Plastic Bags: Biodegradable vs. Compostable

by Breanne Durning

Ithaca, NY-Members of the Tompkins County Dog Park got a lesson in environmental science, when they learned that compost is not the same as biodegradable. Due to excessive dog waste from the frequent visitors, TCDP must safely discard of the once overflowing dog-waste bin according to NY state laws. BioBag, one of the major distributors of compost bags, has supplied the park with their GMO free corn waste bags.
Liz, a retiree of 10 years from the Ithaca’s public school system is a daily frequenter of the Dog Park and member of TCDP. She’s been here for over 20 years watching the park evolve. As more dog owners from surrounding towns visit the park, the state didn’t want those whom obtained a boat license for the marina to deal with “stinking dumpsters” said Liz. The TCDP group was now put in charge of not only running the whole do park, but now also to now supply the dog owners with a feasible dog waste solution.
To clear away confusion, it is important to define and differentiate the terms compost and biodegradable. According to the Federal Trade Commission Green Guide of 2010, the term biodegradable means that, “materials will break down and return to nature within a reasonably short time after customary disposal.” Compost, though similar, is defined as turning “degradable materials into useable compost-humus-like material that enriches the soil and returns nutrients back into the earth.”
Robert Lilienfeld, of the ULS Report, a website “helping people Use Less Stuff by conserving resources and reducing waste,” explains the final product of compost and biodegradable. “100 percent biodegradable means that complete breakdown into basic elements will occur, on the other hand, 100 percent compost is fuzzy, it doesn’t mean complete break down.” Explaining how some people have composts in their backyard where they can put in, “grass clippings, apple cores, egg shells,” the composter just needs to make sure there are many different types of things in the pile to ensure it stays in balance.
Lisa Nessan, a life-long activist-photographer and supporter of compostable products, clarifies the differences by stating, “all compostable products are by default biodegrable, not vice versa.” Nessan, who has been bring her Poodle, Daisy, to the Dog Park for almost two years now has seen the progression of compost in Ithaca’s Dog Park. She has many donations to TCDP for financial support in accessing compostable plastic bags for waste upkeep.
After many city council meetings, Recycling and Solid Waste Tompkins County allowed for soil testing to commence, to possibly instill a compost site within the Dog Park fences. TDCP was stuck with the bill of $1,800, to make sure the soil was useable. BioBag is the distributor of compost and biodegradable bags for the Ithaca Dog Park. Unofficial guardian of the canine park, Liz, explains the hefty recipe the group faces each month. “These BioBags are the only ones who sell these kinds of bags, so you could imagine the prices.” The BioBags were originally purchased at 6 cents per bag, but within a year, “they raised it to 9 cents, we go through about 6,000 bags a month.” TCDP spends roughly around $540 a month, just supplying the dog waste bags.
If TCDP failed to meet the city’s standards of disposing of dog waste properly, they would receive a heavy fine. Recently the US Federal Trade Commission been cracking down on businesses false ‘biodegradable’ and claims, fining several well-known companies. The Biodegradable Products Institute created a new logo in 1999 to ensure that consumers are buying products that are compostable. The label, containing a tree and leaf, can be found at the bottom of the BioBags distributed at the park.
For Ithaca’s Dog Park to remain open, TCDP must follow the enivornmental laws put in place by the city of Ithaca and the state of New York. The Dog Park, located in Alan Treman Marina Park, is right on the boarder of the city of Ithaca and the state of NY. The sections of the park belonging to the city of Ithaca are permitted to use black biodegradable plastic bags, provided by the park, each costing around 2 to 3 cents per bag. The state of NY requires that compost, not biodegradable bags be used, which is where TCDP faces the problem of being ‘green’ means spending more green.