BIODEGRADABILITY

Biodegradable materials should not be confused with compostable ones, and a biodegradable material is not necessarily bio-based. How can we truly implement an industrial system to biodegrade your products after use? What are the constraints of biodegrading a product and its industrial reality? How can synthetic materials be made biodegradable? What are the complexities of textile blends combining biodegradable and non-biodegradable yarns? The biodegradability of a product must be considered early in the design process, as it involves both the material composition and the presence of accessories, trims, and labels.

Here are the questions we will address:

 - The difference between biodegradable and compostable: how to educate your community on these concepts and avoid misleading assumptions (e.g. “planting your garment in your garden”)

• Biodegradable materials: natural materials, biopolymers, and polymers with enhanced biodegradability
• Implementing a biodegradability system: constraints and industrial reality (MOQ, type of recycling, energy consumption, etc.)
• The impact of dyeing, finishing processes, coatings, and material blends
• Selecting the right partners depending on materials
• Educating your community about a “take-back/deposit” approach
• The complexity and cost of biodegradability systems in logistics
• Integrating biodegradability early in product design so that every decision aligns with end-of-life considerations
• Testing and analyzing product biodegradability levels and timeframes
• The future of biodegradability and waste management systems

Resources on the topic:

- https://wipes-expert.fr/biodegradabilite-test/

- https://www.ecoconso.be/fr/content/les-bioplastiques-sont-ils-vraiment-ecologiques

- https://www.geo.fr/environnement/sacs-biodegradables-dire-quun-materiau-est-biodegradable-ca-na-aucune-signification-195705