When can we say that a product is biodegradable? What is Biodegradable paper?
For natural decomposition of a given waste to occur, it must be organic. The different microorganisms that live in nature use it as food, thereby processing it and turning it back into soil. This is the natural cycle of every organic product or waste. It is very important that oxygen is present during this process. Where there is oxygen, there are molds and bacteria that take care of the biological breakdown of waste.
Biodegradable products are all those of natural origin that would decompose quickly without external intervention once they enter the environment.
It sounds quite natural and logical. Many people, influenced by misleading advertising, have come to believe that everything derived from plants or animals is biodegradable and does not pollute the environment.
This is far from the truth. Very often, during the processing (or preparation) of a product for the market, biodegradable materials are used, but the way they are treated greatly increases the time required for natural decomposition. Examples of this include the addition of chemicals or synthetic substances to natural materials. Changing the natural chemical formula of an organic product makes it unnatural. This way, additional conditions are required for its composting, making it not very different from a plastic product. A perfect example of this are products made from PLA.
Hiding part of the truth does not make a product biodegradable. Manufacturers of such packaging simply don’t mention how long it would actually take their product to decompose in nature without assistance and without special additional conditions—such as temperature and humidity.
For example, a paper straw decomposes in nature within about two months, while a plastic straw takes around 200 years. Technically, both products are biodegradable, but one takes about 200 years.
That is why we are proud of the fact that every paper or cardboard product we manufacture is truly designed to decompose quickly and easily in nature—within one to three months. When producing a new product, we use ingredients and components that we know are easily biodegradable, and we test their decomposition period in natural conditions.
Here you will find a list of biodegradable paper and cardboard products that are genuinely biodegradable.