We all know that plastic and synthetic materials, like orbeez, are bad for the environment. But what about paper? Is paper really as sustainable as we think? And is paper biodegradable?
Every year, we are using 408 million tons of paper and this number is projected to grow to 500 tons per year in just a few decades. Packaging accounts for the largest share of global paper and paperboard production. Keeping these numers in mind, we have to ask ourselves how we deal with all of this paper after using it if we want to live more sustainable. We know that we can recycle paper. But is paper biodegradable too?
Well, the answer is yes and no. Paper can be biodegradable if it’s manufactured and used in the right way. But let us take a look at why this is the case.
Is Paper Biodegradable?
Paper is naturally biodegradable as it is made from wood and other pant fibers, but how quickly it biodegrades, and if it does at all ultimately depends on the environmental conditions and the manufacturing process, which may involve adding hazardous or artificial materials in an effort to increase the product’s usefulness, durability, or aesthetic.
As a result, paper can be both biodegradable and non-biodegradable!
Because it is made of wood, paper is biodegradable in its natural state. Although paper waste ranks high in terms of sustainability scores when compared to other materials like plastics, and may also be recycled, trees must be harvested to produce paper. Obviously, this contributes to deforestation, which is not at all good for the environment. In fact, 42 million trees are cut down every single day because of our paper needs.
On the other hand, adding colors, coatings, or bleachings to paper, that are being used to make it more visually appealing or moisture-proof, will reduce the paper’s abiity to biodegrade, due to the use of synthetic chemicals.
Likewise, paper that has been lined with plastic is also regarded as non-biodegradable since the product’s wood pulp component will biodegrade, leaving the synthetic component to have an impact on the environment wherever it is.
Where does paper biodegrade?
Essentially paper can biodegrade in every kind of environment, as long as it doesn’t include any chemicals or artificial materials like coatings or plastics.
Whereas it biodegrades best in humid, wet, and warm conditions, it can take much longer for paper to biodegrade in dry environments.
How long does it take for paper to biodegrade?
Again, the ability for paper to biodegrade depends on the environmental conditions. Like anything else, paper takes some time before degrading completely, and paper can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks before it can start to biodegrade.
Biodegradable vs Compostable vs Recyclable
Although “biodegradable”, “compostable”, and “recycable” are often used interchangably to describe how environmentally-friendly a prodct is, each of these terms actually means something completely different.
What does biodegradable mean?
“Biodegradable” refers to the ability of things to get disintegrated (decomposed) by the action of micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and maggots while getting assimilated into the natural environment. There’s no ecological harm during the process. We can either speak of biodegradable solids (also called compostable) or liquids that biodegrade into water.
In other words, if something is biodegradable it can literally serve as “food” for other organisms. This is totally in line with Cradle-to-Cradle, which claims that “waste must equal food” in order to be environmentally friendly.
What does compostable mean?
“Compostable” is used to describe a product that can disintegrate into non-toxic, natural elements. It also does so at a rate consistent with similar organic materials. Compostable products require microorganisms, humidity, and heat to yield a finished compost product.
The difference between “biodegradable” and “compostable” is that biodegradable materials can take an undetermined time to break down, whereas compostable materials will decompose into natural elements within a specific and controlled time frame.
Essentially, everything that is compostable is also biodegradable. However, biodegradable does not always mean compostable.
What does recyclable mean?
“Recyclable” refers to the ability of a product to be broken down into its basic materials so that these can be used in the production of new products.
In contrast to “biodegradable” and “compostable”, it involves a high degree of human intervention and industrial processing. Not everything that is recyclable is compostable or biodegradable though. Nevertheless, recycling is a good option for materials that cannot biodegrade or compost, such as plastics. So recycling paper is definitely already a big step towards the circular economy.
Confused enough? Check out our small study below to find out which paper types are biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable.
What's better? Composting vs Recycling
Generally speaking, recycling paper is more environmentally friendly than composting. This is because recycling enables you to maintain the paper’s value and it avoids new trees tobe cut down, tackling the ever-growing problem of deforestation.
Biodegradable or not? An Overview per Paper Type
Believe it or not! We’ve tested if different paper types are biodegradable or not and how long they take to compost (in a humid, wet & warm environment). Our study was done in collaboration with numerous scientists and chemists who made sure that it was conducted in a scientifically supervised setting.
We’ve summarized the results of our research in the table below:
| Paper Type | Biodegradable | Compostable | Time to Compost | Recyclable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Printing paper |
|
|
2 months |
|
|
Cardboard |
|
|
3 months |
|
|
Newspaper |
|
|
5 months |
|
|
Paper cups |
|
|
|
|
|
Photo paper |
|
|
4 months |
|
|
Tissue paper |
|
|
5 months |
|
|
Toilet paper |
|
|
2 months |
|
|
Wax paper |
|
|
6 months |
|
|
Parchment paper |
|
|
3 months |
|
|
Wrapping paper |
|
|
3 months |
|
|
Paper towels |
|
|
2 months |
|
|
Pizza boxes |
|
|
3 months |
|
|
Receipts |
|
|
|
|
|
Paper bags |
|
|
2 months |
|
|
Tetrapak |
|
|
|
|
|
Magazines |
|
|
|
|
|
Shredded paper |
|
|
1 month |
|
Is printing paper biodegradable?
The majority of printing paper is produced using wood pulp or other renewable natural materials. Although paper fibers undergo a lot of chemical treatment during production, they are nonetheless biodegradable in most cases.
So the answer is YES! Printing paper is all: biodegradable, compostable and biodegradable recyclable since it decomposes in less than six months. In optimal conditions it can even compost in less than 2 months.
Though, as opposed to other materials like glass, printing paper cannot be recycled infinitely. This is because, every time paper is recycled, the fibres shorten, which reduces the stability and quality of the paper. It is estimated that priniting paper can be recycled 4-6 times.
Is cardboard biodegradable?
Yes, just as printing paper, cardboard is biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. Depending on the environmental conditions it can take between 3-10 months for it to decompose into its basic materials.
Furthermore, cardboard can easily be recycled as long as it’s not lined with a plastic film, coated with wax, or covered in embellishments like glitter, velvet or foil.
Are newspapers biodegradable?
The answer is a resounding yes! Newspapers are biodegradable as well as compostable. However, they take longer to compost than “normal” printing paper as it takes roughly half a year until they decompose. Ultimately, newspapers are recyclable too.
Are paper cups biodegradable?
Unfortunately paper cups are neither biodegradable nor compostable. This is because they are not only made of paper but are often coated with plastic or artifical wax.
If paper cups end up in nature, this can have serious consquences for its surrounding environment. So always make sure to dispuse of them correctly. Obviously it would be even better to not use any single-use paper cups in the first place.
Though, paper cups are recyclable. But the recycling process doesn’t allow to re-use the materials for new paper cups. Instead, the fiber from those cups is then used to make lower quality products such as tissue, paper, containerboard and paperboard. Thus, we should rather talk about downcycling here.
Is photo paper biodegradable?
Generally, photo papers are biodegradable and compostable. The fact that they contain fine clay that makes them shiny doesn’t prevent them from being biodegradable. Averagely, a photo paper takes between 4 and 8 months to compost.
However, the biodegradability depends on the type of photo paper used. Whereas conventional photo paper is 100% biodegradable, there are some exceptions, especially when plastic is used in photo paper. So make sure to check out the exact materials used in your photo paper.
Although it is usually biodegradable and compostable, photo paper is not recyclable. Simply put, this is because the paper fibers are just too short to be re-used in other products.
Is tissue paper biodegradable?
Yes. Tissue paper is biodegradable as well as compostable. However, it takes quite long to compost (around 5 months) and tissue paper cannot be recycled.
Is toilet paper biodegradable?
Yes. Toilet paper is typically made from wood pulp which is biodegradable and compostable. But the amount of time required depends on the strength and thickness of the paper. Nevertheless, similar to tissue paper, toilet paper is not recyclable.
Is wax paper biodegradable?
No and yes. An alternative to reusable cling film is wax paper. If the wax coating is composed of beeswax, soy wax, or paraffin with a vegetable oil basis, and even though it takes quite long to decompose it is biodegradable and can be composted. Tough, certain wax sheets contain paraffin made from petroleum, which can pollute the soil.
Is parchment paper biodegradable?
Depending on the type of parchment paper you have, there are many ways to dispose of parchment paper. White parchment paper cannot biodegrade or compost but should be recycled whereas brown parchment paper can biodegrade and should be composted. It takes around 3 months on average until parchment paper composts.
Is wrapping paper biodegradable?
Yes. Wrapping paper is biodegradable, compostable and recyclable in general. But only as long as it doesn’t have non-paper additives like glitter or plastics. If composted in the right conditions, wrapping paper composts in about 3 months.
Are paper towels biodegradable?
Yes, paper towels are biodegradable and take around 2 months to compost. Though, you shouldn’t put them in the recycling bin, as the fibers are too short and of too little quality to be recycled.
Are pizza boxes biodegradable?
Since pizza boxes are made of cardboard they are biodegradable, compostable, as well as recyclable in theory.
Unfortunately, the pizza boxes are only recyclable if they’re clean. Clean tops and sides of pizza boxes can be recycled. If the base is contaminated by grease from the pizza, it’s non-recyclable.
Are receipts biodegradable?
Receipts alone account for more than 700.000 kg of the garbage that ends up in landfills. This is because shops are obliged to print out receipts, which is required in most countries. Receipts are unfortunately not made entirely of paper; they also include a thin plastic layer that makes recycling and composting close to impossible.
Are paper bags biodegradable?
Paper bags are 100% biodegradable as well as compostable. In fact, it only takes moist conditions and about 2 months until paper bags will decompose. Furthermore, paper bags are recyclable too.
Is tetrapak biodegradable?
The answer is a clear NO! Tetrapaks such as milk cartons are neither biodegradable nor compostable and recycling them is pretty tough.
It is because tetrapaks contain plastics that they are not biodegradable. In fact, tetrapaks are made of: 14% plastic sheets, 6% bioplastic cap, 75% cardboard, and 5% aluminum. When tetrapaks break down into their basic materials, the plastics are released into the environment in the form of microplastics, which are obviously not good for nature.
Are magazines biodegradable?
Magazines are usually not biodegradable or compostable. This is because different kind of synthetics are addded to increase their durability. This is especially the case for cover pages that are usually coated by a slim film of plastic to protect the magazine from getting wet.
It is possible to recycle magazines though. At least those parts that don’t include any plastics or synthetic materials.
Is shredded paper biodegradable?
You can totally compost shredded paper as it is easily biodegradable. However, it is not possible to recycle shredded paper as the fibers are too short to be of use for anything else.
Is Using Paper Bad for the Environment?
When asking yourself if paper is biodegradable, you may be wondering whether using it is good or bad for the environment. It’s true that paper appears to be a more sustainable material than, say, plastic since it is biodegradable and may decompose quickly while producing no waste.
However…
Using paper is not necessarily sustainable and bad for the environment because, as environmental activists claim, it results in deforestation. Air and water pollution are problems associated to paper production too. And it’s not looking rosy at all as demand for paper has risen by more than 400 percent in the last century and continues to grow today. In fact, the way we currently deal with our rain forests is a good example of how we interact with our environment.
Because the making of paper begins with the extensive removal of trees from the ecosystem, using paper is bad for the environment. The shipping of these trees also contributes to air pollution, but the problem doesn’t stop there.
Each year, more than 100 million trees are cut down for the production of paper. The transit of these trees to the processing facility and the end customers adds to this harmful pollution, which is mostly brought on by the transportation sector.
This causes a greater release of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions by releasing hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere.
Furthermore, toxic chemicals are discharged into the ecosystem during the production of paper for sale and distribution through wastewater and improperly disposed of chemical waste. Chlorine and sulfur dioxide are only a couple of these compounds.
And yes: By using paper products, you are indirectly contributing to all of that.
BUT! The good news is that there are eco-friendly alternatives available.
Eco-friendly paper types
These are the most common, affordable, and sustainable fiber types that work just like conventional wood pulp-based paper:
- hemp-based paper
- recycled cotton paper
- reclaimed straw paper
- bamboo based paper
- stone paper
- sugar cane based paper
- seed paper
- recycled paper
All of these alternative paper types have been developed thanks to green innovations.
Paper vs Plastic: Which is more sustainable?
Paper is undoubtedly more environmentally friendly than plastic. Paper is clearly superior to plastic in all aspects, ranging from production methods, over uses, to post-use circumstances.
First of all, paper is produced using natural and regenerative resources. Plastic, on the other hand, is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource that might run out. As a result, paper is a more environmentally friendly source than plastic.
Plastic is neither biodegradable nor sustainable, whereas paper is both. Plastic never decomposes, and the procedure necessary to break it down into tiny pieces can take hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Even worse, when plastic breaks down, toxic waste is released into the land, water, and environment. Not to mention the topic of microplastics…
Conclusion
The need for paper is undeniable and we can confidently answer the question of whether paper is biodegradable with a big YES.
However, we shouldn’t forget about the fact that environmental sustainability is equally crucial. Even though paper is a renewable resource and one of the most sustainable materials, while aiming to save the planet, we shouldn’t forget that a large share of global warming is caused by deforestation for paper products.
Given the topics we covered in this article, it is reasonable to say that manufacturers need to think of even more environmentally friendly paper solutions and alternatives.
