Biodegradable is a much misunderstood term for ECO gifts
On the ECO Gifts Store we have tagged products for certain features. The list is available from the Browse by Materials drop down in the website header. One of the featured tags is ‘biodegradable’. We’ve have all come across this term but what exactly does it mean?
The term is actually one derived from a process known as ‘biodegradation’. This is essentially the chemical breakdown of materials by a physiological environment. The term applies to organic materials which can degrade aerobically with oxygen (as opposed to anaerobilically – without oxygen). Biodegradable matter or substances are therefore generally organic in nature and include plant, animal, living and artificial materials that can be broken down by micro-organisms.
Some of these micro-organisms have an amazing ability to degrade or transfrm a huge range of compounds including oils (hydrocarbons), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals. It is the products that use or contain such biodegradable matter that are tagged with the term ‘biodegradable’. Just exactly how is biodegradation measured? There are a number of ways. Oxygen measurement is one such way or even the amount of carbon dioxide produced.
In terms of eco promotional gifts, the majority marked biodegradable are made from plastic. There are two main types of biodegradable plastic and these include: hydro-biodegradable plastics (HBP) and oxo-biodegradable plastics (OBP). When recycling such eco products, they are broken down by hydrolysis and oxidation respectively to reduce their molecular weight. Their smaller, lower molecular weight then makes them suitable for biodegradation.
We normally think of plastics as being the main biodegradable products available and in particular plastic carrier bags. A search on the ECO Gifts Store using the Browse By Materials function list other potential gifts made from biodegradable plastics including: promotional pens and water bottles. However there are others including products made from vegetable materials and plants such as Jute.
Going green is all about using sustainable and recyclable materials, minimising waste and polluting the environment as little as possible if at all. Biodegradable promotional gifts are one such solution when a company wants to market itself as environmentally friendly and therefore an ECO marketer.
Posted in ECO Gifts
