How Quickly Does Waxed Paper Break Down?

In response to increased global environmental awareness, many businesses are switching from polystyrene and plastic-based packaging to petroleum-based waxed paper products, largely due to their inherent biodegradable and compostable properties.

Biodegradability

• Paraffin waxes provide an adequate moisture barrier in paper packaging and because they are not synthetic polymers, they are naturally biodegradable.

  A study supported by the European Wax Federation demonstrated that waxed papers buried in a forest litter layer showed the same rate of breakdown as the leaf litter itself, with a half-life of about 2 months.

Composting

• A study conducted by McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, found that the paraffin wax used to coat paper will entirely decompose during the composting process. The wax contributes to a rise in temperature and extends the thermal period, which enhances the growth of pathogens that break down trash.

Time Frame

• TNO Laboratories, based in the Netherlands, determined that under normal exposure conditions, waxed paper breaks down more than 60 percent after 28 days and reaches near complete degradation after 84 days.