In today's world, the buzz around sustainability is louder than ever. As consumers, we strive to make eco-conscious choices, but navigating the sea of "green" terms plastered on products can feel like decoding a cryptic message.  How do we know if items are truly biodegradable, compostable, or eco-friendly, or are these just clever marketing ploys?

Biodegradable. Compostable. Eco-friendly. Plastic-free. These terms all sound very promising, but what do they really mean in practice? Biodegradable implies that a product can break down in a natural environment over time, leaving no trace, toxins, or other materials behind, but the devil is in the detail. Some materials labelled as biodegradable may still take decades to decompose (don’t get me started on ‘natural latex’ balloons), as well as leaving behind harmful residues. Most compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable products are compostable. Aaarggghhh!

Navigating the complexities of these terms has been a real education for me – literally! Before Party Without Plastic® launched, I’d started studying (and passed) the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) Sustainability Skills for Managers course. I’m now working towards the IEMA Foundation Certificate, and am a member of the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES). As a company, we’re in touch with the University of East Anglia to explore opportunities to collaborate in better understanding research areas such as bioplastics which I hope will inform our decision making on where we draw the line on materials we can accept or not.

I’ve learnt a lot on my journey so far, and am happy that we publish the list of acceptable and unacceptable materials contained in products on our marketplace. Like many others, however, as more research is undertaken, that list is inevitably going to change. So, how can we help consumers navigate the green maze, and give them confidence in knowing their purchases are genuinely helping the planet?

Clarity, transparency, and honesty are key. We can’t just slap a label on something and call it ‘compostable’ when without proper conditions (e.g. industrial facilities) the item doesn’t decompose, so it ends up in landfill. That would be misleading at best. The term "eco-friendly" is pretty vague – what exactly makes a product eco-friendly? Is it sustainably sourced materials, energy-efficient production, minimal carbon footprint or all of the above? Without clear standards, it's hard to tell.

So it’s up to us as businesses to be clear what our standards are, and what we mean by these green terms. We need to publicly share our definitions, and our ‘hard lines’ – this is the information that can help consumers make informed choices, which I believe will lead to impactful change, and is why we meticulously vet every product on the marketplace, ensuring they meet our own requirements which we then publish for anyone to see.

With plastic-free products, not all alternatives are created equal. Many bioplastics promoted as "eco-friendly” require industrial facilities to break down. Some won’t biodegrade at all. Until there is greater clarity on this, we’ve made the decision not to include products containing bioplastics on our marketplace. We’re not perfect, and don’t claim to be. We are where we are right now with the move away from plastics, and there are still some areas, particularly in relation to packaging for food related products which may still have plastic wrapping until a suitable alternative has been found. If for food hygiene, safety, or legislative reasons plastic has to be present, this will be stated in the description of the product so consumers can make an informed choice.

I’m committed to empowering consumers with knowledge, offering resources and guidance to navigate the complex world of sustainability. Through informative blogs, tips, and plastic alternatives, we're here to support the journey towards a greener lifestyle, starting with plastic-free celebrations.

I encourage everyone looking beyond the ‘green’ labels next time someone’s shopping for party supplies or everyday essentials. Choose brands that prioritise clarity, transparency, and honesty, and look for clear definitions of what they mean by 'compostable', 'biodegradable' or 'plastic-free'. I've seen plenty of 'plastic-free' labels on products that contain, for example, polyester – yet this is a synthetic fibre that contains plastic (as do nylon and acrylic by the way). When it comes to sustainability, every decision counts. I’d love to hear how you’re navigating the green maze and helping consumers make informed choices.  I hope we meet along the way!

If you’d like to read the Party Without Plastic® ‘green’ definitions, take a look here.