Eco-Friendly Terminology

Going green can have many environmental, economic and social benefits which more and more businesses are trying to enjoy.

But when you’re just starting out, the world of eco-friendly products can be difficult to understand. With so many different materials, features and terms used, it’s hard to work out what the best option is for your needs.

Fortunately, this glossary will teach you everything you need to know about eco-friendly terminology.

In this glossary

In this guide to going green you’ll learn about the different end-of-life processes for products, discover the main eco-friendly materials and understand what each of the seven main types of plastic are.

To skip to any single part of this glossary, just click on one of the links below.

END-OF-LIFE TERMINOLOGY

Unsure of the difference between compostables and biodegradables? Or simply want to learn more about what happens when you're finished with your products? Take a look at this section to find out more.

ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS

From plant-based plastics to recycled sugarcane, there are many ways to create innovative products from some of the world's most sustainable materials. Discover more about these different materials.

TYPES OF PLASTIC

Recycling your plastics is a great way to extend the life of a material and do more for the environment. Read this section to learn more about the seven main types of plastic, and which of these are widely accepted for recycling.

GENERAL ECO-FRIENDLY TERMS

Not quite sure what makes a product 'energy-efficient'? Or are you finding it hard to work out the difference between a renewable and non-renewable resource? Take a look at this handy list for simple definitions of the most commonly used terms in the world of eco-friendly catering supplies.

FAQs

Find the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about eco-friendly products.

End-Of-Life Terminology

One of the main ways to judge the green credentials of a product is to look at its end-of-life process. The end-of-life process is the stage that begins when a product is no longer useful, and it will therefore be reused, recycled or permanently disposed of.

There are five key terms used to describe an item’s end of life. Understanding these terms will help you figure out which type of product is best for your business’s needs.

Recyclable

Recyclable means a material can be recovered once thrown away, broken down and reused to make a new product. Some of the most common types of recyclable material include:

• Paper
• Cardboard
• Plastic
• Metal

Recycling has a positive environmental impact as products made from recyclables require less energy, carbon and raw resources to produce than those made from new materials. Recycling also means less waste is sent to landfill, reducing these sites' damaging effects on the environment.

TIP: Landfill is often the most expensive way to dispose of your rubbish. Recycling as many materials as possible will reduce the amount of times you send waste to landfill, saving your business more money.

Many waste management services are also willing to pay for your recyclable materials. While prices vary from business to business, many will pay upwards of £100 per tonne for certain recyclables.

In order to be recycled, these products must be clean and dry. This can be a challenge for the catering and hospitality industry as contamination from food and drink is difficult to prevent. Heavily contaminated materials may be rejected for recycling and will often be incinerated or sent to landfill.

TIP: Recyclables should be sorted with designated recycling bins. The best recycling bins have labelled and colour-coded designs that make segregating each material easy.

Reusable

Whereas recyclables tend to be disposed of after a single use and remade into a new item, reusable products are designed to last for years to come.

Reusing products for a lengthy period of time reduces the consumption of single-use items, meaning less waste is sent to landfill. This also means less carbon and raw materials are then required to make new goods.

While recycling is great for the environment, the procedure does require energy to collect and process each material. As reusables have a longer life and reduce our dependence on single-use products, the amount of energy and greenhouse gas emissions involved in powering the recycling process is also decreased.

Once finally disposed of, many of these reusables can be recycled and remade into another item – completing the product’s lifecycle.

Biodegradable

Biodegradation is the naturally occurring breakdown of materials, either by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, or through other biological activity.

Being able to biodegrade does not necessarily mean a product is eco-friendly. For example, plastics are biodegradable, but will leave behind microplastics that can be harmful to marine life and other ecosystems. Some biodegradable materials can also last hundreds of years in the environment without ever breaking down.

TIP: The products we list as biodegradable are ones that will break down quickly, and without causing harmful effects to the environment.

While they may not break down quickly or safely, many of these materials can be recycled. This means fewer raw materials will have to be sourced and used in the manufacturing process – which is far better for the environment.

Compostable

Composting is a human-driven process in which a material will biodegrade under specific conditions - such as at a certain temperature or within a set timeframe - when exposed to the correct balance of microbes, moisture, oxygen and warmth. To be called compostable, these products must biodegrade into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to grow more plants.

These specific conditions of compostability are laid out in various codes and rules, officially known as ‘standards’. Products that comply with these standards are certified and labelled to guarantee they are compostable. The most common standards used for packaging products are the European EN 13432 and the American ASTM D6400 standards.

In order to fully compost and meet these standards, the products must be sent to commercial composting facilities together with food waste. Products placed in home compost bins may still compost, but there is no guarantee they will completely biodegrade or break down within a set timeframe.

TIP: Even if your compostables cannot be sent to a commercial composting facility, there are still huge environmental benefits of using them. As they are made from renewable materials, they are not stripping the Earth of its valuable finite resources. Compostables also require less carbon to produce.

If you’d like to know more about these products, read our guide on the benefits of compostable packaging.

The Difference Between Biodegradable and Compostable

The difference between biodegradation and composting is that biodegradation is a naturally occurring process. Composting always requires human input.

The main difference between biodegradable and compostable products is that certified-compostable items have a guarantee that they will biodegrade under the specific conditions – such as within set timeframes or at certain temperatures. Biodegradable products have no such guarantee.

Unlike compostable items, biodegradables also have no guarantee they will break down into the Earth safely and produce nutrient-rich compost that can be used to grow more plants.

Ultimately, composting is biodegradation, but under specific conditions such as within certain timeframes. This means every compostable product is biodegradable, but not every biodegradable one is compostable.

TIP: Remember, biodegradation is a naturally occurring process, whereas composting is a procedure that has to have human input.

Eco-Friendly Materials

From plant-based plastics to heat-pressed palm leaves, there are now lots of innovative ways in which manufacturers are creating greener solutions for your needs.

PLA

PLA (or polylactic acid) is a compostable plastic made from plant-based materials – most commonly corn starch.

PLA looks, feels and acts in the same way as oil-based plastics, making it ideal for most packaging and disposable products.

Unlike standard oil-based plastics, PLA is not made from finite resources and is a highly renewable material. As PLA is made from plant-based materials such as corn starch, it can be fully composted in a commercial composting facility and will not take hundreds of years to break down. This makes it a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics.

CPLA

CPLA is a form of PLA that has been crystallised for added strength and heat resistance. The main difference between PLA and CPLA is that PLA is best suited for cold use, such as making ice cream containers, while CPLA products are better used with hot food and drink, such as hot cup lids.

As CPLA is a stronger form of PLA, it is also preferred to make disposables such as straws and cutlery where extra sturdiness is needed.

Like PLA, CPLA is made entirely from plant-based materials and is completely compostable in industrial facilities.

Bagasse

Bagasse is a fibrous material made from recycled sugarcane. Once sugarcane has been pressed for its juice and syrup, the dry fibre left behind will be heat and pressure moulded to create the bagasse products you see today.

Bagasse is great for the environment as it is made from both a renewable resource and a waste product. This means fewer raw materials will need to be harvested and even less waste is produced from manufacturing processes.

Bagasse is completely compostable in industrial composting facilities.

TIP: Aside from its environmental benefits, bagasse is also preferred over materials such as polystyrene for many practical reasons. Bagasse allows condensation to escape yet still keeps in heat. This makes it ideal for takeaway food packaging.

Most bagasse products are also safe for microwaves and fridges, allowing them to be used for a variety of purposes.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a tropical grass that grows at one of the quickest rates in the world. In fact, entire bamboo forests can be grown in just a few years.

Bamboo is also able to regenerate without the need for replanting, requires minimal fertilisation or pesticides and will biodegrade into the Earth quickly and safely.

This makes it a highly renewable and eco-friendly resource.

Bamboo is also naturally strong, hard and water-resistant. This allows bamboo products to withstand robust use without breaking.

Palm Leaf

A palm leaf product is one made from the fallen leaves of palm trees. These trees naturally shed their leaves between four and seven times a year. The leaves will then be collected, cleaned with water and heat pressed into different shapes and sizes. No chemicals or coatings are used in the manufacturing process of our palm leaf products.

This means they are completely organic, biodegradable, highly renewable and free from harmful substances. This makes palm leaf products a brilliant green alternative to polystyrene disposables.

TIP: As palm leaves are a 100% natural material, each product has slightly different colouring and patterns. This means every single palm leaf plate or bowl you buy will look unique to the next.

When the manufacturing process is finished, palm leaves also become tough, sturdy and highly heat resistant, making them perfect for a variety of food packaging purposes.

Recycled Paper/Card

Products made from recycled paper offer great environmental benefits. Recycling paper means less waste is sent to landfill. This will reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases let off, as well as helping to stop the pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater.

Using recycled paper will also ease the burden on forests around the world and help to minimise the damaging effects of deforestation on the environment.

Paper is one of the most widely accepted materials for recycling, and can be remade into a variety of different products. This alone makes it an incredibly eco-friendly material for packaging and disposables.

Sustainable Forest Paper/Wood

Paper and wood harvested from sustainably managed forests have lots of benefits for the environment.

There are many elements that define what a sustainable forest is. These include ensuring felled trees are regrown, the rights of indigenous people, forest workers and local communities are protected and all the ecological functions of the forest are preserved.

Forests that meet these standards are accredited with a sustainability certification. The most widely used certification is given by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC-certified paper and wood products are guaranteed to be environmentally responsible, sustainable and sourced from a responsibly managed forest.

Types of Plastic

While most oil-based plastics (also called fossil-based plastics) will not biodegrade quickly and may leave behind microplastics when breaking down, they can still be recycled many times for a greener solution to landfill or incineration.

Nearly every type of plastic can technically be recycled. However, the extent to which they will actually be accepted and processed will change from product to product and material to material - due to logistical, technical and economic reasons.

With over 50 different types of plastics in existence, knowing which is which - and which is suitable for recycling - can be difficult.

Six of the most common types of plastic have been given ‘resin identification’ numbers (officially called codes). There is also a seventh category for "other" plastics. Most packaging items contain these small logos to help identify them for recycling.

General Eco-Friendly Terms

Carbon Footprint

Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by a person, product, business or industry – generally measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

Commercial Composting Facility

A commercial composting facility (also known as an industrial composting facility) is a large-scale site where huge volumes of organic waste are processed.

Commercial composting facilities generate the perfect balance of moisture, microbes, warmth and oxygen to break down this organic waste into nutrient-rich compost.

Compost

Compost is a mixture made up of decomposed organic matter such as food waste, animal manure and garden waste. Compost is rich in nutrients, making it extremely useful for fertilising soil.

Eco-Conscious

Being eco-conscious means you have an understanding of the effect your actions have on the planet, and change your behaviours to have a more positive environmental impact.

Eco-Friendly

Eco-friendly is a term used to describe a product, practice or process that has a small, less damaging or positive effect on the environment and its ecosystems.

End of Life

End of life refers to the point at which a product is no longer useful, and the beginning of the process in which it is reused, recycled or permanently disposed of.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is the aim of reducing the amount of energy needed to provide or run products and services. An energy-efficient product will last longer or perform more effectively while using the same amount of energy as a similar product. Some energy-efficient products, such as induction cookers, even deliver the same or superior performance while using less energy.

Greenhouse Gas

A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the ‘greenhouse effect’. Without greenhouse gases Earth would be too cold for life to exist.

However, humans are adding more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing the planet’s temperature to rise. This is having a damaging effect on the environment.

The most common types of greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

Finite Resources

A finite resource (also called a non-renewable resource) is one that cannot be replaced as quickly as it’s used.

Fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil and natural gas can take thousands of years to replenish naturally – making them prime examples of finite resources.

In-Vessel Composting Facility

There are several types of commercial composting facility, but the most common used to break down compostable packaging products is an in-vessel composting facility.

In-vessel composting takes place in an enclosed environment such as a drum, silo or trench. Organic waste is fed in and exposed to controlled oxygen, moisture, microbes and warmth. It is then regularly turned to ensure the pile is aerated and that bacteria can break down all of the waste.

In-vessel composting can break down almost all types of organic waste – from compostable packaging and food scraps to animal manure and garden waste.

Landfill

Landfills are sites where waste is disposed of by being buried underground. Landfills can be damaging to the environment as they may pollute groundwater, let off greenhouse gases and cause odour pollution.

Plastic Responsible

Plastic responsible is a term used by the industry to promote a more careful use of plastic.

Plastic responsible is the goal of reducing the consumption of unnecessary single-use plastic, instead using more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Plastic responsible also means reusing, recycling and composting as much plastic as possible.

Plastic responsible does not mean banning all plastics – at least until there is a functional and environmentally friendly alternative.

Renewable Resources

A renewable resource is one that can be naturally replaced as quickly or faster than it is used.

Examples of renewable resources include trees, corn starch and sugarcane.

Water Efficiency

Water efficiency means a product, process or service is using less water while still providing the same or superior level of performance.

Water efficiency is important for the environment as it helps to prevent water shortages and droughts. Being water efficient, or using water-efficient products, can also lead to large financial and energy savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between home composting and commercial composting?

The first difference between home composting and commercial composting is that commercial composting is done on a much larger scale. While only a small compost bin may be used at home, commercial composting facilitates are huge, allowing them to process vast volumes of organic waste.

These industrial sites also provide better composting conditions than home composting setups – allowing for controlled levels of oxygen, moisture, warmth and microbes. This will produce high quality compost in a much quicker time than home composting.

Another difference between home and commercial composting is industrial sites can compost more types of organic waste. Commercial composting sites have a pre-processing phase which shreds large organic waste into smaller fragments to make it easier for the microbes to break down. This means everything from compostable packaging to food and garden waste can be composted.

Do compostable plastics break down in the ocean?

No. Compostable plastics such as PLA and CPLA won’t break down if thrown into the ocean – at least not quickly. This is because they aren't exposed to the perfect balance of oxygen, moisture, warmth and microbes present in composting facilities.

Why use compostable products if they can’t be sent to commercial composting facilities?

One of the main benefits of compostable packaging products is that they are made from sustainable and renewable resources. If you are unable to send them to commercial compostable facilities, you can have peace of mind knowing that these items are not stripping the Earth of its finite resources. Compostables also have a lower carbon footprint than their oil-based plastic alternatives.

Why is composting good for the environment?

Composting is good for the environment for a number of reasons. Firstly, composting means less waste is sent to landfill. This will reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases these sites let off into the atmosphere.

Creating nutrient-rich compost also removes the need for commercial soil conditioners and fertilisers – both of which can create significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions during the production process.

Composting also means you can 'close the loop' and return natural materials back to the Earth where they can be used for future agricultural growth.

Can PLA be recycled?

PLA and CPLA products can technically be recycled, but few sites currently exist that can process them. This is because there are not currently enough of these compostable plastics in the waste stream to warrant collecting and recycling them. If these compostable plastics are not separated from other traditional plastics, they can contaminate the recycling process.

Because of this, it is better to not recycle PLA and CPLA – at least until the infrastructure exists to do so.

How do I dispose of compostable products?

There are a few ways you can dispose of your compostable products.

The first is to get involved with the ‘Close the Loop’ service from Vegware. The scheme, running in Bristol, Worcester, Gloucester and Scotland, collects and transports organic waste to commercial composting facilities.

If you don’t live in one of the areas covered by Vegware, the second option is to see if your current waste management provider will collect your organic waste and deliver it to one of the 300+ commercial composting facilities in the UK. If not, you can always enlist the services of a specialist contractor.

The final option is to invest in an on-site composter. If you have the funds, space on your premises and the staff to manage it, an on-site composter is a highly sustainable way to dispose of your organic waste.

The compost created can even be used to grow your own fruits, vegetable and herbs if you have a kitchen garden.