Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact that they have on the environment and are prepared to take personal responsibility to try to reduce some of the damage that is caused by their lifestyles. The scarcity of resources to cope with waste that we generate is putting pressure on the systems for disposing of it. Composting is becoming an increasingly important method of managing waste and can make a significant contribution towards solving these problems.

A biodegradable product is one that breaks down relatively quickly, by biological means. This is the action that takes place in a compost heap which is nature's natural method of recycling waste products. However, some products can be biodegradable but they are not classed as compostable in environmental terms because they may contain chemicals that are harmful to nature and so cannot be returned safely to the earth. This is why the term 'biodegradable' is one of the most widely misused and misunderstood buzz words of the environmental debate.

This is particularly important when it comes to packaging. Any material that comes from nature will return to nature as long as it is still in a relatively natural form. Therefore any plant, animal or natural mineral based product has the ability to biodegrade and compost, but those made from man-made petrochemical compounds generally do not.