What’s the difference between compostable and biodegradable?!
This can be tricky to get one’s head around, but in short Biodegradable refers to any material that will disintegrate in water, soil or air over time with the help of organisms like bacteria and enzymes.
Compostable also refers to a material that breaks down and returns to nature, but it has to turn into something that improves the nutrient levels of the soil – or rather it has to turn into a non-toxic organic material. It also has to do so relatively quickly, at the same rate as the materials with which it is being composted, like food waste, to be classed as compostable.
Getting technical, our capsules are compliant with EN13432 standard, which means they will be “bio-assimilated” by micro-organisms naturally occurring in an industrial compost without any biological additive. Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen in our capsules will essentially be biologically transformed into H2O, CO2 and biomass i.e. new micro-organisms.
Don’t be fooled by the EN13432 claims of other compostable coffee capsule capsule manufacturers though, as technically a company can still meet EN13432 requirements even if their product contains plastic or other non-natural materials. The key is that they don’t contain over a certain percentage of these nasties, so there’s a work-around. However, our capsules are proven to be made from 100% bio-based vegetable material. So if your compost pile is healthy, then they should break down within 18-24 months. Or as soon as 6 weeks if put into your food waste collection bin!
