Greenwashing Alert: Why ‘Biodegradable’ Is Often a Lie

Imagine: You buy ‘biodegradable’ cutlery, feel good about it – and it still ends up incinerated. Not science fiction, but everyday reality. Most ‘bio’ products are clever marketing, not real solutions. Time for straight talk.

The PLA Illusion: ‘Bio’ Doesn’t Equal Compostable

PLA (Polylactic Acid) sounds natural, right? It’s not. Most PLA products need industrial composting facilities at 60°C+ – which barely exist in Germany. The result? 90% end up in residual waste or incineration. That’s not progress, that’s greenwashing with a scientific veneer.

CPLA: The Industry’s Next Trick

CPLA (crystallized PLA) is supposed to be more stable than regular PLA. True – but it needs even higher temperatures to compost. Many composting facilities reject CPLA because it degrades too slowly. The end result: special waste. The industry sells you ‘sustainable’ but only delivers a better conscience – temporarily.

Oxo-Degradable: The Most Dangerous Lie of All

Oxo-degradable plastic only breaks into smaller pieces – aka microplastic. It doesn’t dissolve, it just hides better. These products are now banned in the EU but still widespread globally. That’s not sustainability, that’s pollution 2.0.

Home-Compostable: The Only Honest Standard

True home-compostability (certified to NF T 51-800 or TÜV Austria OK compost HOME) means: biodegradable at 20-30°C in your own garden. No special facilities, no excuses. Only this is true circularity. Everything else? Marketing speak.