Managing Packaging Product Delays
What’s the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging? Discover which sustainable material is best suited to your product.
As a modern business, it’s important to understand the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging. Demand by consumers globally for sustainable and more environmentally friendly packaged goods has been on the rise for years, with the most recent trends in Australia published by global market intelligence agency Mintel in 2019, the Global Food and Drink Trends revealing:
When considering a sustainable packaging solution, it is important to consider how the packaging needs to be disposed of by your consumers.
What’s the key difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging?
Biodegradable packaging materials are those that break down and return to the soil, typically within a year. This process happens more quickly given the right conditions of light, oxygen, bacteria and water. Depending on the packaging material structure, the biodegradable process can leave behind some toxic residue.
Compostable packaging materials are also biodegradable, however, they can break down faster (given the right composting conditions) and return a nutrient-rich organic material back into the soil – which biodegradable materials do not.
The raw material structure of your plastic packaging (bio-based or fossil-based), where they decompose (home, industrial or commercial composting facilities or landfill), how they decompose (fragmentable for example) and what they leave behind (toxins or nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients), are the main defining factors for these two terms.
“While all compostable products are biodegradable, not all biodegradable products are compostable.” www.oceanwatch.org.au
Despite the best efforts by manufacturers and the Food and Pet Food industry to achieve a circular packaging economy, how effective their sustainable solutions are ultimately comes down to how the products are disposed of or how much they can be recycled.
We are in a unique position to influence how successful the shift to sustainable packaging is and instead of being a “trend”, together, we can help make it the “norm” by:
If you get these factors to align, you have a product and offering that is ahead of the conformance curve and you will be appealing to more market demand than you may have thought.
‘Biodegradable’ is a broad term used to define how a product biodegrades or breaks down. The time frame for the break down period can vary, depending on the raw products and the conditions the product is exposed to.
The raw material that is used to produce a Biodegradable plastic can be broken down into 2 key groups. Those that are bio-based – derived from plant products, or fossil-based. However, as is the case for most food and pet food biodegradable plastic packaging, additions such as a polymer or additive may also be required to preserve the product life while in transit or on the shelf. Biodegradable plastic packaging will typically comprise of;
Cornstarch + Polylactide Acid (PLA) + Polybutyrate Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)
The biodegradable behaviour of all materials used, along with the conditions the product is exposed to (bacteria, moisture, oxygen and heat), and where the product is disposed of (nature or landfill), determines the Biodegradability of a products packaging, or how effectively the material will degrade over time.
Compostable products are biodegradable, but what sets them apart from being just biodegradable, is their ability to break down, given the right conditions; and return nutrients back into the soil. This process is heavily reliant on where the product ends up. In landfill, home compost or in industrial and commercial facilities. Generally speaking, commercial facilities can control the temperature and conditions under which the products will decompose in. This control is a little harder to achieve in a home compost or under landfill conditions.
There is a lot of misguided or misleading information in the market that can be overwhelming. It is essential that all compostable plastic packaging is certified under Australian Standards and the appropriate labelling for disposal – to landfill, compost at home or a commercial facility.
APCO 2019 Australian Packaging Consumption & Resource Recovery Data estimates that “compostable plastics account for around 0.1% of plastic packaging in Australia. In 2017/18, this equated to approximately 1,000 tonnes, and 0.02% of all packaging placed on the market”.
We have a long way to go, but a bigger opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment and to invest in the long-term growth of your business.
We can help you review what you have and build a roadmap to get where you want to be. Reach out today.
Sustainable packaging is now more than just a buzz word in the world of packaging. Eco-conscious Consumers want it, the environment needs it and it’s a business growth opportunity for those who adapt.
The sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project completed by Greenblue in 2011, outlines a number of factors that they believe contribute to transforming packaging for sustainability. Namely;
“Sustainable Packaging
– Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle
– Meets market criteria for performance and cost
– Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy
– Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials
– Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
– Is made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle
– Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy
– Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles”
With a focus on developing a circular economy for packaging in Australia, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), is your first stop for all things sustainable packaging. Most notably has been APCO’s development in 2018, of four national packaging targets, namely;
100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging
70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted
50% of average recycled content included in packaging
The phase out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics packaging
Year on year, since the introduction of the targets in 2018, the data provided by APCO, shows an overall improvement in our sustainable packaging performance, however, it also shows the huge steps government, industry and consumers still need to make, if we are to achieve the targets by 2025.
“The biggest area of challenge continues to be the recycling rate of plastics. While the recovery rate increased from 16% to 18%, significant progress is still required to meet the 2025 Target of 70%.” APCO
We encourage you, to get involved and get informed. The best place to start is APCO.
Now that you know the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging, you’re one step closer to finding a sustainable packaging solution. We know transitioning from traditional packaging is a challenge, but we can help you. Contact us for an obligation free assessment of your current packaging solutions and proposal for the development of an individualised, realistic and actionable sustainable packaging roadmap plan, so together, we can achieve the 2025 packaging targets.
What’s the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging? Discover which sustainable material is best suited to your product.
What’s the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging? Discover which sustainable material is best suited to your product.
What’s the difference between biodegradable vs compostable packaging? Discover which sustainable material is best suited to your product.
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