Landfill-biodegradable refers to materials, often plastics with special additives, designed to break down significantly faster within a landfill's oxygen-deprived environment compared to conventional plastic. These materials are consumed by bacteria, turning into biogas and nutrient-rich humus, and are engineered to avoid breaking into microplastics.

PlanetPromise bags biodegrade up to 90% faster than traditional soft plastics. The exact timing varies by landfill, depending on microbial activity. They break down well before a landfill’s typical 25–50 year lifespan, allowing the methane released to be captured and converted into renewable energy.

Compostable products need oxygen-rich composting conditions to break down. In landfills, where there is little to no oxygen, they often do not decompose and can sit for years just like regular plastic. Landfill-biodegradable products are designed to break down in low-oxygen landfill conditions, where most waste actually ends up.

Soft plastics are generally not curbside recyclable in the U.S., so check your local recycler’s website to confirm. However, you can still recycle them through dedicated soft-plastic drop-off centers, which you can find here.(https://nextrex.com/view/findadropoff)

Landfill-biodegradable plastics are designed to break down through microbial activity into natural elements like water, CO₂, and biomass. Unlike traditional plastic, they are made to fully decompose rather than fragment into long-lasting microplastics in landfill conditions.