“Biodegradable” has long been a staple of the green movement.  We know
to look for it on product labels because it’s good,  both in the
packaging and the product, but do we really understand what it means?

For the most part, no.  Unfortunately, it is one of the most commonly
abused greenwash terms, likely because there is no standardized
definition. Generally it means that the product will break down quickly
in nature to naturally occurring components with the help of the
existing bacteria.  But how quick is quickly?

Eco-Logo, the most prevalent environmental certification in Canada
requires that products or packaging be “readily biodegradable”.  They
specify a test for all products that measures how quickly a product
breaks down.  In general they are looking for at least 60-70% breakdown
within 14 days.

This test is going to screen out a lot of products.  Take plastic bags
for example.  Technically they do biodegrade - they break down in nature
– it just takes an estimated 1000 years to do it (we don’t know for sure
since plastic bags have only been around for 50 years…).  I don’t know
about you – but that’s not my idea of biodegradable.

Another of the challenges related to biodegradability is that the tests
are quite expensive.  It can cost in excess of $1000 to test a single
product because of the length of the test.  This can be prohibitive to
the small, local manufacturer who is making products in small batchs –
in many ways just the kind of supplier that we would be looking for from
a carbon footprint perspective.

Another way to check for biodegradability is to ensure that it doesn’t
contain any key ingredients that are known to be not readily
biodegradable.  Some examples include artificial colours and scents.  A
more comprehensive list of ingredients to avoid is included here:
http://www.healthy-communications.com/ingredientstoavoid.html.

Overall – biodegradability is a tough issue to follow on your own, and
has certainly been one of the most challenging of criteria for us to
screen at Green Cricket.  Third party verification provides the easiest
way to be sure, but doesn’t cover every product category available, or
apply in every situation.  Asking questions may be the best way to go.
Never be afraid to challenge a claim.  If a product that you’re looking
for is labelled biodegradable, feel free to ask what that means, and how
they demonstrate it.  We always do.

Tags: Biodegradable, Environment, Green, label

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