We look to purchase biodegradable products because they are better for the environment, right? Well, maybe not. New research shows that they might not be as green as we think.
Biodegradable products are designed to break down quickly and erode into the natural environment. 
However, a recent study from North Carolina State University’s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering have shown that they arent necessarily better for the environment.
Weve written before about how natural doesnt always mean better. Oils in natural perfumes can still cause reactions, organic produce isnt always healthier, and, now, biodegradable doesnt necessarily mean eco-friendly.
Biodegradable products release a potent greenhouse gas called methane as they break down. The team of researchers, including Morton Barlaz explored what happens when food waste, office paper, newsprint, municipal solid waste overall, and a biodegradable polymer called PHBO were buried in the average American landfill.
After analysis, their research showed that that materials with higher rates of decomposition, such as food waste, emitted more methane into the atmosphere than the other materials.
Since biodegradable products decompose faster, they release more methane.
To solve the problem, these products should be designed to decompose at a slower rate, with technology to remove the landfill methane more efficiently.
The study is available in full from the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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