Compostable bioplastic film

Compostable bioplastic film

Grounded's biodegradable plant starch film is certified for both home and industrial composting. The exact composition differs slightly depending on the application but in general it is around 25% starch, 5% PLA and 70% PBAT. All of these components completely biodegrade and leave no toxic or chemical residue.

The good?

  • Completely compostable (or biodegradable) in both home and industrial compost conditions
  • Does not break down into micro-plastic particles
  • The use of compostable materials in flexible packaging aids in the development a functioning circular economic system. This is particularly important in flexible packaging as it is an area that is very challenging for mechanical recycling
  • The increased use of compostable materials creates market demand that will lead to the development of important composting infrastructure
  • Reduces reliance on fossil fuels and increases the use of renewable plant-based materials
  • Promoting the development of a composting waste stream also helps to address the problem of the excess waste to the landfill (in the form of food scraps) which has a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions

The bad?

  • Made from ~70% petrochemical bioplastic called polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). Ironically, it is PBAT that increases the rate of biodegradation in order for the film to meet home compost certification criteria
  • The quality and structural integrity of the film is impacted by extremely high temperature and high humidity environments
  • Despite the exciting opportunity compostable films and laminates represent to develop a productive circular economy, currently rates of composting are low
  • If compostable bioplastics end up in a landfill, over time they will generate methane, a greenhouse gas far worse for the environment than carbon dioxide
  • There is a lot of misinformation in relation to compostable materials and they lack universally-accepted labelling and certification standards

Frequently asked questions

Compostable materials are designed to be composted and unfortunately that means they cannot be mechanically recycled. Although commercial composting systems are not currently widely available on a kerbside bases this is changing rapidly and so too is the rate of home composting. For further reading please see our blog post on Composting vs Recycling.
No they don't. Our materials are certified compostable which means that they've passed thorough biodegradation testing to ensure they completely biodegrade into healthy organic matter.
It's up to you! We have options for both solid block colours and also opaque (see-through) colours. For our stock mailers we sell online, you cannot see the product being packaged inside.
Composting is an essential part of a functioning circular economy. We've broken down all the basics in our How to Compost blog post.
All of Grounded's compostable films and laminates are certified compostable, including any valves and zippers. For further information please visit our Certifications page.
The time it takes a product to biodegrade depends on the conditions of the composting environment. Industrial or commercial compost facilities run at higher temperatures and certification protocol requires materials to biodegrade within six months. Home composts are more variable and depend on external factors such as temperature, humidity and how often they're turned. Home compost certification requires materials to biodegrade within 12 months at a temperature around 30°C. For more information check out our certifications page.

This is a great question and the answer is nuanced. They don't contain plastic as most people know it but they are made from bioplastic, which is technically a type of plastic. Grounded has a range of bioplastics that are made using our compostable Plantcell™ technology or our recyclable Sugarflex™ films and laminates.

Products available in this material