“Biodegradable”, “oxo-degradable”, “compostable” — only some are meaningful. A buyer’s guide to telling genuine claims from greenwashing.
Walk down any aisle and the packaging is covered in green words. The trouble is that some of those words are backed by a tested standard and some mean almost nothing. Here is how to tell them apart.
The words that mislead
“Biodegradable” on its own is the weakest claim. Almost everything biodegrades eventually; the word says nothing about how long it takes or what it leaves behind. Without a standard and a timeframe attached, treat it as marketing.
“Oxo-degradable” is the one to be wary of. These are conventional plastics with an additive that makes them fragment faster. They do not compost — they break into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic, which is to say microplastic. The European Union has moved to restrict them for exactly this reason.
The words that are tested
“Compostable” is meaningful only when it points to a recognised standard. The main ones to look for are:
- EN 13432 — the European standard for industrial compostability.
- ASTM D6400 — the equivalent North American specification.
- ISO 17088 — an international compostable-plastics specification.
- OK Compost (TÜV) — certification, with separate marks for industrial and home composting.
Note the difference between industrial and home compostable. Industrial standards assume the heat and managed conditions of a composting facility; a home-compost claim is a higher bar. A product is only as good as the system that actually receives it.
A quick checklist
- Is there a named standard or certification logo — not just a green adjective?
- Does it say industrial or home compostable?
- Does the word “oxo” appear anywhere? If so, it is not compostable.
We hold our products to these standards rather than to adjectives, because a claim that cannot be verified is not a claim worth making. When you can read a label properly, greenwashing stops working.