Compostable or Compostable Biodegradable – Arguably the most eco-friendly disposable product type on the market. If a product is labelled by us as compostable, then this product is made from plant based materials and it will, when sent to a commercial composting facility, break down to create compost.
Biodegradable - The term "biodegradable" means something that will break down when exposed to living things such as bacteria and fungi. Technically, most things are biodegradable, even plastic or a garden shed! However, if you see a product being advertised by us as biodegradable then you can assume the product will break down quicker than it traditionally would when exposed to the right elements (which differ from product to product).
Please be aware that if some biodegradable plastics (such as biodegradable bin bags) end up at the landfill, they will release methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming capacity 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide so you will not find any products that do this in our eco-friendly category despite technically being "biodegradable".
Degradable – A plastic product that has had chemicals added to it to help the product break down into micro plastic's quicker than usual. Unlike biodegradable plastic, degradable plastic will break down in a landfill without producing harmful greenhouse gases.
Oxo-Biodegradable/Oxo-Degradable – A conventional plastic mixed with a chemical addictive in order to create micro-plastics. Unlike biodegradable and degradable plastics, these products do not break down at molecular or polymer level.
Bio-Plastics – A type of biodegradable plastic derived from biological substances rather than petroleum.
Recyclable – Instead of going to the landfill, you can recycle this product to give it a new lease of life.
Re-usable – Instead of throwing the product away, it can be used over and over again.
For our explanation of more eco-friendly terms that you might spot on our website, you can read all about these over on our Blog post by clicking here.
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