We are super glad that you are here. Generally, there are clearly more articles on coffee, coffee pods and compostable Nespresso pods. Other meaningful websites on plastic-free coffee pods are for instance from leading media publishers, or Moving Beans. Alternatively check out our related blog on Nespresso pods.
We are often being asked what bioplastics are, or what is the significance of a product being compostable or biodegradable? Is there any relationship between bioplastics and biodegradability? How should we consumers handle these products?
In this blog site, we attempt to break down these ideas through easy descriptions that will hopefully help you much better understand their meaning and be more knowledgeable about the choices you are taking as a customer. Let's go step by step:
BIOPLASTICS.
These are materials that are either stemmed from biomass (e.g. plants, such as corn or sugarcane) or are biodegradable; or undoubtedly function both properties. They differ from standard plastics in that the latter are made from fossil oil (petrol). The advantages of using eco-friendly materials to produce bioplastics are: increase in resource performance (e.g. use of biomass for different purposes), decrease of the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions (those that considerably add to environment modification); and saving fossil resources by slowly substituting them.
BIODEGRADABLE.
Biodegradation is a procedure - a chemical process - during which bacteria that are offered in the environment convert materials into natural substances such as water, co2, and garden compost (artificial additives are not required). The procedure of biodegradation depends on the surrounding environmental conditions (e.g. area or temperature), on the materials involved and on the process itself. This process can take brief periods of time (weeks and months) or long periods of time (tens or perhaps hundreds of years).
The home of biodegradation does not depend upon the source product of the item however is rather connected to its chemical structure. It is for that reason important to understand that 'Bio-based' does not indicate 'naturally degradable'. Simply put, plastic items made from biomass (a kind of bioplastic) are not always naturally degradable. On the other hand, some petrol-based plastics may be biodegradable.
Video: Sustainable and Nespresso Pods by Moving Beans.
The family of bioplastics can be divided into three primary groups: • bio-based (or partially bio-based) but non-biodegradable plastics (e.g. PE, PP, PET, PTT or TPC-ET);. • plastics that are both bio-based and biodegradable (e.g. PLA, PHA or PBS);. • petrol-based plastics that are eco-friendly (e.g. PBAT).
COMPOSTABLE.
Composting is likewise a procedure-- a chemical process. It is the process of biodegradation under aerobic conditions (presence of complimentary oxygen) within a time frame of 6-12 weeks. There are 2 ways to perform this process: industrially or home-compost.
Industrially compostable conditions are very specific and they have been specified under the European norm EN 13432 for product packaging items and adopted by the British Standard Institution under BS EN 13432 requirement. Just those product packaging items that fulfill the strict criteria of the EN 13432 standard are approved with the certification of OK-Compost Industrial and can be unambiguously considered industrially compostable. In practice, this implies that you can dispose this material in your natural waste bin for it to be sent out to the closest commercial composting facility.
Home-compostable packaging rather is not covered under one single widely-known standard but rather within several country-based ones. This is since the conditions in a home-compost are not that controllable as in the case of a commercial garden compost. Under home-composting condition temperature levels and humidity can vary substantially from place to location, and year on year, not always attaining the right decomposition in a reasonable timeframe.
Nowadays, however, society and specialists in the field see the need for moving into this direction if we wish to become more sustainable. That is why we may see very fascinating developments and developments in this home-composability space in the following decade.
Moving Beans is a start-up that has provided compostable coffee pods for a very long time, with much more information under Moving Beans. In addition check out a lead blog on compostable Nespresso pods. They were one of the first to provide truly sustainable Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules.
