Long story short: “biodegradable” means a product will break down into elements found in nature over time. The biodegradation process and timeline is dependent on the surrounding environmental conditions (e.g. location or temperature), and there is no regulated timeline in which a material labelled as biodegradable must break down. “Compostable” means a product will break down in a commercial composting facility into elements found in nature and be usable as soil within 180 days. This regulated timeframe is what creates the big difference between a product that can be certified compostable and one that is biodegradable. There’s also a huge difference between saying something is biodegradable and saying that it’s “degradable”. There are no regulations about what a degradable product will break down into and over what period of time, meaning it could leach harmful elements into the environment. To add to the fun and excitement, not every biodegradable plastic is compostable, and not every plant-based plastic is biodegradable. This is a big topic with a lot of terms that get used interchangeably when they really shouldn’t, so if you’re still a little lost (totally fair), check out our compostable packaging page. Our goal is to lift the fog as best as possible and let you make an informed decision.