What means "biodegradable" ?

Biodegradable products are nothing more than products that break down during composting and do not release harmful substances. Such products are usually made of naturally occurring polymers, for example, a biodegradable bag can be made from cornstarch or bamboo fibre. Visibly, such a bag will not differ from polyethylene bags (standard, artificial) and the main difference compared to plastic packaging is that the cornstarch bag will decompose when buried in the ground or in a composter just like a regular vegetable, while the polyethylene bag will exist for about 500 years.

To convince you to buy biodegradable products, read the below list of random products and their timelines for degradation.

Apple core: 1 to 2 months

Paper Bag: 1 month

Tin Can: 50 years

Aluminium Can: 80-200 years (if recycled, it can be reused within 6 weeks)

Plastic Bags: up to 500 years

Plastic drinking bottles: hundreds of years

Glass: 1-2 million years (but if recycled, it can be reused within 6 weeks)

Styrofoam: never (no sign of ever breaking down)