Biodegradable vs compostable vs water-soluble — the honest difference

We put one of three words on every product we sell. They are not synonyms — they are three different promises about how a material leaves the planet.

Biodegradable means microbes can break the material down under natural conditions, given time. Bamboo cutlery, kraft paper, areca leaf. No special facility required — soil, moisture and microbes do the work. The honest caveat: "time" can mean six weeks (paper) or five years (a bamboo handle).

Compostable is a stricter, certified claim. It means the material breaks down under defined composting conditions — right temperature, right humidity, right microbial community — within a defined window, leaving nothing toxic behind. Our cornstarch mailers meet EN 13432: 180 days, no ecotoxicity in the finished compost.

Water-soluble is the fastest exit we sell. Detergent sheets and seaweed film dissolve completely in water in seconds. Nothing to bin, nothing to compost — the material simply stops existing as a solid.

The badge on each card tells you which ending you're buying. The material breakdown line tells you how long it takes and what conditions it needs. If a store won't print that, be suspicious of the green.