Our reusable ponchos are not biodegradable or compostable. Believe it or not, designing ponchos this way is actually better for the environment and our customers. Ponchos that are biodegradable or compostable typically have shorter shelf lives and wouldn't be effective for reuse. In fact, it could even increase the number of ponchos that end up in a landfill.
Compostable plastics are typically not recyclable and can cause problems at recycling plants, damaging machinery and contaminating entire batches of otherwise recyclable plastic that then ends up in landfills [source].
In the United States, there is limited composting infrastructure, which means that if we'd designed our ponchos to be compostable (and not recyclable), they would most likely end up in landfills when their useful lives came to an end. Landfills are oxygen-deprived environments. Without oxygen, a compostable plastic would break down and turn into methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. When our ponchos are done being used, we wanted them to turn into something new, rather than climate-damaging methane gas.
Bioplastics are typically either compostable or recyclable. As part of our sustainability commitments, we are looking to implement innovative methods to make the ponchos both compostable and recyclable. To start, we have optimized the ponchos' features to be fully recyclable and to create the most sustainable life cycle.
