What is the difference between compostable and degradable?
Compostable means that the product will completely break down into carbon and water in a specified time frame under industrial composting conditions. A compostable product will not contaminate the soil in which it was composted with additives like cobalt. A common certification to ensure compostability is the ASTM standard. Compostable means it will usually break down under 120 days under specific conditions. Degradable is a product that partially breaks down. It leaves traces of the original product in the soil. Though these traces are not necessarily visible to the naked eye they are not natural and cannot be used by the earth’s ecosystem as a food source. For example a degradable plastic bag leaves small traces of the original bag in the soil. A compostable bag leaves no trace that it ever existed.
