Last Updated on June 25, 2024
You’ve probably heard the term “biodegradable plastic” before: But what exactly does that mean?
Well, technically plastic is already biodegradable. Everything is. All biodegradable really means is that it will eventually break down.
However, plastic does not break down in the same way something like an apple or banana would: It breaks up into microplastics and continues to leach into the environment or landfill over time.
On top of this, plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and when it does, it just turns into microplastics.
In fact, humans have created 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics since large-scale production began in the early 1950s, most of which still reside in landfills or the natural environment. In other words, all the plastic we have used is still here, in one form or another.
Biodegradability is not the ideal: Being compostable is. When you can compost something, that means it will eventually break down (usually in a shorter time span) and become part of the soil. Both virgin and recycled plastic cannot do this.
Therefore, for the sake of clarity, when I refer to “biodegradable plastic” for this post, I am talking about bioplastics, aka, plastics that have compostable elements.
Here’s everything you need to know about biodegradable plastic, if it’s actually sustainable, and what brands are using it.
what is the problem with biodegradable plastics?
The problem with biodegradable plastics is that not all of them are compostable. Some biodegradable plastics are made from a mix of materials both renewable and petrochemical based.
For example, bio-based PET is a polymer that is partly (up to 30%) produced from plant biomass, such as sugar. The rest is made from plastic, which means it will never completely decompose.
It’s important to understand that something can be biodegradable, but not compostable. In other words, yes, it will break down over time, but it will not add any beneficial nutrients to the soil during this process.
Here are a few other issues biodegradable plastics face.
not recyclable
People will sometimes mistake biodegradable plastics for actual plastic and add them into their recycling bins. This is especially true if the material resembles plastic.
Many recycling facilities do not have the right machinery to recycle biodegradable plastics. This means it will often end up in landfills.
limited access to industrial composting
Not everyone has access to industrial composting facilities, which is often what’s needed to break down biodegradable plastic. In situations like this, biodegradable plastics will end up in the trash, or contaminate a recycling bin. This entirely defeats the purpose of it being compostable.
For biodegradable plastics to be sustainable, they must be collected and paired with the right recovery systems, so that the material stays in the loop and out of the environment.
If you don’t have access to industrial composting facilities, Lomi could be a potential solution to this problem. Lomi is a Smart Waste Appliance that can fit on a countertop and breaks down your food scraps (and certain biodegradable plastics) within a few hours using heat, abrasion, and oxygen.
used to make disposables
One last issue with biodegradable plastic is that it can often be treated like a stand-in for plastic. In other words, it can continue to encourage a disposal culture that is not sustainable.
Even if the biodegradable plastic you’re using is compostable, it’s still wasteful to use it just once where a reusable item will do. For example, using a reusable fork in place of a biodegradable plastic fork is the better alternative.
Biodegradable plastic, even when compostable, still requires energy and resources to make. If we treat it like a single-use item, it’s a waste. Instead, we should focus on using bioplastics to make durable products that can be reused (like Pelacase’s phone cases!).
RELATED: 9 Eco Friendly Phone Cases to Protect Your Phone
do biodegradable plastics actually biodegrade?
Yes, biodegradable plastics do actually biodegradable. Technically, everything is biodegradable.
Biodegradation can take anywhere from a few days (for vegetable scraps) to over 500 years (for a plastic bag).
When an object biodegrades, its original composition breaks down into simpler components like biomass, carbon dioxide, and water.
However, biodegradable plastics that have compostable elements can also do more than just break down – they can biodegrade into soil conditioning material (aka compost), which is nutrient-rich and contains no harmful residues.
how long does it take for biodegradable plastic to decompose?
Biodegradable plastics can take three to six months to decompose fully, depending on what they are made from. This is much quicker than plastic, which can take several hundred years to biodegrade into microplastics.
Exactly how long a biodegradable plastic takes to break down depends on multiple factors, such as temperature, amount of moisture present, and the materials used to make it.
However, certain Lomi-approved biodegradable plastics can be broken down in just a few hours using Lomi! Here’s a full list of Lomi approved packaging and products it can break down.
Additionally, here are some bioplastics making waves in the industry for their innovation.
so is biodegradable plastic sustainable?
Yes, biodegradable plastic is sustainable if it has these qualities:
- Is compostable (backyard or industrial)
- You have access to a recovery system (aka, an area to compost it in, like access to industrial compost facilities)
- It’s not just single-use (but rather used to make durable items that will get reused). The few exceptions to this include compostable food scrap bags and compostable Band-Aids, like Patch (for sanitary reasons).
If these conditions are met, biodegradable plastic can be an innovative solution to consider.
What are your thoughts on biodegradable plastic? Let me know in the comments!
The post What is Biodegradable Plastic? Is It Sustainable? appeared first on Going Zero Waste.
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
7. Rejuvenation
Best for: Classic rug styles made in Fair Trade factories
Categories: Accent Rugs, Runners, Area Rugs
Home retailer Rejuvenation has a selection of rugs made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Their collection includes undyed hand-loomed rugs to geometric flatwoven wool rugs. And while I’d typically avoid synthetics, it tends to be unavoidable for outdoor rugs — so Rejuvenation’s Fair Trade 100% recycled poly rug is a good option.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Certified, Mostly Natural Materials
Price Range: $79 – $1,649
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. shipping for 10% of product price (add $20 for HI, AK, and US. territorries)
Liked this guide to ethical rugs? You might also enjoy:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Eco-Friendly Furniture to Furnish Your Home Sustainably
Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Blankets to Cozy Up With
The post 5 Best Ethical Fair Trade Rugs to Elevate Your Space appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
As a longtime book lover, I may be biased, but I think a full bookshelf is one of the most beautiful additions to a space. There’s nothing better than seeing a showcase of your favorite reads alongside a TBR list.
A bookcase, though, can of course be used for all sorts of purposes from placing your favorite photos of family and friends to showcasing treasured vintage finds.
Whatever the case, this guide will help you find the right sustainable bookshelf for your living room, office, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good read!
So what make a bookcase more sustainable? What makes a bookshelf non-toxic?
First of all: sustainable and non-toxic are two overlapping — but distinct — criteria. And both of those terms can come with a lot of opinions and varying definitions.
When it comes to sustainable bookcases, I look for:
- Responsibly Sourced Materials: most bookshelves are made primarily with wood. While natural, unsustainable wood sourcing can be a cause of deforestation, so we want to see that the wood was from responsibly managed forests or made from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Some bookshelves may feature metal, in which case recycled materials here are important.
- High Quality Construction: sustainability includes longevity — how long will you be able to use that furniture piece before it goes to the landfill and gets replaced? Look for transparency around craftsmanship and woodworking processes. Another sign of quality is the length of warranty a company has for its products.
- Ethically Made: this one is straightforward in theory — were the people making it paid fairly and working in safe conditions? — but is unfortunately not always easy to find information. In this category, I look for transparency in practices, what relationship the brand has with the manufacturer (some produce in-house which is the best case scenario for transparency!), where it was made, and how well the makers were paid.
Ideally a sustainable bookshelf would also be non-toxic — as toxic chemical fumes aren’t exactly sustainable! But this isn’t always the case. For example, if a company prioritizes upcycled materials, they don’t necessarily have control over what inputs were part of the original materials. And sometimes a company focuses more on ethical artisan partnerships and sustainable wood sourcing, more than, say, using non-toxic finishes.
But when it comes to non-toxic bookshelves, this is what I look for. (Note that non-toxic doesn’t necessarily mean safe for all chemical sensitivities. Nor does it mean zero potentially irritating chemicals.)
- Solid Wood (where possible): MDF or pressed wood contains glue to stick the various wood pieces together, which can contain added formaldehyde. I prefer solid wood, or if it is engineered wood, I’d make sure the company is transparent around the type of glue used and/or they at least have a product certification like GREENGUARD. (More on that in a second.)
- Low or Zero VOC Finishes: most wood furniture is completed with some sort of finish to provide a protection against scratches or moisture. Many of these finishes are synthetic, and some can contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Look for a natural finish like linseed oil or beeswax or a low VOC synthetic finish.
Relevant Certifications
You’ll see a few certifications referenced throughout this guide. Here’s what each one covers:
- FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed; this is not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee.
- GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, including VOCs, with Gold representing the stricter tier.
- Fair Trade Certified
= verifies that a factory meets standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labor practices. - Cradle to Cradle Certified (Gold) = evaluates a product or material across material health, circularity, clean air/climate, water/soil stewardship, and social fairness.
Where to Find Sustainable Bookcases and Shelving
I’m always a secondhand first proponent, and that goes for furniture, too. While your local thrift store might not have used bookshelves, check for dedicated furniture resale shops near you or estate sales. (I use EstateSales.net to find ones near me.) You can also find gently used pieces on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or AptDeco.
If you can’t find something you love secondhand, and you don’t want to DIY your own bookshelf, then the next best choice is to shop from one of the sustainable furniture companies below. (If you’re simply looking for a bookstand, I’d suggest browsing Etsy for a collection of solid wood, bamboo, and reclaimed wood book stands and cookbook stands!)
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links which helps us continue to run this website and create resources like these. As always all brands meet strict sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Best for: low VOC wood bookcases
Medley’s bookshelves are elegant and elevated, perfect for a living room. Each piece is made with 100% solid FSC-certified hardwood for the tops and sides, though low-VOC CARB 2 compliant plywood is used for the shelves.
Every eco-friendly bookcase is handcrafted in the US (California or North Carolina) and completed with a low-VOC wood finish.
Price: $2,395 – $2,995
Materials: White Maple, American Walnut Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, US-Made, FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Finish
2. Thuma
Best for: non-toxic modular bookshelf
Thuma’s eco-friendly bookshelf is made from upcycled wood sourced from rubberwood trees no longer being used to source rubber. The brand’s bookshelf is also GREENGUARD Gold certified.
What makes Thuma’s bookshelf stand out to me, though, is its modularity — their Pillar Bookshelf can be set in 10 different configurations. And if you start with just a few shelves but later decide you want a larger bookshelf, you can simply buy an additional shelf or two to add on to it!
Price Range: $550 – $3,300
Materials: Upcylced Rubber Wood
Conscious Qualities: GREENGUARD Gold Certified, Repurposed Materials, Adaptable
3. West Elm GREENGUARD Certified
Best for: low-tox bookcases and bookracks for kids