How to Have a Biodegradable House

The best way to think about the definition of biodegradable is "comes from the Earth, returns to the earth." Most biodegradable products are made from plants, have non-toxic ingredients and break down into soil and water after disposal.

In many cases, composting plant products can speed the process of biodegradation. Either throw all the plant stuff in a big pile or turning barrel to make hot compost, or keep a compost worm farm and feed your plant matter to the red wriggler worms.

When we think about biodegradable products, we typically focus on laundry detergents or other products with potentially toxic mainstream options, but a growing array of biodegradable alternatives. However, your walls and furniture can also be biodegradable.

Here are some potentially surprising products that are biodegradable and, in many cases, compostable. These products are all green from creation to demolition. Most are strong and durable products made with renewable, fast-growing materials rather than metals, petroleum-based plastics and other non-sustainable materials. Even so, let's face it, almost everything we buy eventually gets tossed out. It's comforting to know that none of these products will sit in a landfill for centuries.

Building structures

The new trend in green construction is biocomposite materials - made with plant fibers mixed with natural binders. Making building materials biodegradable can reduce 40 percent of landfill space, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And you don't have to live in a straw hut to have a sustainable home.

Starting from the top, roofing companies make shingles and roofing panels from wheat- and bamboo-based biocomposites. The newest products are as durable as traditional asphalt shingles without the nasty chemicals or long-term consequences. Don't worry that wheat shingles will start to biodegrade on your roof and turn into soggy bread. They only break down under pressure in the hot, wet darkness of a compost pile or landfill.

For the foundation and walls of the house, there is hemp concrete. The hemp-lime (the building compound, not the fruit) biocomposite breaks down and recycles into a rich fertilizer to grow more hemp and start the whole process again.

Furniture

There is also plenty of biodegradable furniture. If you have ever seen a cross-section of a mattress or box spring, you know most are full of chemical-heavy fabrics, foams and metal springs. However, there are alternatives. Essentia, Flobeds and some other companies are offering natural latex and organic cotton mattresses that rapidly decompose and are compostable.

Of course, you might look at a wooden chair and think most furniture is biodegradable, but some pieces are more eco-friendly than others. Newer styles are made of recycled paper and other sustainable materials, meaning no old-growth hardwood trees and quicker decomposition.

Even if you go green and biodegradable with your laundry detergent and household cleaners, think big when you think biodegradable - as big as furniture or a roof.