Many compostable or biodegradable products are greenwashing. These aren’t! These innovative sustainable alternatives are leading the way, enabling responsible eco-friendly disposal at end of life.

Replacing plastic single-use products that could be replaced with reusables with other alternatives that are biodegradable but still single use simply perpetuates a culture of convenience and continues the consumption of resources that could have been saved. This includes things like biodegradable disposable coffee cups and compostable wet wipes. 

But in some cases, single use is unavoidable, like in healthcare. And some clothing items and reusable products can be improved by making them compostable at the end of their life, like biodegradable period underwear.

The sustainable alternatives offered by these 6 exciting biodegradable options replacing polluting plastic are the real deal, leading the way by enabling responsible eco-friendly disposal after use or when no longer usable.

1. Biodegradable Bandages & Sports Strapping Tape

PATCH biodegradable band-aids enable the switch to plastic-free hypoallergenic plasters. These adhesive strips are made from organic bamboo fibre and are home compostable, breaking down naturally within weeks. As are all the packaging they come in – PATCH natural bamboo bandages come packaged in a recycled cardboard tube, the plaster wrapper that keeps them sterile is a biodegradable plastic, and the backing paper is just paper.

STRAP bamboo strapping tape is the world’s first eco-friendly body tape made from bamboo fibre. This biodegradable body tape has no plastic, silicone or latex in it and is home compostable, so there will be less irritated skin and less plastic waste when managing sporting injuries.

For medical products, single use is often necessary for sanitation reasons, so it is one of the situations where using something once and then disposing of it has to continue in many cases. Replacing the plastic used to produce and package healthcare products with a plant-based plastic-free compostable alternative will make a massive difference in terms of using fossil fuels and plastic pollution.

This transition to a more natural materials approach to wound care and sports injury leaves behind the unnecessary chemicals in and landfill waste caused by other plasters, providing better care for your wound, sensitive skin and the Earth.

PATCH strips: Australia / UK / Canada / US 

STRAP bamboo strapping tape: Worldwide / US

2. Home Compostable Medical Grade Face Masks

Another unavoidable disposable product used for medical reasons and public health and safety reasons is face masks. Reusable fabric face masks don’t always provide the personal protection needed. When needing a higher level of protection and for sanitary use in hospitals for things like surgeries, disposable face masks that are plastic-free and biodegradable are a much better option than polluting plastic ones.

Luckily, certified compostable plant-based face masks are now a thing! They also adhere to medical certifications, having a bacterial and viral filtration of greater than 98% to comply with EN14683 Type II. Breaking down in 12 weeks, these leave behind no trace and no harmful micro-plastics.

Home compostable face masks

3. Reusable Period Underwear that Rots

As if period undies themselves aren’t amazing enough and already reducing lots of waste, you can now get biodegradable ones that decompose at the end of their life, ensuring even less waste to landfill.

Modibodi has created period and pee-proof briefs that will break down in active soil, so when they need replacing (they should last around 8 years!) no textile waste is created. Made from Tencel, Merino wool, and bamboo, in just a few weeks the main brief, which can be buried in active soil in your backyard, will begin to decompose. However, the waist and leg elastic, which has to be cut off and discarded in regular waste, will only completely biodegrade in landfill after five years.

No more single use and no more plastic in your menstrual product and zero waste from your reusable menstrual product at the end of its life, enabling you to reuse and then rot.

Modibodi biodegradable undies - reusable period undies that rot at end of life

4. Cleaning Concentrate Packaged in Wax Pods

Switch from getting your cleaning liquids in plastic bottles to getting concentrated cleaning liquid in home compostable wax pods!

Etee’s biodegradable Beepods, which are made from beeswax and tree resin, as well as a few other plant-based oils, are filled with a concentrate that can simply be placed in a reused spray bottle and topped up with water. The concentrate products that come in these plastic-free wax pods include an all-purpose cleaner, liquid dish soap, hand wash, window cleaner, and floor cleaner.

They can be composted in your home compost bin after the liquid concentrate inside has been used to refill your cleaning spray bottles and other home cleaning products.

Etee’s Beepods - cleaning concentrate in biodegradable wax pods

More zero waste plastic free concentrated cleaning and body care products

5. Pose in Sunnies that Decompose

When you need to replace an item of clothing or accessary in your wardrobe and you’re buying new (always try finding it second-hand first!), look for an option that has minimal impact on the environment, including what will happen to after use. Seek out clothing made from 100% natural materials that will go back to the Earth and accessories that have been mindfully crafted. 

Well-known for its biodegradable phone cases, Pela has now brought out a range of sunglasses made from a biodegradable polymer – the world’s first! They were specifically engineered to not need metal hinges and even the lenses on these sustainable sunglasses will break down.

As per ISO15985 and ASTM D5511 standards, Pela Vision Sunglasses and Lenses will biodegrade in anaerobic landfill environments. This eco-friendly eyewear can also be kept out of landfill through upcycling or recycling by sending it back to Pela.

Pela also now makes biodegradable Apple Watch straps and AirPods cases (Australian stockist Pela / US stockist Pela).

Pela Vision biodegradable sunglasses - sunnies that biodegrade in anaerobic landfill environments

6. Completely Biodegradable Toothbrushes

Most bamboo toothbrushes have compostable wooden handles, but the bristles still contain plastic, namely nylon, and can’t be composted, still needing to be sent to landfill. However, you can now get 100% biodegradable fully plastic-free toothbrushes!

These completely compostable toothbrushes have bristles made of natural pig hair. The boar hair used for these toothbrushes is a by-product of the meat industry. It is cleaned and used to make toothbrushes instead of becoming waste and being discarded.

You can also get plastic-free plant-based bristles made from renewable castor oil. Although these are vegan and petroleum- and BPA-free, they are unfortunately not home compostable.

Boar hair bristle toothbrushes - 100% biodegradable fully plastic-free toothbrush

Plant-based bristle toothbrushes - bristles made from renewable castor oil

7.    BONUS BIODEGRADABLE: Vitamins in Compostable Packaging

Stop the vitamin bottles piling up in your recycling – get your vitamins in compostable packaging instead.

Read up on the available options in our Plastic-Free Vitamins: 7 Sustainable Diet Supplements blog post.

What other exciting biodegradable alternatives have you come across? Let us know in the comments!

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