1 Million Women has posted a video in Facebook explaining the difference between degradable, biodegradable and compostable plastic.
1) Degradable plastic is just regular plastic that has been designed to break into smaller pieces. These small pieces will exist forever.
2) Biodegradable plastic will be broken down by leaving things like microorganisms and fungi and often requires exposure to UV light and warm temperatures to decompose.
3) Compostable plastic is a type of biodegradable plastic that can be broken down in industrial and sometimes home composting systems depending on what it’s made from. However, if biodegradable plastic ends up in landfill or the ocean where the conditions aren’t right, it may never break down.
Therefore, 1 Million Women recommends choosing reusables to be 100% safe and say no to disposables as much as possible.