Compostable vs Biodegradable Packaging: What BC Food Businesses Need to Know
Published June 16, 2026 · By True Earth Packaging Team · 8 min read
"Compostable" and "biodegradable" get used interchangeably on packaging labels, supplier websites, and environmental marketing — but they mean different things, carry different certifications, and end up in different waste streams. Using the wrong term in your own communications is a minor issue. Choosing the wrong material because you assumed they were equivalent is a bigger one.
This guide explains both terms clearly, covers why the distinction matters specifically for BC food operators, and helps you match the right material to your disposal situation.
What Does "Compostable" Mean?
Compostable packaging breaks down into organic matter — water, carbon dioxide, and biomass — within a defined timeframe under specific composting conditions. The key word is specific. Compostable packaging certified to ASTM D6400 or the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) standard must:
- Break down into small pieces (less than 2mm) within 84 days under industrial composting conditions
- Biodegrade at a rate comparable to paper within 180 days
- Leave no toxic residues in the resulting compost
The critical detail: most certified compostable packaging requires industrial composting — the high-temperature, managed process used by commercial composting facilities. A home compost bin rarely reaches the sustained 55–65°C required for certified compostable packaging to break down within the certification window.
Compostable examples: Sugarcane bagasse containers and plates, CPLA cutlery and cups, birchwood utensils, uncoated kraft paper, paper napkins and bags. Look for the BPI logo or ASTM D6400 certification mark on the packaging.
What Does "Biodegradable" Mean?
Biodegradable means that a material can be broken down by microorganisms over time. Technically, almost everything is biodegradable — conventional plastic will eventually break down, given enough time. The term has no regulated definition, no certification standard, and no required timeframe in Canada.
This is the core problem with "biodegradable" as a packaging claim: it tells you almost nothing meaningful. A product labelled "biodegradable" might:
- Break down in a few months under good composting conditions
- Take decades to degrade in a landfill
- Fragment into microplastics without fully biodegrading
Some products labelled "biodegradable" are genuinely eco-friendly. Others use the term as loose marketing language. Without a certification standard behind it, "biodegradable" on a packaging label requires more scrutiny than "compostable."
Watch out for: "Oxo-degradable" plastics marketed as biodegradable. These are conventional plastics with additives that cause them to fragment into microplastics under UV exposure. They're not compostable, they contaminate recycling streams, and they are banned in several jurisdictions. Metro Vancouver's bylaw explicitly restricts oxo-degradable items.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Why This Matters for BC Food Businesses
There are two practical reasons the distinction matters for BC restaurant and food service operators:
1. Waste stream sorting. If you're telling customers to put packaging in the organics/green bin, that guidance only works for certified compostable items. Non-certified "biodegradable" packaging may not be accepted by your waste hauler and could contaminate the compost stream, resulting in the whole load being sent to landfill instead.
2. Bylaw compliance. Metro Vancouver's single-use item bylaw references certified compostable materials as a compliant alternative for restricted items in some categories. "Biodegradable" items without compostable certification may not qualify as a compliant substitute — the bylaw specifies material types, not marketing claims.
For the full breakdown of what's restricted under the bylaw and what alternatives qualify, see our BC packaging regulations guide.
Which Products Fall Into Each Category?
Here's a practical breakdown of common food service packaging materials and their classification:
What to Choose for Your Business
The right choice depends on your waste disposal setup and what you want to communicate to customers.
If you have access to certified compostable collection (a commercial organics program that accepts certified packaging, or you're in a municipality whose curbside program accepts it): certified compostable packaging like bagasse and birchwood is the ideal choice. It closes the loop — food waste and packaging can go into the same bin and be composted together.
If your composting hauler doesn't accept certified compostables (common in some areas): recyclable PP #5 or PET materials are the practical choice. They still divert packaging from landfill, just via the recycling stream rather than the compost stream.
When in doubt, ask your waste hauler what they accept before choosing a material and communicating disposal instructions to customers. Getting it wrong and having your customers contaminate the compost stream is worse than choosing recyclable over compostable in the first place.
See our eco-friendly packaging category for the full range of certified compostable and recyclable products we carry for BC food businesses.
Not sure which eco option is right for your operation?
We can help you match packaging materials to your waste disposal setup and menu requirements. Get in touch for a recommendation.