Beyond the Label: The Truth About Biodegradable Packaging

Navigating the world of eco-friendly packaging can feel like walking through a minefield of confusing terms. Two of the most common labels, “biodegradable”. These terms are often used interchangeably; this confusion leads to unintended consequences for our environment. While these terms sound promising, their real-world performance is often far from what we expect.

With increasing awareness about environmental impact, terms like Biodegradable  Packaging have become common on packaging. But do these labels always mean the product is truly eco-friendly? Understanding the differences between biodegradable , and the conditions required for them to break down, is essential for making informed and sustainable choices.

The below table helps to clarify these terms. However, the full story is more complex and reveals a significant challenge in our current waste systems, particularly in NZ.

The Complications of  Plastics:

plastics need specific conditions to become nutrient-rich biomass, water, and CO2. This is where the system often falls apart. Research conducted on behalf of the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment has revealed a significant hurdle: a large number of compostable items unfortunately end up in landfills.

The issue is that landfills typically lack the high heat, oxygen, and microbial activity necessary for these materials to properly decompose. Instead of turning into soil, they often behave much like conventional plastics, taking an indefinite amount of time to break down and occupying valuable landfill space.

To make matters worse, some research suggests that a common ingredient in compostable plastics, Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT), can have its own downsides. While a key component for flexibility and decomposition, when PBAT does break down, it can create smaller fragments that may be harmful or toxic to plants. These challenges are compounded by the fact that compostable plastics are not recyclable through conventional means and can even contaminate existing recycling streams if incorrectly sorted. This means that, far from being a simple solution, they can create more problems if not handled perfectly.

Biowrap the Smarter Solution:

This is where Biowrap’s innovative landfill-biodegradable plastics offer a crucial advantage. We engineered our products with a different reality in mind—that most waste (despite our best intentions) will end up in a landfill.

Unlike compostables that need special facilities, our solutions are meticulously designed to rapidly break down within the conditions of a typical landfill environment. Our products turn into harmless natural materials and biogas without creating microplastics, offering a genuine “plastic-smart” option for where most waste unfortunately ends up.

At Biowrap, we don’t just create a product; we provide a solution that works within the limitations of our existing waste infrastructure, helping to reduce our long-term plastic footprint and create a cleaner, healthier New Zealand.