Products displaying the Home Compostable certification logo (AS5810-2010) are certified by the Australian Bioplastics Association as biodegradable and compostable, in a home compost. Whilst all home compostable products are themselves home compostable, their contents may not be. Make sure that the contents of your home compostable bag are also home compostable and if they are not, dispose of everything to a general waste bin (destined for landfill) where the home compostable bag will still completely biodegrade. Some examples of contents that may not be home compostable include pet waste and general household waste that is placed into a home compostable bin liner. Not all councils accept biodegradable plastics in their green waste bins, so double check what is accepted before disposing of your waste. If in doubt, all home compostable bags will completely biodegrade in a landfill.

No. However it’s best to check if your council accepts compostable packaging in the kerbside green waste bin. In terms of dog and cat poop, it’s best to dispose of it in a pet poop compost (if available) or in the rubbish bin (landfill).

A home compost is your home compost 🙂 This is where you can dispose of green or food organic waste at home. Commercial compost facilities accept kerbside food and green organics, from a green bin at home. The waste is taken to a facility where the temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels are monitored to create a formal biodegradation process.

All bioplastics will not biodegrade in water alone. They need home or commercial compost conditions (i.e. an abundance of microbes to digest the plastic). Also, bioplastics should be disposed of in the correct waste stream (not in our oceans, waterways, or parks).

No. For a ‘compostable’ plastic to biodegrade it must be in a commercial compost facility with temperatures of 60 deg C, plenty of oxygen and good moisture levels. If those conditions are not met, the compostable plastic will not biodegrade as the microorganisms need those conditions to live.

Depending on the plastic thickness and the home compost temperatures, the home compostable product can start biodegrading within 4-8 weeks and up to 1-2 years. The Australian/NZ standard AS5810 means products must biodegrade within 12 weeks.

According to the ABA (Australasian Bioplastics Association) there are approximately 150 Industrial Composting and Organics Recycling facilities in Australia. Some councils provide composting facilities through their kerbside waste collections via their green bin. However there are no state or national standards in terms of what they accept – some accept compostable packaging and some don’t.

Single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks made from conventional, degradable and compostable materials, are proposed to be banned. This will include compostable and landfill-biodegradable plastic versions of these items, however Biogone does not make any of these items, therefore the ban won’t affect our product range. We support the ban on single-use conventional plastics, however, home compostable and landfill-biodegradable plastic are still a more responsible choice for everyday other plastic items while being conscious of the environment.

Typically it is 12 months from the date of manufacture, depending on the product. To maximise shelf life the home compostable product should be stored in a cool, dry location free from moisture.