Before we get to this question we should analyze an important difference between Biodegradable or compostable, a question that arises from the campaigns carried out in Europe to promote a circular economy in the world of plastic, these words are usually common in plastic products created nowadays, but

Here is the dilemma, is biodegradable and compostable the same thing?

 To answer this last question we should start with the meaning that some plastic product has these words added, which refer to the processes by which these products or materials

Have gone through in the manufacturing process and give us very important information on how to manage the end of its life cycle to be able to discard it properly and in the waste management system that corresponds to it.

With that said, a biodegradable material is one that can be broken down into natural chemical elements by the action of biological agents such as bacteria, plants or animals, along with other physical agents such as the sun or water, in environmental conditions that occur in nature and that transform these substances into nutrients, carbon dioxide, water and biomass.

 In other words, simple and innocuous compounds that serve as nutrients in the environment. In this process, the material is fragmented into smaller and smaller pieces until finally there is no physical evidence of its existence.

Thus, we find materials that can be composted in an industrial and domestic way and others that can only be composted in an industrial way (in plants where the temperature is higher and more stable and the humidity is more controlled, creating more favorable environments for the process).

In order to be able to unify criteria in the denomination of this type of products, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) edited the EN 13432 standard entitled:

“Requirements for compostable and biodegradable packaging and packaging recoverable by composting and biodegradation. Test program and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of the packaging". According to this standard, for a material to be considered compostable it must meet the following criteria:

 – Degrade at least 90% of its total mass within a maximum period of 6 months.

– Be completely fragmented into particles smaller than 2mm x 2mm after 12 weeks.

2mm after 12 weeks.

– Control the ecotoxicity of the humus and comply with the detailed standards.

 – Not contain heavy metals.

It is a very frequent question when talking about this material, well I will give you the answer to this question using as an example a compostable bag, which is a product widely used in the market today.

As an environmentally responsible alternative to the plastic bag, the compostable bag is a sustainable measure that considerably reduces pollutants and toxic waste for the health of society and the world.

The life cycle of a Compostable Bag is:

1. Production: the raw material is extracted from starch, a natural polymer obtained from corn, wheat or potato.

2. It is then transformed by microorganisms} into a smaller molecule of lactic acid, which serves as the basis for the production of polymeric chains of polylactic acid.

3. The cross-linking of polymeric chains of polylactic acid gives rise to the biodegradable plastic film that serves as the basis for the production of numerous non-polluting plastic products.

4. This plastic film is transported to industries for the production and transformation of plastics into bags.

5. They are then distributed to commercial establishments for use and commercialization of the Compostable Bag in daily life.

6. The bag is used and then discarded (estimated time of use: 12 minutes).

7. The biodegradation process has an estimated time of 6 to 9 months.

Bioplastics extracted from starch are a renewable and inexhaustible resource, it presents short and closed life cycles with such crop yields per hectare, low water consumption, promotes the development of the agricultural sector and enhances the cultivation of extensions in the process of abandonment. 

In the whole life cycle process, pollutants are reduced by up to 1000% compared to the production process of the plastic bag. The particularity of a Compostable Bag is that it can be used as a fertilizer for household plants, thus growing healthy and motivating the reuse of the bag. 

With AMS Compostable bags, in addition to generating reusable waste, it avoids accumulating unnecessary waste for landfills and reduces garbage congestion in order to improve health conditions for society and the environment.

We hope that this summary can help you understand how important it is to opt for environmentally friendly measures and use such materials in our daily lives.