"Biodegradable" is easy to print. It's a lot harder to prove. Here's how to tell a real claim from a hopeful one.

Quick answer: biodegradable means microbes break something down into natural substances in a reasonable time where it ends up. A real claim names its test and covers the whole product, film included.

What it means

Microorganisms break the material down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass. The real questions: how completely, how fast and under what conditions.

Almost anything breaks down eventually. Even a rock, given a few million years.

For detergent, the place that counts is a wastewater system.

What US rules expect

The FTC's Green Guides say an unqualified biodegradable claim needs competent and reliable scientific evidence that the entire product will completely break down and return to nature within a reasonably short time after customary disposal.^†

That's a higher bar than a lot of labels suggest.

How it's tested

Labs often use standard tests like the OECD 301 series for ready biodegradability.^† They measure how much breaks down in a set period, often 28 days, against a pass threshold.

• Ingredient tests aren't product tests. Ask whether the whole sheet was tested.
• Conditions matter. One test setting isn't every setting.

Red flags

1. Biodegradable with no detail. No test, no standard, no timeframe.
2. A biodegradable formula with an uncovered film. The film is part of the product.
3. Green words doing the work. Earth-friendly isn't a tested claim.
4. Fine print that narrows it to packaging only.

Ask any brand

• Which test standard did you use?
• Did you test the whole sheet, film included?
• What percentage broke down, in how many days?
• Can you share the report or a summary?

Where Just 7 stands

We're designing Just 7 to break down, with a starch-based pullulan film. We don't call it biodegradable yet. We're testing the finished sheet and will share the standard, results and what they mean.^†

FAQ

Are laundry sheets biodegradable? Some brands say so. Ask whether the claim covers the whole sheet and which test backs it.

Biodegradable vs compostable? Different claims. Compostable is about breaking down in composting conditions.

How long should it take? Standard ready biodegradability tests commonly run 28 days.^†

Is Just 7 biodegradable? That's our goal and we're testing it. Results come before the claim.