Why we print decomposition times on every box

Every greenerdots box carries a number: how long the material inside takes to return to the earth, and under what conditions.

We started doing this after reading too many packages that said "eco-friendly" and nothing else. "Biodegradable" is technically true of steel over a thousand years. The word without a timescale is marketing, not information.

So here is the format we settled on: material, timescale, conditions. A kraft straw says "paper, 2–6 weeks, soil or compost." A detergent sheet says "plant-based film, dissolves in seconds, any water temperature." A mailer says "cornstarch + PBAT, 180 days, EN 13432 composting conditions."

Three reasons you should demand this from every brand you buy from:

1. It invites verification. Numbers can be checked; adjectives cannot.
2. It changes behavior at disposal time. People who know a mailer is compostable actually compost it.
3. It keeps us honest. When our material changes, the box changes, and anyone can hold the old claim against the new stock.

Small print beats green logos. Ask for the number.