With growing awareness of the harmful impacts of plastics, more and more manufacturers are going green and producing innovative, eco-friendly biodegradable alternative products, such as biodegradable tote bags and phone cases. But before we look at their benefits, we need to understand exactly what they are.
What Are Biodegradable Products?
Biodegradable products are items which can be broken down into organic matter (by bacteria, fungi or microbes), to be reabsorbed by the surrounding environment without causing any ecological harm.
So, now we have an understanding of what they are, let’s look at their benefits:
Benefits of Using Biodegradable Products
The benefits of using biological products are:
- They reduce waste
- They are safer to use
- They are much better for the environment
- They can have a positive impact on your brand image
1. They Reduce Waste
First and foremost, biodegradable products help reduce waste in our landfill and ultimately, oceans. Instead of being placed in landfills, these biodegradable products can be placed in compost heaps, which can then be used as fertiliser. With less wastage taking up space in landfills, there is less overall waste to manage and less waste sitting in our oceans.
Some biodegradable products can also be repurposed and given a second life. For example, old biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes can be used as firewood, plant tags or even for cleaning dirty shoes. Old tote bags can be used in a plant nursery or used as gift bags for presents. Compare this to some non-biodegradable products (for example, plastic bags) which are not safe for reusing as some materials can leak toxic, dangerous chemicals after the first use.
Whatever you choose to do with your biodegradable products after use, whether it be straight to compost or repurposing for something else, you will be helping to reduce waste across the globe.
2. They Are Safer to Use
As biodegradable products are made from natural materials, such as biodegradable bags (cotton) and biodegradable phone cases (bamboo), they are much safer to use than their plastic alternatives.
This is because traditional plastics are made with harmful by-products and chemicals which are a threat to both the user and the environment. They are likely to emit these harmful substances during the breakdown process. But this is not a case with biodegradable plastic, as they don’t release toxins during their breakdown process. They are absorbed by the soil.
What’s more, studies have found that too much exposure to BPA (a chemical compound found in plastic) can lead to issues such as possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children.
3. They Are Much Better for the Environment
As biodegradable products eventually decompose and get consumed by soil and other natural components, this natural process means no forced chemical reaction needs to take place and less environmental damage will happen as a result.
Given that they take a lot less time to decompose than traditional plastics, they are easy to recycle, without releasing toxic elements.
4. They Can Have a Positive Impact on Your Brand Image
Last but not least, if your business is using biodegradable products, it can have a major positive impact on your brand image. Major businesses such as Coca-Cola are choosing eco-friendlier options and using bioplastic products due to its sustainable reputation.
Our 100% Biodegradable Products
Biodegradable Phone Cases
Made from premium quality PLA plant polymer and bamboo fibres, our phone cases are lightweight, slim and natural biodegrade 160 days after disposal. They also support wireless charging for hassle-free battery charging on the go.
Shop our full case collection here, available for both iPhone and Samsung devices
Learn everything you need to know about biodegradable phone cases in our recent blog.
Biodegradable Tote Bags
Our premium, biodegradable and sustainable canvas tote bags are 100% recyclable and can hold up to at least 30kg. In fact, our recent research (via TikTok) has shown that our biodegradable totes can hold six bottles of wine, ten large bricks, a whole bag of sand, 35kg of gym weights and a 79kg man!
Although they are incredibly strong and durable, our totes are lightweight due to their canvas construction - a plain-woven fabric made from cotton.
With hundreds of funny designs to choose from, we really have a tote for everyone. Some of our most popular totes include:
'BOYS WON'T BE BOYS' Tote Bag
'Boys won't be Boys' is raising awareness to stop sexual harassment and raising money for Women's Aid: a charity with a mission to end domestic violence towards women and children.
'Self Love' Tote Bag
Designed by Linnea Sterte, the 'Self Love' tote bag is a reminder to keep it cool and love yourself. Have a bath, drink some tea, stretch your legs.
‘Sad Cow’ Tote Bag
Designed by Kaja Pilip, the ‘Sad Cow’ tote portrays a cow in a party hat riding a unicycle that sometimes wishes it was dead, allowing you to express your oxymoronic nihilistic yet hopeful tendencies.
Shop our complete collection of biodegradable tote bags and phone cases here.
We are Tom's Totes. Our mission is to make plastic bags and phone cases completely out of fashion, and to make sustainable lifestyle choices stylish. Support independent artists and join our mission to ditch plastic with our collection of biodegradable tote bags, prints and paint kits online.
For more top tote tips and news, check out our blog page.