Compostable vs Biodegradable: Key Differences Explained
This page reflects compostability and biodegradability standards commonly applied in 2026 and beyond.
Biodegradable and compostable are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing.
In regulated packaging, waste management, and composting systems, “compostable” refers to a certified and controlled subset of biodegradable materials that must meet strict decomposition, toxicity, and time-based requirements.
This page explains the key differences between biodegradable and compostable materials, how each term is defined in practice, and why certified compostability matters for compliance-focused buyers and waste systems.
Compostable vs Biodegradable
Many businesses now market “biodegradable” and “compostable” products, leading customers to believe that buying them will contribute to environmental protection. In fact, this is not the case. Now let me explain the difference between compost and biodegradable.
What Is Biodegradable?
Biodegradable means something can be broken down by living organisms. It can be consumed by microorganisms in nature, such as bacteria and fungi. Over time, the material turns into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass, potentially taking decades or even centuries to completely disappear from the natural world.
Traditional plastic products are considered “biodegradable,” but they gradually break down into tiny particles—”microplastics“—over a long period of time in nature, posing a serious threat to the environment.
Biodegradable products will eventually break down, regardless of the time or environment, or the specific degree of degradation.
Advantages: Theoretically, it can reduce the long-term environmental problems associated with traditional plastics.
Disadvantages and common misconceptions:
- A breeding ground for “green whitewashing”: The lack of strict global standards often leads to the misuse of the “biodegradable” label. Many products claiming to be “biodegradable” may take hundreds of years to decompose under certain specific and harsh conditions, or even fail to decompose effectively in conventional landfills.
- Uncertain decomposition environment: A material may be “biodegradable” under laboratory conditions, but in the real world (such as oceans and soil), its decomposition rate may be negligible, or the conditions may not even be met.
- Legacy risks of microplastics: Even after biodegradable materials begin to decompose, incomplete decomposition can still produce tiny plastic fragments, which can also harm the environment and ecosystems. They don’t magically “disappear,” but rather likely exist in smaller particle form and enter the food chain.
- Unsuitable for home composting: Most biodegradable products are not suitable for home composting because the temperature and humidity conditions required for decomposition are not met.
Common “biodegradable plastic bags” on the market often fall into this category. Although they are “more environmentally friendly” than traditional plastics, consumers must be wary of their actual degradation capabilities and required conditions. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a commonly used bio-based plastic that is indeed biodegradable, but it primarily requires industrial composting facilities for effective decomposition and degrades extremely slowly in the natural environment.
Related Artical: What are Biodegradable Plastic Bags ？2025 Comprehensive Guide
What Is Compostable?
Compostable under certain conditions (such as temperature, humidity, and an active microbial environment), completely decompose into carbon dioxide, water, and organic fertilizer within a specified timeframe, without any environmental impact or plastic residue.
Compostable materials must be processed in specialized industrial composting facilities, where high temperatures and a microbially friendly environment accelerate the decomposition process, with most materials achieving complete decomposition within 90 days.
Compostability requires stricter requirements than biodegradability, requiring a managed and controlled biodegradation process to ensure complete and safe decomposition.
Key Points:
- Specific Environment: Typically refers to industrial composting facilities that maintain constant temperatures, humidity, and microbial activity to accelerate the decomposition process. Some products may meet “home composting” standards, but must be clearly labeled.
- Specific Timeframe: Decomposition must be completed within a strict timeframe, usually stipulated by international certification standards.
- No Toxic Residue: Decomposition products must be environmentally friendly and have no negative impact on plant growth, in stark contrast to the potential unknown residues left by biodegradable materials.
Advantages:
- True Closed-Loop Cycle: Transforms waste into valuable soil conditioners, achieving resource recycling.
- Reduced Landfill: Effectively reduces the amount of waste entering landfills.
- Environmentally Friendly: The final products are harmless or even beneficial to the environment.
- Consumer Confidence: Stringent certification standards provide consumers with a foundation of trust, ensuring the product’s environmental commitment.
- Infrastructure Dependence: The vast majority of compostable products require industrial composting facilities, which are not available in all regions.
- Sorting Challenges: Without proper sorting and recycling, compostable products may end up in landfills, failing to realize their environmental potential.
Orizon Bags’ Commitment: We are committed to providing rigorously certified compostable packaging and products that ensure they truly return to nature in the right environment, supporting a healthy ecosystem.
Biodegradable and Compostable Difference
Are Biodegradable and Compostable the Same? Does Compostable Mean Biodegradable
Compostable is biodegradable, but biodegradable is not the same as compostable. Biodegradable > compostable. Both biodegradable and compostable products fall under the category of “biodegradable.” To capitalize on the environmental craze, many manufacturers use the term “biodegradable” as a marketing gimmick, misusing it extensively and leading many consumers to mistakenly believe that simply buying a “biodegradable” product will be environmentally friendly.
| Feature | Biodegradable | Compostable |
| Decomposition Conditions | Natural environment, no specific conditions required | Industrial or home composting, requires human intervention |
| Decomposition Time | No specific time limit, could take hundreds of years | Strict time limit (e.g., 90-180 days) |
| Final Product | May leave behind microplastics or toxic residues | Non-toxic, nutrient-rich organic compost (humus) |
| Environmental Value | Uncertain, may even produce methane in landfills | Creates a valuable soil amendment, fostering a circular economy |
| Certification Standards | Virtually no universally recognized standards | Strict international standards (e.g., ASTM D6400, EN 13432) |
Biodegradable Vs Compostable Plastic Bags: Which One Is More Eco Friendly?
Compostable bags have higher environmental standards, break down faster and more thoroughly, leaving no residue, and are more environmentally friendly. If you can ensure your materials are sent to a suitable composting facility, choosing compostable bags is a surefire choice.
Biodegradable bags come in a wider variety of materials, and their actual degradation times vary greatly. Some bags, while labeled biodegradable, may actually break down very slowly in the natural environment and even leave behind microplastics.
Certification Standards
From a manufacturing and certification perspective, compostable materials are subject to regulated testing standards that verify complete biodegradation, disintegration, and non-toxicity under controlled composting conditions.
United States and Canada:
- USDA BioPreferred: The closest to biodegradability certification, but the USDA Biobased label is not proof of complete biodegradability.
- The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI): The most reputable certification body for commercial compostable products (not for home use). It is a third-party certification body; to verify the authenticity of a product, you can check the BPI website for the product identification number. You can find our company identification number on the BPI official website（https://products.bpiworld.org/?type=product&keyword=10529118）: 10529118.
All of the above certify products according to standards established by ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials). These products are tested to ensure complete decomposition within 180 days and a biodegradable time of one year.
Three ASTM compostability standards:
- ASTM D6400: A baseline test for the compostability of plastics intended for composting in municipal or professional industrial composting facilities. The material must biodegrade “at a rate comparable to known compostable materials” and produce usable compost of uncompromised quality.
- ASTM D6868: Applies to paper materials coated with bioplastic films (e.g., paper coffee cups with waterproof PLA laminate). This ensures the product is compostable in municipal facilities.
- ASTM D6866: Radiocarbon analysis to determine the ratio of a material’s biobased carbon to “fossil carbon” (derived from fossil fuels).
ASTM standards do not certify home compostability, so products cannot be home composted. If such products exist on the market, they are false.
Europe:
The EU does not have a biodegradability certification system. Two standards define compostability:
- EN 13432: Standard for compostable packaging plastics designed to fully degrade in industrial composting plants.
- EN 14995: Extension for plastics used in product packaging.
These standards specify microbial activity (90% biodegradation within 6 months), end-fragment size, ecotoxicity, and chemical analysis (no more than 1% of environmentally harmless compounds and additives).
Products meeting EN standards are certified by one of two third-party organizations:
- TÜV AUSTRIA: Offers several different certifications for industrially or home-compostable materials, such as OK Compost Industrial or OK Compost Home.
- DIN Certco: Offers one certification for industrial composting and one for home and garden composting.
Standards are not legally binding in Europe, and there is no obligation to disclose the exact amount of biobased materials in a product.
Australia and New Zealand:
Australian Bioplastics has two standards, one for industrial composting of biodegradable materials and the other for home composting:
- AS 4736-2006: Generic standard for commercially compostable and biodegradable plastics.
- AS 5810-2010: Verification that any item, including plastics, can be home composted. It must decompose within six months and fully biodegrade within one year.
Biodegradable Vs Compostable Which Is Better?
When to Choose Compostable Products?
Priority Choice: When your community has industrial composting facilities, or you can compost at home, prioritize certified compostable products.
Consider the following scenarios: For example, food packaging, disposable tableware, kitchen garbage bags, etc., which often contain food scraps, are best suited for composting.
Orizon Bags Recommendation: Orizon Bags’ compostable garbage bags and packaging materials meet stringent international certification standards, designed to provide you with a convenient and truly environmentally friendly solution. By using our products and disposing of them in designated composting and recycling channels, you can effectively reduce waste and transform it into valuable soil resources.
When to Be Wary of “Biodegradable” Products?
Beware of Lack of Certification: If a product is only labeled “biodegradable” without clear third-party certification and specific decomposition conditions, be extremely cautious.
Ask Yourself: “Will it really decompose in my waste disposal system?” “Will it leave microplastics?”
General Handling: If its actual degradation capacity cannot be determined, it should generally be treated as regular waste to avoid contaminating the recycling or composting stream.
Disposal rules depend on local waste management systems, and incorrect disposal can negate the intended environmental benefits of compostable or biodegradable products.
For practical disposal guidance, see: How to Dispose of Compostable and Biodegradable Bags
Most compostable packaging is designed for industrial composting unless it is explicitly certified for home composting.
Learn the difference between home composting and industrial composting
Biodegradable & Compostable: How to Choose for Your Business
| Material | PLA (Polylactic Acid) | CPLA (Crystallized PLA) | PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) | Bagasse (Sugarcane Fiber) |
| Properties | Transparent, rigid & brittle, feels like conventional plastic | Opaque, good heat resistance | Flexible, marine-degradable, a “star” material of the future | Paper-like texture, natural off-white, grease & water-resistant |
| Heat Resistance | Poor (<55°C / 131°F) | Good (<90°C / 194°F) | Moderate | Excellent |
| Cost | Medium | Medium-High | High | Low |
| Common Applications | Cold cups, salad containers, clear packaging | Hot cup lids, cutlery, coffee stirrers | High-end flexible packaging, medical applications | Plates, bowls, clamshell containers, takeaway boxes |
How to Apply for Compost Certification
Want your product to gain international recognition and avoid consumer accusations of greenwashing? Applying for reputable certification is a wise move.
You’ll need to consult a BPI or TÜV AUSTRIA-accredited laboratory and have your product tested. The lab will simulate an industrial composting environment, continuously monitoring its decomposition, toxicity, and other conditions over several months. Only after passing all tests will you receive certification.
Of course, this certification comes with a fee and a waiting period of at least several months. This represents not only a significant cost for your product but also a significant investment in your brand reputation and supply chain stability.
The specific certification materials required are as follows:
- BPI Certification Certification Docs：https://bpiworld.org/certification-docs
- TÜV AUSTRIA industrial Certification Process：https://en.tuv.at/ok-compost-industrial-en/
- TÜV AUSTRIA industrial Certification Process：https://en.tuv.at/ok-compost-home-en/
For a broader industry perspective, see our analysis on the future of sustainable packaging materials.
FAQ
Are biodegradable and compostable defined the same in waste systems?
“Does biodegradable mean compostable?” “Can I put biodegradable materials in my compost? If so, what kind?” If it’s purely organic, biodegradable and compostable are the same, but since the term “biodegradable” is rarely used for such items, it’s not.
When it comes to biodegradable packaging versus compostable packaging or plastics, there are very different key factors. These include the speed of decomposition and the requirement to leave no toxic residue—a requirement that is largely unattainable, and biodegradable plastics are contributing to our microplastic crisis.
Are biodegradable products environmentally safe in real disposal environments?
Not necessarily. Some products, even labeled biodegradable, may decompose very slowly and even produce microplastics, still negatively impacting the environment.
What’s the difference between PLA and PET plastic?
PLA is a bio-based, compostable plastic (derived from plants like corn and sugarcane), while PET (the material used in mineral water bottles) is a petrochemical-based, recyclable plastic (derived from petroleum).
One is “from nature, back to nature” (needs composting), while the other is “from resources, back to resources” (needs recycling).
Are products labeled “Oxo-degradable” environmentally friendly?
Absolutely not! This is a form of “pseudo-environmentalism.” Additives cause plastic to break down into countless invisible microplastics, which are even more harmful to soil and oceans and have been banned in the EU and other regions.
Can compostable and biodegradable products be recycled directly?
Putting them in regular recycling bins is not recommended. Compostable products should be taken to a composting facility or home composted to avoid contaminating the recycling system.
Conclusion
What Is the Difference Between Biodegradable and Compostable? You should understand this clearly. When purchasing eco-friendly products, be sure to carefully examine labels and certifications, especially those labeled “compostable.” Find out if local waste disposal facilities accept these materials for recycling. Avoid vague terms like “biodegradable” and be sure to understand the product’s specific degradation time and required environment.
Environmental protection isn’t simply about whether a product can be degraded; understanding the ingredients and production process is equally important. Only by considering all aspects can you make truly environmentally responsible choices.
If you are a supermarket or B2B buyer in Australia and need a compliance-focused comparison, read our in-depth guide:
Compostable vs Biodegradable Bags: What Supermarket Buyers Must Know
References
- Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
- BPI Certification : [BPI]
- TÜV AUSTRIA :[OK compost]
- Wikipedia : Polylactic acid [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid]
- Nature: Polyhydroxyalkanoates: opening doors for a sustainable future [https://www.nature.com/articles/am201648]
