According to the FTC Green Guidelines, the only thing that can be considered biodegradable is a material that disintegrates fully in nature by way of bacteria or other natural organisms within one year - like a banana peel.
Therefore, no our products aren't considered 100% biodegradable, but the portion of bamboo will biodegrade in 2-3 years. The remainder will decompose at a slower rate. If the product can't be repurposed (as a small pencil or plant pot for instance) you should crush it up and put it in the regular trash where it will start the decomposition process.
However, we think it's important to look at the product's complete lifecycle - what occurs before, during, and after production. Our products are made with about 50% raw bamboo waste that we collect from local chopstick factories - a green, responsibly sourced waste product.
Bamboo is a highly renewable natural resource that doesn't require any fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides to thrive. Also, the techniques used for manufacturing our product consume little water and energy. Our products are made by thermopression (or heat); our machines are operated manually, then each product hand polished and packed.
Finally, the A5 food-safe binding resin makes our products durable, reusable, and dishwasher safe; they are a real alternative to traditional plastic and single-use products.