# Is biodegradable packaging better for the climate?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/biodegradable-packaging-carbon-footprint

Not always. Biodegradable material that breaks down in a landfill without air can release methane, a stronger greenhouse gas than CO2. The climate result depends on the material footprint and on where the pack actually ends up. Compare cradle-to-grave figures for the realistic disposal route, not the label.

## What decides it

- Material footprint per pack.
- Weight compared with the pack it replaces.
- Real disposal: landfill, compost, recycling or burning.

## A practical test

If the pack will mostly go to mixed waste or landfill, a lighter recyclable pack may be lower carbon.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads bills, fuel invoices and production records into dated, fingerprinted records, so the figure you send a buyer can be traced to its documents.

- [Packaging end of life](https://senseible.earth/answers/packaging-end-of-life-emissions-food-exporters)
- [Food waste routes](https://senseible.earth/answers/food-waste-landfill-vs-compost-vs-biogas-emissions)

Sources: [GHG Protocol standards, including the Product Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/standards), [2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/), [GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard)

Last reviewed 2026-10-23.