Biodegradable vs. Compostable?Biodegradable“Biodegradable” means that an object is capable of disintegrating by biological means. Technically, these items could be composed of almost any material since with enough time microorganisms can decompose almost anything. For example, aluminum cans will biodegrade in the ocean in about 200 years and hard plastic bottle caps will biodegrade in about 400 years.CompostableMust meet standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM):Break down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass at a rate similar to paper;Disintegrate into small pieces within 90 days, so that the original product is not visually distinguishable in the compost;Leaves no toxic residue.
