We are super thrilled that you are here. We have obviously more blogs on compostable coffee pods, coffee and coffee pods. Other interesting materials on sustainable coffee pods are for instance from leading media publishers, or Moving Beans. Or check out our good article on Nespresso pods.
We are typically being asked what bioplastics are, or what is the significance of an item being naturally degradable or compostable? Exists any relationship in between bioplastics and biodegradability? How should we consumers handle these items?
In this blog, we attempt to break down these principles through basic explanations that will hopefully help you better comprehend their significance and be more familiar with the options you are taking as a consumer. 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 eco-friendly; or undoubtedly feature both homes. They differ from standard plastics because the latter are made from fossil oil (petrol). The benefits of using eco-friendly materials to produce bioplastics are: boost in resource efficiency (e.g. use of biomass for different purposes), decrease of the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions (those that considerably contribute to environment modification); and conserving fossil resources by gradually substituting them.
BIODEGRADABLE.
Biodegradation is a process - a chemical procedure - throughout which microorganisms that are offered in the environment transform materials into natural compounds such as water, carbon dioxide, and garden compost (artificial additives are not needed). The process of biodegradation depends upon the surrounding ecological conditions (e.g. location or temperature), on the products involved and on the procedure itself. This procedure can take brief time periods (weeks and months) or extended periods of time (10s or even centuries).
In other words, plastic products made from biomass (a type of bioplastic) are not necessarily biodegradable. On the other hand, some petrol-based plastics might be eco-friendly.
Video: Sustainable and Nespresso Pods by Moving Beans.
The household of bioplastics can be divided into 3 main groups: • bio-based (or partly bio-based) however non-biodegradable plastics (e.g. PE, PP, PET, PTT or TPC-ET);. • plastics that are both eco-friendly and bio-based (e.g. PLA, PHA or PBS);. • petrol-based plastics that are eco-friendly (e.g. PBAT).
COMPOSTABLE.
Composting is also a procedure-- a chemical procedure. It is the process of biodegradation under aerobic conditions (existence of complimentary oxygen) within a time frame of 6-12 weeks. There are 2 ways to perform this procedure: industrially or home-compost.
Industrially compostable conditions are very specific and they have actually been specified under the European norm EN 13432 for packaging items and embraced by the British Standard Institution under BS EN 13432 standard. Just those product packaging products that meet the strict requirements of the EN 13432 requirement are approved with the accreditation of OK-Compost Industrial and can be unambiguously considered industrially compostable. In practice, this suggests that you can dispose this product in your natural waste bin for it to be sent to the closest commercial composting center.
Home-compostable packaging instead is not covered under one single widely-known standard however rather within a number of country-based ones. Because the conditions in a home-compost are not that manageable as in the case of a commercial garden compost, this is. Under home-composting condition temperature levels and humidity can vary considerably from place to location, and year on year, not always attaining the best decomposition in a reasonable timeframe.
Nowadays, nevertheless, society and specialists in the field see the requirement for moving into this direction if we want to end up being more sustainable. That is why we may see really fascinating advancements and innovations in this home-composability area in the following years.
Moving Beans is an SME that has provided compostable coffee capsules for endless years, with much more insights under this link. In addition go through an interesting article on compostable Nespresso pods. They were one of the first to deliver truly natural Nespresso coffee capsules.
