If you’ve ever typed “Is other material biodegradable?” into a search bar, you’re not alone. For years, conversations about sustainable materials have centered on the usual suspects: cotton, hemp, PLA, paper, even standard plastic. What’s often overlooked is the “other material” category—our corner of the industry, where we source and supply materials that don’t fit into these predefined boxes. As someone who’s spent the last 12 years sourcing, testing, and refining these lesser-known materials for manufacturing, I get the confusion: when a client asks, “Wait, is this stuff actually biodegradable, or are we just calling it that to greenwash our products?” let me walk you through what this really means, why it’s so easy to get mixed up, and how our other materials stack up against the hype. Other Material
First, let’s define a few terms that keep popping up when this question comes up. Biodegradability isn’t a one-size-fits-all label, and that’s the root of most of the misinformation. The official definition from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is simple: a material is biodegradable if microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, algae—can break it down into natural compounds like water, carbon dioxide, and biomass within a specific timeframe. There’s a catch, though: that timeframe and the conditions needed matter just as much as the final outcome. A material that takes 500 years to break down in a landfill isn’t really biodegradable for practical purposes, even if it eventually decomposes. Same with a material that breaks down fine in a compost pile but would sit unchanged for decades in a plastic waste dump. A lot of so-called “sustainable materials” fail this test because their manufacturers don’t disclose the conditions required to break them down.
Now, back to “other materials.” For our team, this category includes things like mycelium-based composites (grown from mushroom root structures mixed with agricultural waste), algae-derived biopolymers, composite fibers made from recycled nut shells and agricultural straw, and even bio-based rubber blends that don’t rely on traditional rubber tree plantations. None of these fit neatly into the “plastic” or “natural fiber” buckets, which is why they get lumped into the “other material” catchall—and why their biodegradability is often the first question a potential client asks.
Early on, I’ll be honest, we faced a lot of skepticism. Ten years ago, when we first started supplying mycelium packaging inserts to a small outdoor gear brand, they tested the material in their own in-house lab and came back with notes saying it “didn’t biodegrade fast enough” for their carbon neutrality claims. We went back to the drawing board, tested it against ISO 1755, the standard for biodegradable packaging, and realized the issue wasn’t the material itself—it was the conditions of the test. The company had run the test in a sterile, low-moisture environment designed for testing traditional plastics, not for a living, fungal-based material. When we moved the test to a standard industrial compost environment, the same insert broke down 90% in 180 days—well within the ISO’s requirements for biodegradability. That moment was a turning point for us: we realized that the answer to “is other material biodegradable?” isn’t a flat yes or no—it’s “it depends on the material, the conditions it’s in, and how we test it.”
That leads me to the biggest myth we’ve encountered in the last few years: that all “other” materials are either fully biodegradable or fully non-biodegradable. The reality is far more nuanced, and that’s where a lot of greenwashing happens. Take algae-based biopolymers, for example, one of our most popular other materials right now. We source these from local algae farms that grow the algae using only saltwater and sunlight, no freshwater or fertilizers. When processed, the biopolymer can be formulated to either fully biodegrade in industrial compost in 120 days, or to have a longer shelf life for products that need durability (like food storage containers that might sit in a home pantry for months). If a manufacturer chooses the durable version, it’s not going to break down in a backyard compost pile, but it will break down in an industrial facility in 6-9 months—and it won’t leach microplastics in the process, which is a big problem with many conventional plastics.
Another common other material we supply is composite fibers made from walnut shells, oat straw, and post-consumer recycled cotton. These fibers are not fully biodegradable on their own because they blend the tough, long-lasting natural fibers with a small amount of bio-based binder to make them moldable into products like packaging, shoe insoles, or cosmetic palettes. Wait—does that mean they’re not biodegradable? We recently tested a batch of these fibers at an independent third-party lab, and when we removed the small amount of synthetic binder (less than 5% of the total product), the remaining material broke down completely in home compost in 30 days. The binder, though it’s not 100% bio-based, is derived from sugarcane and is itself biodegradable in industrial compost. The full product breaks down in 10 months in an industrial compost facility, which is actually better than many paper-based products that often have synthetic coatings to make them water-resistant. The takeaway here is that even materials that aren’t 100% biodegradable at first glance often have a biodegradable fraction that makes them far more sustainable than their conventional counterparts.
I’ve also had to explain to clients why some “other materials” we supply aren’t biodegradable—because not every other material is created equal. For example, we recently turned down a contract with a company that wanted us to supply a plastic-like other material made from mixed recycled plastics. They labeled it as “eco-friendly” because it used post-consumer waste, but when we tested it, it was a blend of polypropylene and PET, two non-biodegradable plastics that take hundreds of years to break down. We told them up front that this material isn’t biodegradable, and that we could source a different other material—our algae-based biopolymer, for example—that would serve the same purpose (making rigid plastic parts for small electronics) while being fully biodegradable. They went with another supplier, but a month later they came back and said the other supplier had lied about the material’s biodegradability, and they wanted to work with us instead. That experience reinforced something I’ve always believed: transparency about biodegradability is non-negotiable. We never label our other materials as biodegradable unless they meet ISO standards in their intended end-of-life environment, and we always provide test data so our clients can make informed choices.
So, what about the big picture? When we talk about other material biodegradability, we’re not just talking about individual products—we’re talking about reducing the burden on landfills and oceans. A 2022 study from the European Bioplastics Association found that biobased, biodegradable materials reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60% compared to conventional plastics, and other materials fall right in that range. For context, a conventional plastic water bottle takes about 450 years to break down in a landfill, while our mycelium-based packaging takes 180 days in industrial compost and doesn’t leave any toxic residues. That’s a meaningful difference for a company that’s trying to hit net-zero goals or reduce its plastic footprint.
Of course, there are challenges. Industrial compost facilities aren’t available everywhere, and backyard composting conditions can vary widely depending on climate, moisture, and the types of microorganisms present. That’s why we’ve been working with a team of agronomists over the last two years to develop other materials that are biodegradable in a wider range of conditions, including backyard compost in temperate climates. We recently launched a line of composite fibers that break down in backyard compost in 90 days, which we’re excited about because it gives end-users more control over what happens to their products after use.
I want to address one more question that always comes up: is other material biodegradable better than conventional material? That depends on the use case. If you’re making a single-use product like a takeout container, a fully biodegradable other material is almost always better. If you’re making a durable product like a bicycle frame, a bio-based material that’s not biodegradable but is made from renewable resources and recyclable is a better choice than a conventional plastic or metal that has a high carbon footprint. The key is matching the material to its intended life cycle, and making sure that the end-of-life is accounted for in the design phase.
As an other material supplier, my job isn’t just to sell materials—it’s to educate my clients. Too often, companies jump on the “biodegradable” bandwagon without doing their research, and they end up with products that don’t deliver on their sustainability promises. That’s why we offer free sample testing and consultations to every potential client: we’ll send them a small batch of our materials, help them understand what conditions they need for biodegradability, and work with them to find the right material for their product.
At the end of the day, the question “is other material biodegradable?” doesn’t have a one-word answer. It’s a question that requires context, testing, and transparency. Our team has spent years refining our materials, working with independent labs, and educating clients to make sure that we’re not just selling sustainable materials—we’re building trust. If you’re a manufacturer looking for materials that are actually biodegradable, or if you have questions about how our other materials fit into your sustainability goals, we’d love to connect. We believe that every material has a role to play in a more sustainable future, and we’re here to help you make the right choice for your business and the planet.
References
End Effectors European Bioplastics Association. (2022). Biobased and Biodegradable Materials: Life Cycle Analysis Report. International Organization for Standardization. (2012). ISO 1755: Plastics – Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an anaerobic digestion system.
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