'Biodegradable' and 'Compostable' vs. 'Recyclable'
Posted in: Helping Harry's Planet 7th February 2022
As a responsible distributor, we are committed to minimising our environmental impact as a business and are continually evolving to ensure we serve our clients in the most cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly way.
So here we want to talk about our current stance on biodegradable and compostable waste that cannot be recycled. Firstly, let’s get it clear the differences between recyclable, biodegradable and compostable waste.
Recyclable waste is recovered and reprocessed for use in manufacturing of new products. When something is biodegradable, this means it can be broken down naturally by the earth. Compostable products are made entirely from natural materials such as starch, and decompose fully into compost.
We’ll now take a look at the pros and cons of both compostable and biodegradable waste…
The good things about compostable packaging...
The main benefit compostable products have on the environment is that they require less carbon to produce and they reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, levels of pollution in the air, groundwater and soil. Compostables also provide soil with life-promoting nutrients. On top of this, compostables help to conserve resources by reducing the amount of new/virgin materials needed to make packaging.
The good things about biodegradable packaging…
An obvious advantage to biodegradable plastics is the reduction in carbon emissions. Biodegradable waste is broken down by naturally occurring bacteria, releasing minimal Carbon Dioxide and Greenhouse Gases as they degrade. During the manufacturing process, plant-based plastics emit far fewer emissions than regular plastic creation does and consume less energy in production than plastic or paper. Since biodegradables will never be present in a landfill for long periods, the outcome is less overall waste to manage.
But how does this really pan out in today’s world?
Biodegradables and Compostables: the other side of the coin...
Compostable and biodegradable packaging sounds good in theory, but if these products end up in the wrong place it can unfortunately do more harm than good.
Only a limited number of councils throughout the UK collect and compost plant-based compostable waste. Currently, compostable and biodegradable packaging is not recyclable and can in fact contaminate the recycling process.
It’s also important to bear in mind that biodegradable materials require specific conditions in order to break down so if they are littered in an area without these specific conditions, they will remain in the environment for longer.
Making or calling a product biodegradable or compostable therefore has no inherent value if after use by the customer, the product does not end up in a waste management system that supports its correct disposal.
Imogen Napper at the University of Plymouth conducted an experiment on biodegradable and compostable bags and summarised that “people need to be aware that putting it in the recycling or trying to compost it, or putting in the general waste bin won't necessarily get them the results that they're being advertised,”
The disposal process for biodegradables and compostables isn’t yet developed enough in the UK to be as reliable as recycling, meaning that these waste products are more likely to be littered than plastic or paper products that are recyclable.
Biodegradable and compostable packaging comes at a higher price tag to recyclable packaging – and if the environmental benefits are working better currently with recyclable options – it makes sense why this is currently the most popular choice of many of our customers.
Our take on soluble bags?
Unlike conventional plastics, which can take thousands of years to fully biodegrade, water soluble bags are designed to biodegrade quickly and safely in the environment as well as in controlled breakdown systems like composting and anaerobic digestion.
Soluble packaging is often marketed as being non-toxic and marine-safe, and if unintentionally released into the natural environment, will safely biodegrade, leaving no trace.
However, with a very unique end-of-life process, the question is how likely is it that everyday consumers will take the time to dissolve packaging rather than disposing of in the bin?
Plastic has been so widely used within the logistics industry as it’s known for its effectiveness in protection against moisture. So this brings another challenge - keeping soluble packaging protected from moisture, which is a commonplace element during the shipping and storage of a package. Thorough testing is involved to make sure of its ability to perform effectively.
At Valley Northern we have looked into soluble bags as a packaging option for the healthcare industry. Our Head of Innovations, Adrian, says that “the higher costs involved in soluble packaging compared with its performance, meant that this wasn’t a viable packaging option we can currently offer our customers”.
He adds that “we are continuously looking into new steps we can take on our journey to become Net-Zero by 2030. Between now and then we will revisit soluble, biodegradable and compostable packaging to see how things have developed within the industry and determine if these options are suitable, and the pros outweigh the cons’.
Is it better to focus on recycling plastic packaging, then?
Research by the UK-based clear packaging producer Stäger involved lifecycle analysis of a number of bio-based and compostable plastics against PET and recycled PET. Using 60% recycled and 40% virgin PET came out top. However, a move to bio-based PET (non-compostable but fully recyclable) with 30% recycled content would be even better, should it become commercially viable.
“If it can be recycled it tends to make sense environmentally to do so,” says Adrian Higson from bio economy consultants NNFCC, who led the work. However, start to look at why some plastics aren’t recycled – it’s too contaminated with food, for example, or there are technical difficulties, as is the case with films – and the benefits of compostable packaging begin to stack up, he adds.
So there’s life in compostables and biodegradables yet?
Of course. Biodegradable polymers will play a greater role in the packaging sector in the future and most agree that compostables have a role too. The BBIA has forecasted there could be 200,000 tonnes of compostable packaging on the market within 10 years.
It’s simply that the UK’s waste system just currently isn’t set up to handle compostables, at least at the household level. Development within the waste management system is also needed to ensure that biodegradable products get correctly disposed of to truly live to their values.
According to an article by Kelly Oakes on BBC Future: “though in-vessel composting facilities exist that could process compostable cutlery, coffee cups and more, councils don’t collect these items, so consumers are left with no option but to put them in the general waste where they’ll head to landfill or incineration. Some local authorities take compostable carrier bags if they’re used to collect food waste, but at some plants those bags are removed from the food waste before its composted”.
“Closed-loop schemes with a dedicated collection for compostable plastics, like the one launched with Vegware in the UK Parliament last year, offer some hope. But even they run into problems: an investigation published by Footprint in July this year revealed that in its first seven months, Parliament’s scheme had to send all of its compostable plastic to be incinerated, largely because of high levels of contamination”.
To summarise our take…
Whilst compostables and biodegradables will likely play a bigger part in the future of sustainable packaging, there is still a lot more development required and the UK’s waste management system is currently better set up for recyclable waste.
If consumers dispose of compostables and biodegradables correctly, they can be a big plus on the environment so, we do offer these compostable bags and biodegradable bags. Although more expensive, compostable or biodegradable bags are a popular choice for businesses who have a ‘No plastic’ policy.
Source/s: BBC Future, Recycling & Waste World
Check back again for further insights into the sustainable steps we are taking towards our goal to reduce our carbon emissions.
