Today there are several notions about "green" packaging, more virtuous for the environment. It is sometimes poorly easy to see clearly between the concepts of biodegradability, compatibility, recyclability and bio -based. Let's take a little overview on these concepts.

Some definitions first of all:

biodegradability: biodegradability will be applied for an organic product that can decompose in a favorable environment and under the action of microorganisms. It will therefore decompose naturally depending on the conditions of temperature, humidity, light or oxygen. Its decomposition should not be harmful to the environment. Thus, a tree leaf is biodegradable (about 3 weeks) while a plastic bottle not (approximately 400 years)

Today it is prohibited to mention this concept on a packaging. The definition of the biodegradable term is not subject to any scientific consensus. This technical and legal vagueness is harmful in the fight against plastic pollution. It will therefore be forbidden to affix this mention on the products and packaging on January 1, 2022

http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/ Dyn/15/Amendments/2274/Cion-DVP/CD966

Thus the notion of biodegradable packaging only concerns natural packaging: a banana skin, an egg shell, etc. This is our compost at home! (including of course that elements of vegetable origin)

compostable: French law speaks of composting to designate the "biological treatment of organic waste by aerobic fermentation allowing compost to be obtained". A compostable product is therefore biodegradable, but the reverse is not necessarily true. The EN 13432 standard specifies that, for a product to be compostable, 90 % of its initial dry mass must have been biodegraded in less than 3 months.

composting must be carried out in dedicated (domestic or industrial) installations. In an industrial way the compostable is helped by favorable conditions (temperatures between 70 and 80 ° C)

Most of the packaging offered on the market today are compostable in an industrial way. They are mainly made with corn or potato starch. An effective decomposition must indeed be carried out in an industrial composter with special conditions (oxygen, temperature). This is a process that can take several months even when good conditions are met.

This regularly feeds posts that we see on social networks or a biodegradable bag or a coffee capsule (made of corn starch or potato starch, etc.) does not disintegrate not in a domestic compost or in the earth. The conditions of disintegration are not met and your capsule or bag will always be there. The consumer is faced with a fallacious argument making him believe that he can throw this in his compost or in nature and that the solution is virtuous. Compostable absolutely does not mean that we can naturally throw this product in nature.

You can only put the packaging in your domestic compost where this notion is specified. We will particularly note the ok compost home label which guarantees that your product can go to your compost.
As well as the concept of blurred biodegradability, it will be prohibited for plastic packaging on 01/ 01/2022 to affix the concept of composibility.
https: // www .Legifrance.gouv.fr/CODES/ARTICLE_LC/LEGIARTI000041555718/2022-01-01

biosourced: This notion does not indicate the destination of your packaging after use. It only indicates that the raw materials used are of biological origin (plant, animal, algal, residual). This brings information on the constitution of the packaging.