plastic is plastic which will degrade from naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi etc. over a period of time. Note, that there is no requirement for leaving “no toxic residue”, as well as no requirement for the time it needs to take to biodegrade. That’s why, we generally describe the G-Pod as being compostable.
Compostable plastic is plastic which is “capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose). and leaves no toxic residue.” American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM).
In order for a plastic to be called compostable, three (3) criteria must be met:
- Biodegrade – break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper).
- Disintegrate – the material is indistinguishable in the compost, that it is not visible and needs to be screened out.
- No Eco-toxicity – the biodegradation does not produce any toxic material and the compost can support plant growth.
The G-Pods have been subjected to testing at a commercially approved lab. The results of the analysis confirms that the pods meet ASTM D 6400-12 specifications, as well as, BPI requirements for % Ash and Heavy Metals Analysis.