{"id":21541,"date":"2023-09-28T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T08:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/?p=21541"},"modified":"2025-02-06T16:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T14:12:29","slug":"biodegradable-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/","title":{"rendered":"What are biodegradable products, and what are their benefits?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_77 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69fb171d10df8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69fb171d10df8\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#What_is_a_biodegradable_product\" >What is a biodegradable product?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#What_is_biodegradable_plastic_also_known_as_bioplastic\" >What is biodegradable plastic, also known as bioplastic?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#Why_is_it_important_to_use_biodegradable_materials\" >Why is it important to use biodegradable materials?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#Less_impact_on_the_environment\" >Less impact on the environment:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#Low_CO2_emissions\" >Low CO2 emissions:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#Nourish_the_earth\" >Nourish the earth:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#No_pollution\" >No pollution:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#No_allergies\" >No allergies:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#Save_money\" >Save money:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/biodegradable-products\/#What_biodegradable_materials_can_you_find_in_the_market_or_at_home\" >What biodegradable materials can you find in the market or at home?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>We often hear about <strong><em>biodegradable products<\/em><\/strong> without knowing exactly what they are, what benefits they have, or even what the difference is between a product that is biodegradable, and one that is not. The truth is that, with all the challenges that our <strong>environment<\/strong> is facing, many <strong>companies are looking to improve their products<\/strong> or services to make them more environmentally friendly: that is why many of them ask us for advice on <a href=\"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/ecodesign\/\">eco-design at Kaeltia<\/a>. But, what does biodegradable mean, and why is it so important nowadays for the planet\u2026 but also for all sorts of enterprises?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_biodegradable_product\"><\/span>What is a biodegradable product?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Biodegradation<\/strong> is defined as the capacity of certain materials to <strong>decompose in nature<\/strong> into the chemical elements that form them, by the action of biological and\/or environmental agents, in a relatively short time, thus <strong>integrating into the natural cycle without leaving toxic residues<\/strong> or polluting the environment, and even contributing with nutrients to the soil.<\/p>\n<p>In this definition, it is important to talk about <strong>timeframes<\/strong>: that is, materials can normally decompose over time by various means, but while some take only weeks and produce a biodegradable (environmentally non-toxic) waste, others take years or <strong>even centuries<\/strong>, and in the process release substances that are<strong> toxic to the nature<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_biodegradable_plastic_also_known_as_bioplastic\"><\/span>What is biodegradable plastic, also known as bioplastic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Among the <strong>biodegradable products or materials<\/strong>, one that has been gaining importance in recent years due to its many, many advantages for the environment, is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bioplastic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">bioplastic<\/a>: this is a material similar to conventional plastic, but in this case it is composed of <strong>polymers of natural origin<\/strong>, which means that it <strong>decomposes in a short time<\/strong> in the environment.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>traditional plastic<\/strong> that we usually use, since it is made from petroleum derivatives or other hydrocarbons (<strong>fossil fuels<\/strong>), causes a great harm to the environment as it <strong>does not decompose in nature<\/strong> by the action of microorganisms, taking centuries or even <strong>thousands of years<\/strong>: therefore, these plastics end up accumulating and causing all kinds of problems.<\/p>\n<p>Although &#8211; in theory &#8211; conventional plastic can be recycled, in practice <strong>recycling plastic remains difficult and expensive<\/strong> (more expensive than making new plastic): worldwide, it is estimated that <strong>only 9% of plastic is recycled<\/strong>, while more than 50% accumulates in landfills and more than 20% ends up polluting the environment. <strong>Incineration<\/strong> of plastic, on the other hand, solves the problem of non-biodegradation&#8230; but it is equally expensive, produces various <strong>toxins<\/strong> that are hazardous to human health and the environment, and is a <strong>waste of resources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Bioplastics are biodegradable products that have come as a <strong>solution to all the problems of conventional plastic<\/strong>; a field in which they are having great success is in rubbish bags and other types of <strong>disposable materials<\/strong>, especially in the field of <strong>medicine<\/strong> (prostheses, sutures, gloves, etc.). Thus, if these materials end up in a landfill or in nature, since they are biodegradable, they <strong>decompose in a matter of months<\/strong>. Bioplastics are also one of the most useful materials when it comes to manufacturing all kinds of biodegradable packaging to wrap products.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_it_important_to_use_biodegradable_materials\"><\/span>Why is it important to use biodegradable materials?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is not just <strong>bioplastic bags<\/strong>: in general, we increasingly find products produced from biodegradable materials in everyday <strong>single-use objects<\/strong>; the use of these materials &#8211; which can range from soybean oil or corn, to potato starch &#8211; is increasing especially to manufacture <strong>compostable food packaging<\/strong>: starch plates, cutlery made from seed paste, cups and food wrappings made from recycled sugar cane\u2026<\/p>\n<p>We often are not <strong>aware of the impact<\/strong> that some actions that apparently seem simple and harmless, can have on the environment just because of not using biodegradable materials. Let&#8217;s take a look at the <strong>time it takes to degrade<\/strong> for some of the materials we use or see every day:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>cigarette butts: 2 years<\/li>\n<li>chewing gum: 5 years<\/li>\n<li>lighters: up to 100 years<\/li>\n<li>plastic bags or packages: 150 years<\/li>\n<li>plastic can rings: 450 years<\/li>\n<li>plastic bottles: up to 1,000 years<\/li>\n<li>batteries: 1,000 years (also release highly toxic substances)<\/li>\n<li>glass bottles: 4,000 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It&#8217;s quite impressive to see these figures, isn&#8217;t it? That is why it is so <strong>important to use products that are biodegradable<\/strong>, because thus we avoid all the pollution and <strong>environmental impact<\/strong> generated by the disposable products we often use. Among all the <strong>benefits of biodegradable materials<\/strong>, we can mention the following:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Less_impact_on_the_environment\"><\/span>Less impact on the environment:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>as they <strong>decompose in a short time<\/strong>, they have less impact on the environment and cause fewer problems (e.g. animals trapped by plastics, or choking when swallowed).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Low_CO2_emissions\"><\/span>Low CO2 emissions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>biodegradable products generate during their production and decomposition less CO2 emissions, the main gas causing <strong>climate change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nourish_the_earth\"><\/span>Nourish the earth:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>many of these biodegradable materials are made from completely natural elements, so when they decompose they <strong>generate nutrients<\/strong> and fertilise the soil.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_pollution\"><\/span>No pollution:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>since they <strong>do not generate toxic waste<\/strong> and decompose rapidly, these materials prevent the pollution of land, rivers and seas.<\/p>\n<p>Prevent landfills saturation:<br \/>\ndue to their rapid biodegradation, they <strong>do not accumulate for years<\/strong> or centuries, clogging up landfills and forcing to open new ones.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_allergies\"><\/span>No allergies:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>as they are <strong>made from natural elements<\/strong>, products with biodegradable materials generate fewer allergies among humans compared to synthetic materials.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Save_money\"><\/span>Save money:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>both their <strong>production and cost are cheaper<\/strong> in the long run, thus saving money.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_biodegradable_materials_can_you_find_in_the_market_or_at_home\"><\/span>What biodegradable materials can you find in the market or at home?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Actually, it&#8217;s not very difficult to easily find such biodegradable materials; although it is only in recent years that <strong>many companies have started to use them<\/strong> in their products, examples of biodegradable materials such as branches, dry leaves, wood, wool, paper, cardboard, etc., which <strong>decompose easily<\/strong> without leaving toxic residues, can be found in any home.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, it is increasingly common to find people buying <strong>biodegradable products<\/strong>, such as some cleaning products and detergents (usually free of phosphates), paints based on natural pigments, sun creams, nappies, <strong>coffee capsules<\/strong>, bioplastic or paper bags, <strong>packaging<\/strong> made from natural raw materials&#8230; So, as you can see, they are more common than you might think before.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, nowadays <strong>companies<\/strong> have more and more alternatives available to them to reduce the negative impact they cause on the environment; now, they can adopt better practices that care for the planet and are more <strong>sustainable<\/strong>, thanks to the <strong>eco-design<\/strong> of their products and production processes. And this is where <strong>Kaeltia Consulting<\/strong> comes in, advising companies to <strong>optimise their resources<\/strong>, improve their costs and adopt solutions &#8211; such as using biodegradable products &#8211; that are more respectful of our environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We often hear about biodegradable products without knowing exactly what they are, what benefits they have, or even what the difference is between a product that is biodegradable, and one that is not. The truth is that, with all the challenges that our environment is facing, many companies are looking to improve their products or services to make them more environmentally friendly: that is why many of them ask us[&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[64,65],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21541"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21541"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21544,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21541\/revisions\/21544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaeltia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}