When choosing sustainable food packaging, buyers often encounter three terms: plant-based, biodegradable, and compostable.
They are related, but they describe different characteristics of a packaging material.
The simplest way to understand them is:
Plant-based describes where a material comes from. Biodegradable describes how it breaks down. Compostable describes how it breaks down under defined composting conditions.
Understanding this distinction can help buyers evaluate packaging claims more accurately.
Plant-Based: Where Does the Material Come From?
Plant-based packaging is made wholly or partly from materials derived from biomass, such as sugarcane, bamboo, corn, wood, and bio-based polymers such as PLA and PHA.
The term bio-based is also commonly used to describe materials derived partly or wholly from biomass.
However, plant-based does not automatically mean biodegradable or compostable.
For example, some bio-based plastics have similar chemical structures and performance to conventional plastics. Their renewable feedstock does not make them biodegradable or compostable.
So when a supplier says a product is plant-based, the key question is:
What is the material made from?
It tells you about the source, not its end-of-life behavior.
Biodegradable: Can It Break Down?
Biodegradable refers to a material’s ability to be broken down by microorganisms into simpler substances under specified conditions.
The important point is that biodegradation depends on the environment.
Factors such as:
- temperature
- moisture
- oxygen
- microorganisms
- time
- material composition
can affect how and whether biodegradation occurs.
Therefore, simply seeing the word “biodegradable” is not enough to determine how a food package should be disposed of.
A buyer should ask:
Under what conditions does it biodegrade, and within what timeframe?
Biodegradable does not automatically mean compostable.
A material may biodegrade under certain conditions without meeting the specific requirements for compostability.
Compostable: Can It Be Processed Through Composting?
Compostable is a more specific claim.
A compostable product is designed to break down under defined composting conditions and meet applicable requirements for biodegradation, disintegration, and the resulting compost.
For packaging sold in Europe, EN 13432 is an important standard for industrially compostable packaging.
This means that a compostable claim should be supported by evidence for the finished product, rather than being based only on its raw material.
For example, a paper food container may contain a plant-based paper substrate, but its overall end-of-life properties can also depend on:
- coatings
- adhesives
- inks
- other components
It is therefore important to evaluate the complete packaging structure.
Why these terms are often confused
The confusion usually comes from treating all “green materials” as if they perform the same way.
A plant-based package may sound compostable because it is made from plants. But many plant-based materials are durable polymers that do not biodegrade in normal conditions.
A biodegradable product may sound compostable. But biodegradation alone does not confirm that it can break down within a defined composting timeframe, disintegrate properly, or leave compost that meets the required quality standards.
A compostable product may sound recyclable. But compostable materials should not automatically be placed in conventional plastic or paper recycling streams. Mixing them into the wrong stream can reduce recycling quality or create sorting problems.
What Does This Mean for Food Packaging?
The distinction becomes particularly important when comparing common packaging materials.
- Paper and Fibre Packaging
Paper, bamboo fibre, and bagasse are derived from plant-based resources.
But whether a finished product is compostable depends on its complete structure and applicable requirements.
- PLA Packaging
PLA is a bio-based polymer commonly produced from renewable feedstocks. Some PLA products are designed and certified for industrial composting, but the polymer name alone does not establish that a finished product is compostable.
- Bio-Based Plastics
Some plastics can be made partly or wholly from renewable resources while remaining durable and non-biodegradable.
This is a good example of why bio-based content and end-of-life performance should be considered separately.
How Should Buyers Evaluate These Claims?
Instead of asking only:
“Is this packaging eco-friendly?”
ask four more specific questions:
- What is it made from?
Identify the main material and whether it is plant-based, recycled, fossil-based, or a combination.
- What happens at end of life?
If the product is claimed to be biodegradable or compostable, ask under what conditions.
- Is the claim supported by certification or testing?
For compostable packaging, check the applicable standard and whether the certification covers the finished product —For example, EN 13432/OK compost in Europe, BPI in the US, and AS 4736/AS 5810 in Australia and New Zealand—and make sure they cover the finished product.
- Does the local waste system support the intended disposal route?
A compostable package still needs an appropriate composting system to deliver its intended end-of-life benefit.
How Lvdays Supports Sustainable Food Packaging
Lvdays sustainable food packaging is made from plant-based materials such as paper, bamboo fiber, bagasse, wooden, and PLA. These materials are selected to balance environmental goals with reliable foodservice performance, including practical strength, heat resistance, oil and moisture protection, and dependable use in takeaway, delivery, and everyday foodservice applications.
Selected Lvdays packaging solutions are certified compostable, helping foodservice businesses choose products designed to enter an appropriate composting stream after use. With suitable collection and industrial composting infrastructure in place, these products can support a more responsible approach to foodservice waste.
Looking for certified compostable, plant-based food packaging for your business? Contact Lvdays to explore solutions that match your food, service conditions, and sustainability goals.
