Composting Q&A

Terms like 'compostable' and 'biodegradable' get used a lot but what do they actually mean - for you, for your business and for the environment as a whole? In this Q&A post we break it all down - in more ways than one!

What Does Biodegradable Mean?

Biodegradation happens when you place natural materials into the dirt where they are decomposed by naturally occurring moisture and micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi plus creatures like snails, worms, slugs and more (1). Some materials biodegrade much quicker than others - wool for example takes around a year whereas a paper bag is just 5 weeks.

How About Composting?
Like biodegradation, composting breaks down natural materials with the help of naturally
occurring organisms. The composting environment is a natural one (no chemicals are used) but it is an orchestrated one designed to host a much higher level of organisms. Planglow USA are proud members of the US Composting Council (2).

So Aren't Biodegrading & Composting the Same Thing?
The processes are very similar in that they refer to the organic (natural) decomposition of natural materials - food waste, wool, cotton, paper, even plant-based plastics - into their base components: proteins, fats and other nutrients. So neither system requires the addition of chemicals and utilizes natural processes only. However, the composting environment
is a man made one requiring regular turning and - in some cases - the addition of heat and moisture. Whereas biodegradation is mother nature running her course without adding anything into the mix or accelerating the process in any way.

What Happens When the Dirt or Compost Can't Break Down Any Further?
When organic material reach maximum decomposition it becomes humus (not to be confused with hummus) and it can stay in this form for hundreds of years. Dirt is typically made up of around 6% humus (3) so if there is a little dirt on the soles of your shoes or in a plant container somewhere in your office or restaurant, it's more than likely that some of the material in there is a few centuries old.

What's The Difference Between Home and Industrial Composting?
The main difference is temperature with heat being purposely introduced into an industrial composting environment to help kill off harmful bacteria. The most common types of industrial composter are called anaerobic digesters (ADs) and in-vessel composters (IVCs). You can also set up a 'hot' compost at home (4) and even a 'cold' compost gives off a little heat from all the energy being produced by the organisms inside.

How Does In-Vessel Composting Work?
In-vessel composting (5) places bio-matter into a container or vessel of some form. This is usually a tank or specially designed room where the temperature, moisture and airflow - which includes oxygen - are all very carefully regulated.

...And Anaerobic Digestor's?
Anaerobic digestors (5) are similar to IVCs but with two key changes: no oxygen is present within the AD environment and the process produces a natural fertiliser (as opposed to compost) with a very high concentration of nutrients which may be used to grow crops. Oxygen-free biogas (a combination of methane and carbon dioxide) is naturally produced by the anaerobic digestor too which is extracted and used as a renewable energy source.

Can't We Simply Leave Natural Materials to Biodegrade in Landfill?
Natural materials struggle to biodegrade in landfill sites (6) because there is very little moisture or dirt present which means the micro-organisms required to actually break the materials down are very thin on (or under) the ground too. Trash is also very tightly compacted at landfill sites which means there's not much oxygen around either which many of the micro-organisms need to survive.

Why Use Compostable Plant Based Products?
For decades food packaging has been made from petroleum based plastics that, unless recycled, remain in landfills for hundreds of years before eventually breaking down. Recycling plastic food packaging into new packaging and other products, requires specialist cleaning - not to mention all the oil and oil-fueled process that go into making them in the first place. Each month the US uses more than a million tons of plastic on packaging and containers alone - that’s the same weight as 5,714 blue whales and accounts for 5% of the worlds annual plastic consumption. However, with little more than 50 years left before the worlds oil reserves run out entirely traditional plastics are simply not a long term solution.

For all of these reasons Planglow USA has developed eco friendly products made from entirely biodegradable and compostable materials that won't cost the earth: packaging and labelling that breaks down quickly without leaving any harmful traces. We avoid oil-based plastics wherever possible so even the laminate (which also forms the windows) in our packaging is made from a ground-breaking plant-based material - a certified and fully compostable alternative. What’s more, our board manufacturers repulp off cuts from production back into our paper stock and all of our suppliers are commissioned for their own environmental best practice too.

What About Recycling?
While most of the materials we use are suitable for recycling we have developed our ranges to be fully biodegradable and compostable as well. This is because, unlike recyclables, biodegradable and compostable products are not subject to the waste management schemes available in any one area. Recyclables are also prone to contamination from mixed materials and food waste so even a stray salad leaf or plastic lid can compromise a whole batch of otherwise recyclable materials and condemn them to landfill.

Where Can I Find Further Information?
You can click on any of the links in the text above or, alternatively, click the links below for further information.
(1) Cornell University
(2) US Composting Council
(3) Brighthub.com
(4) VegetableGardener.com
(5) Wrap.org
(6) Environment.About.com

For details of waste disposal services near you please refer to Earth911's recycling solution directory.