Glossary

Solinatra defining compostables

Defining Compostables

We use the phrase ‘truly compostable’ because the adjective ‘compostable’ has been defined rather generously by companies and regulators to include products that can be composted using specialist high-temperature processing machines. Technically, yes, that is still composting, but you can’t do it in your garden.

  • An item that fully biodegrades, returning to water, carbon, and biomass within a certain timeframe.

  • An item can be composted under industrial conditions in a large-scale facility with regulated conditions at temperatures of 50–70 °C within 6 months. An item may be industrially compostable but not home compostable. Currently, for an item to be verified as Industrial Compostable it must be certified to EN 13432.

    However, this standard allows that after 12 weeks, 10% of the material can remain in fragments (microplastics) larger than 2mm and ignores any fragments (microplastics) smaller than 2mm.

  • Also sometimes referred to as Domestic Compostable, is an item that can be composted in a regular compost bin at ambient temperatures of 20–30 °C within 12 months. There is currently no international standard specifying the conditions for home composting of biodegradable plastic products, but there are national standards such as the Australian AS 5810 and French NFT 51-800.

    However, both standards allow that after 26 weeks, 10% of the material can remain in fragments (microplastics) larger than 2mm and ignore any fragments (microplastics) smaller than 2mm.

    An item that is home compostable will also be industrially compostable, but not vice versa.

  • An item that is fully compostable with no special industrial processes required and that will disintegrate if it ends up in a landfill, with food waste, or simply buried in your garden without any persistent microplastics or toxicity will enhance the soil, creating good-quality fertiliser.

    There is currently no international standard specifying the conditions for truly composting biodegradable plastic products, but there is an increasing awareness of the necessity to set and communicate such standards.

Solinatra compostability materials

Defining Materials

Over the past decade, innovations in biobased materials, biodegradables, and bioplastics have led to a wealth of new materials that can help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and finite resources and move towards a world where plant-based materials replace polluting plastics. 

Solinatra is a biobased bioplastic made with biopolymers that is biodegradable and compostable. Solinatra is 100% natural and made without petrochemicals or fossil fuel-derived ingredients.

  • Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae, and fungi.

    All things degrade, but not all things biodegrade. Environmental factors such as sunlight, water, and pollution can degrade items, but they may only degrade into smaller particles, not constituent parts. For instance, a plastic carrier bag will degrade into microplastics.

  • Bioplastics are materials that are wholly or partly derived from renewable sources, such as corn starch, vegetable fats, or woodchips, or from directly processing natural biopolymers.

    Bioplastics may only be partly derived from natural, renewable sources and may still contain fossil-fuel-derived or non-renewable sources. Not all bioplastics are biodegradable. Some bioplastics are chemically identical to their conventional, fossil-based counterparts and are recyclable.

  • Biopolymers are naturally occurring polymers, produced by plants and animals. There are three main types of biopolymers: polynucleotides, polypeptides, and polysaccharides. Common examples include collagen, starch, and cellulose, and even DNA is a polynucleotide. Biopolymers are naturally occurring, and some can also be replicated synthetically.

    Starch, cellulose, chitin, and alginate can be used to produce materials that have properties suitable for manufacturing. Alginate is found in seaweed and is often used to make flexible films for food packaging.

  • Biobased refers to the content of a material that is naturally occurring and organic in origin.

    Biobased only refers to substances that are derived from living organisms; some naturally occurring elements and minerals are not included within the definition of biobased. Inorganic compounds, including silica, talc, mica, and kaolin clay, are naturally occurring but would not count towards a material’s biobased content.

    Biobased materials may also refer to non-plastic materials, and not all biobased materials are biodegradable. Paper is a biobased material, but the biobased content will vary depending on the paper stock and manufacturing method.

  • Biomaterials are biobased materials designed to interact with biological systems. Biomaterials are most often used to refer to substances and materials that are designed for medical purposes, such as in grafts, implants, and medicine delivery. These are biocompatible biomaterials and include dental fillings, hip replacements, and heart valves.

A – Z Glossary

  • Anaerobic digestion is a process through which bacteria break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Industrial composting often uses this process to produce biogas and digestate.

  • The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.

    When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value.

  • An economy in which resources are extracted to make products that are used and then thrown away. A linear economy usually does not fulfil materials to their full potential and follows a model of 'take-make-waste'.

  • Microplastics are solid plastic particles, measuring less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in length.

    Microplastics can be unintentionally formed when larger pieces of plastic degrade. Incorrect disposal and littering of plastic produce microplastics in the environment. Car tyres produce microplastics through use and synthetic textiles such as polyester and viscose shed microplastics through wear and laundry. Microplastics are also deliberately manufactured and added to products for specific purposes, such as exfoliating beads in facial scrubs and toothpastes.

  • Nanoplastics are a type of microplastic, the tiny particles are invisible to the human eye and are between 1 and 1,000 nanometers in size.

    As microplastics continue to degrade and break into smaller particles, they can become nanoplastics.

  • More than 99% of the chemicals used to make plastics are derived from fossil fuel production.

    The traditional plastics that have become widespread, such as polyethylene (PET, LDPE, and HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are made from petrochemicals, which are chemical compounds that are created during the refining process of crude oil.

    Oil-based and fossil fuel-based plastics refer to plastics made in this way. However, some modern biobased plastics may use plant-based oils, such as rapeseed or sunflower.

  • PFAS stands for or per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances. PFAS are often known by their much easier to pronounce name: Forever Chemicals.

    There are more than 4,500 PFAS, which are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been in production since the 1940s to manufacture products with water-repellent, fire-resistant, grease proof, stain proof properties. Used globally in everyday products, from waterproof fabrics for clothing and shoes, to fire resistant fabrics for upholstery and furniture, non-stick coatings on cookware and many other uses.

    Solinatra materials are PFAS free - read more in this blog.

  • Plant-based products and materials are partially or wholly derived from plants or other renewable agricultural, aquatic, or forestry inputs. There are no current formal definitions or considerations of plant-based packaging in federal or state governments or prominent organisations.

  • Recycling is the process of converting goods into new materials and objects.

    Recycling is the process of converting goods into new materials and objects.

    Recyclability is the ease with which a material can be recycled, both in practice and at scale.

  • Materials that are continually replenished at a rate equal to or greater than the rate of depletion.

    Examples include cotton, hemp, maize, agricultural by-products, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and sea salt.

  • Upcycling is the process of transforming waste into new materials or products of greater quality or value.

    Upcycling is the opposite of downcycling, meaning a process that converts waste into goods of lesser quality or value.