The most important thing is to start from the most elementary, what does it mean if something is biodegradable?
Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other biological means. The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management, biomedicine and the environment and is now commonly associated with environmentally friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements.
Organic material can degrade aerobically with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen; and it reacts to certain environmental factors, such as sunlight and ambient humidity.
An important fact related to composting (which is not the same as biodegradability), is that for a product to migrate to compost, it must be processed in special facilities or fillers for that process.
At Penka, we make our products with materials that stimulate biodegradation, mainly agave fiber, which is a natural, abundant and sustainable element, besides giving a genuine and pleasant appearance.
Penka biodegradable agave straws are made of resin, agave fiber and additives that promote the biodegradation of the base resin. It complies with ASTM 6954, which ensures that the product biodegrades under aerobic conditions (in the presence of oxygen).
Biodegradation begins when the product is in the presence of suitable temperature and UV radiation.
At the end of the biodegradation process, the straw is converted into low molecular weight oligomeric molecules that can be consumed by microorganisms. Biodegradation waste does not affect the environment.
Regarding the degradation time, it is very relative, since as mentioned above, the material reacts to oxygen, temperature and humidity, and the degradation time will depend on these factors.
By: Eduardo Rivera
Picture: Volodymyr Hryshchenko /unsplash.com
