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Biodegradable products

Biodegradable products

In recent years, a certain type of product has appeared on the shelves of different businesses. Biodegradable consumer products! Similar to any other products, however, they have a very special feature. Indeed, when they are thrown away, these products decompose naturally in our soils thanks to their properties and the microorganisms responsible for decomposition. Moreover, we can know the biodegradability of a substance according to its ability to decompose as well as the time required for its degradation in the environment. For example, a dead leaf takes a few weeks to decompose while a plastic bottle will take up to 1000 years.

Advantages

Biodegradable substances are not harmful to natural environments compared to those that cannot be broken down by living organisms. Although they produce methane during their decomposition, there are several solutions to capture and exploit this “ecological” methane and therefore make it less damaging. For example, some companies use this greenhouse gas to create electricity or heat homes. However, it is still rare to find companies that use methane as an energy source. Furthermore, biodegradable products are much simpler to recycle since the process does not require chemicals. This is also the case for compost, which allows organic matter to be used for another use, that is to say as a natural fertilizer. However, not all biodegradable products compost. It is therefore important to check its components before throwing it away.

At home

When it comes to clothing, it is important to know about biodegradable fabrics. These must themselves come from biodegradable materials, which means that they must be entirely natural. For example, cotton, linen and hemp are natural materials that can quickly decompose after use. Therefore, fabrics artificially created from chemical compounds such as polyester or nylon should be avoided for their slow degradation and harmful to the environment and should also not be considered as an alternative among biodegradable products. Several household products also exist in biodegradable format. Whether it's laundry detergent or dish soap, it's possible to find it in stores. Several Quebec brands like Pure and Attitude offer biodegradable products that reduce their ecological footprint in addition to offering quality products. In the kitchen, it is also possible to acquire utensils, cups, wipes or even biodegradable food packaging. Several alternatives exist such as bamboo utensils and cutting boards as well as cotton grocery bags. These alternatives not only allow for more ecological cooking, but also reduce waste from plastic packaging.

Enjoy the biodegradable packagings of Greener Locals and our partner Another Land Nearby

Bioplastics

Everyone knows that plastic has a huge impact on the environment. It contaminates both the land and the sea and creates around 4.5% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide during its production. In recent years, some companies have started the production of bioplastics, either biodegradable or compostable, or even created from plants such as corn. However, it is important to ensure the ecological impact of different bioplastics, as some can decompose even more slowly than those created from hydrocarbons. The Quebec company Bosk is an example that produces compostable bioplastic from a completely organic source. To obtain such a result, this company uses unexploited and renewable materials produced by players in the paper industry. In addition to using the waste discarded from this industry, Bosk produces plastic that decomposes naturally. This bioplastic could, for example, become a substitute for traditional plastics that come from the oil industry. Furthermore, the term “bioplastic” is not regulated, which means that some companies use it to deceive their customers. More than half of biosourced plastics, which come from biomass, are not biodegradable while certain traditional plastics are. Therefore, it is important to check the characteristics of different bioplastics.




        

    
      

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