The Biodegradagarden:

An experiment in disposable container technology

Day One: Planted 4 types of biodegradable disposable containers

Day One: Planted 4 types of biodegradable disposable containers

The containers are all marketed as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional disposable food containers

This experiment seeks to find out if these materials will decompose in a backyard garden environment

My hypothesis is that the containers will not break down in this environment within one year’s time

And that the materials require a commercial composting facility to completely biodegrade in less than 1 year

In most landfills these containers would not receive the adequate amount of oxygen, heat, or water that they need to decompose in a timely manner

Will the containers fare better in the garden conditions?

Will they decompose before my lease is up?

Lacking a commercial composting facility, what is the ideal way to dispose of these materials?

Should one consider refusing disposable containers rather than pondering these questions?

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PLA cup Wax-coatedCold Cup

BiodegradableFoam Container

CardboardContainer

Home Composting Commercial Composting Facility

Maximum Estimated Time of Decomposition for Disposable Containers (in months)

According to manufacturer

One month later - very little change in above ground appearance, decided not to dig up for observation

Five months after planting

The two cardboard containers completely disintegrated below the ground

Not a trace was left in the soil

The wax-coated cold cups showed some change, while the compostable plastic cup showed no change

The cold cup containers are made of paper and a wax coating called Ingeo™ biopolymer (plant-derived polylactic acid or PLA)

According to the manufacturer these containers should ideally be composted to biodegrade, but some changes did occur in the garden - particularly in the paper

This cup is made of PLA (polylactic acid - derived from corn starch) and should decompose completely in less than 6 months in a commercial facility

In a home composting environment, biodegradation could take up to a year or more

In these garden conditions, no discernible change has occurred in 5 months and it is reasonable to assume that it may take years to decompose

In a landfill it would take decades1

1.Worldcentric.org (the manufacturer)

The biodegradable foam, made of traditional polypropylene or polystyrene plastic along with an additive called AOC also showed no visible changes

The AOC (Active Organic Catalyst) additive is designed to interact with microorganisms present in compost, landfills, soil, and even oceans, lakes and forests

The additive acts as a catalyst to encourage microorganisms to break the material down into soil

The company does not specify how long

the biodegradation process should take for this product, but estimates assume up to 2 years in home compost and 1 year in a commercial facility

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PLA plastic cupWax-coated Cold CupBiodegradable Foam ContainerCardboard Container

Percentage of Decomposition in the BiodegradagardenOver a Period of 5 months

The containers were replanted for further observation

A few weeks later…..

Something very interesting happened

The chemical AOC additive had mutated the plastic and grown into an edible herb

Enviroware, the manufacturer of these foam containers, has named the product of this new phenomenon Enviroherb™

Recent studies have shown the herb to reduce cholesterol levels, boost immunity and help protect against memory loss, while providing a good source of antioxidants and magnesium

Try Enviroherb™ in soups, on salads, or use it in a marinade - you can even make Enviroherb™ tea

If your foodservice provider still uses “traditional” disposable containers ask that they switch to Enviroware™ - the only plantable disposable container on the market

In conclusion

This experiment has proven that this time the “lesser of two evils” in disposable container products has literally risen from the ground to become, in fact, a good - and a delicious one at that!

Thank You