No. If a material is recyclable it can be recovered at the end of its life and converted into a new product, either the same product as before or ‘downcycled’ into a lower value but still usable material. Biodegradable and compostable are often used interchangeably when clearer definition is needed. A biodegradable material will decompose into water, biomass, and gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane. However, the conditions and timeframe for this to happen need to be understood. A compostable material will only decompose under certain temperature and humidity conditions, often only found in industrial composting facilities. A material that is specified to be marine biodegradable will actually break down to benign components in the environment