{"id":8843,"date":"2022-04-14T11:47:58","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T09:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magic-spa.com\/?p=8843"},"modified":"2026-09-22T12:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:13:42","slug":"difference-between-biodegradable-and-compostable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magic-spa.com\/en\/difference-between-biodegradable-and-compostable\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]When discussing <strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">materials and how they are managed at the end of their useful life,<\/span><\/strong> consumers often confuse the terms <strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">compostable<\/span> <\/strong>and <span style=\"color: #92b843;\"><strong>biodegradable<\/strong><\/span>, assuming they mean the same thing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So what is the difference between them?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #92b843;\"><strong>Biodegradable <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Biodegradable materials are materials that, under specific conditions, can be broken down by microorganisms into simpler substances. The time required and the way this process takes place also depend on the environment in which biodegradation occurs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Under the European standard for industrially compostable packaging, <span style=\"color: #92b843;\"><strong>biodegradation must reach at least 90% within six months.<\/strong><\/span> Under aerobic conditions, the process converts the material into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.<br \/>\nA material described as biodegradable is not necessarily compostable. If it is not certified as compostable, it should not automatically be disposed of with organic waste, but according to its composition and the applicable local collection rules.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #92b843;\"><strong>Compostable <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>A compostable material is designed to biodegrade and disintegrate under the conditions specified for the relevant composting process. In <span style=\"color: #92b843;\">industrial composting<\/span>, treatment takes place in facilities operating under controlled conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Compost is an <strong>organic material produced through the composting process and also used in agriculture<\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">For a product to be certified as compostable, it must meet specific requirements covering, among other aspects, biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity and heavy metal content.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">Home composting<\/span> <\/strong>takes place under different conditions from industrial composting: temperatures and process conditions are not the same, and a product certified exclusively for industrial composting is not automatically suitable for a home composting system.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #92b843;\"><strong>Composting certifications<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;13646&#8243; img_size=&#8221;200&#215;100&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;8846&#8243; img_size=&#8221;217&#215;100&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Reflecting the distinction between industrial and home composting, T\u00dcV Austria issues two specific certifications:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">OK Compost Industrial<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">OK Compost Home<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">OK Compost Industrial<\/span> <\/strong>identifies products certified for composting in industrial facilities, while <strong><span style=\"color: #92b843;\">OK Compost Home<\/span><\/strong> applies to products suitable for home composting conditions as well.<br \/>\nDisposal instructions should always be checked against local regulations and the collection system in place.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the difference between biodegradable and compostable therefore makes it easier to interpret the characteristics declared for a material and, above all, to distinguish between different end-of-use management conditions.<\/p>\n<p>For certified materials, it is the certification itself \u2014 together with its specific scope \u2014 that indicates the conditions under which compostability has been verified.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to sustainability and waste management practices, consumers often mistake compostable with biodegradable and think they are the same. Let&#8217;s see the difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":306429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[718,897,686],"tags":[418,275,398,380,650,387,1073],"class_list":["post-8843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environmental-en","category-esg-en-2","category-esg-en","tag-biodegradabile-en","tag-biodegradable","tag-compostabilita-en","tag-compostable","tag-foodpackaging-en-2","tag-g-pad","tag-ok-compost-industrial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable? - Magic Spa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to sustainability and waste management practices, consumers often mistake compostable with biodegradable and think they are the same. 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