What's up everybody! We're coming at you here live from the Viv offices in San Francisco and we're here to tell you one thing - that is one thing only - and that is that THE WORD BIODEGRADABLE DOES NOT MEAN THE SAME THING AS THE WORD COMPOSTABLE.
We're going to walk you through 3 things: 1) the definition of the word compostable, 2) the definition of the word biodegradable, and 3) how to make sure that when you're buying food packaging that's marked compostable or biodegradable, you're not being greenwashed.
Here it is.
The word compostable has a definition that is strictly controlled by the scientific standards ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, and EN13432. It means 3 things. #1) Biodegradability - It means that 60-90% of your product is going to break down within 180 days. #2) Disintegration - 90% of your product is going to break down into (itty bitty) pieces that are 2mm in size of less. #3) Eco-Toxicity - That means that when that product breaks down in a commercial composting ...
