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An informal, uncertified leaf or sprout-style icon marketing a product as biodegradable — unlike the certified Seedling logo, with no fixed graphic or independent standard behind it.
Also known as: Biodegradable claim symbol, Biodegradable logo
A self-declared, unregulated marketing claim meaning only that a material will eventually break down biologically, with no specified timeframe or end-state guarantee — commonly and consequentially confused with the certified 'compostable' claim.
An unregulated marketing term meaning a material will eventually break down through biological processes, with no specified timeframe (potentially months to years) and no defined end-state guarantee — unlike 'compostable', which under EN 13432/ASTM D6400 specifies breakdown within a defined window into non-toxic biomass, water and CO2, verified by third-party certification.
No independent certifying body or standard governs the specific graphic used for 'biodegradable' claims, unlike the certified Seedling logo — regulators and industry bodies have raised greenwashing concerns about uncertified use of the term.
Contexts: Packaging
A green leaf, sprout or globe icon, sometimes combined with arrows resembling the recycling loop — no single fixed design.
Biodegradable says a material eventually breaks down somewhere; compostable states the conditions and the timescale.
Both belong to the Packaging, recycling and disposal symbols system.