What is the difference between eco-friendly and biodegradable stickers?

The main difference between eco-friendly stickers and biodegradable stickers is the material they’re made from.

Unlike traditional plastic stickers, sustainable stickers don’t leave a lasting impact on the environment. Eco-friendly stickers are made from a bio-based plastic, while biodegradable stickers are made from wood-free paper.

Want to learn more? This article breaks it all down.

Eco-friendly vs. biodegradable stickers

Before we dive into the details, here’s a quick overview of the difference between eco-friendly and biodegradable materials to help you assess which one is right for you:

Eco-friendly stickers

Our eco-friendly stickers are made from sustainably sourced wood pulp — a renewable resource. The material is used to create eco-friendly white and clear stickers that look and feel like plastic, but are fully compostable.

We recently expanded our line to include metallic colors. These are made by applying a thin metalized film over the white eco-friendly base. The film is so thin that it doesn’t affect the sticker’s compostability.

Want to see them in action? Check out our full eco-friendly range.

Finally, we laminate the sticker with a biodegradable protective film, which helps shield your design from scratches and surface damage.

That said, we don’t recommend using these outdoors or in wet environments. Water exposure can weaken the adhesive and speed up decomposition.

If you’re branding a product range, we suggest using eco-friendly labels instead of individually cut stickers — labels are easier and faster to peel.

Biodegradable paper stickers

As the name suggests, biodegradable paper stickers are made of paper — not bio-plastic.

But this isn’t just ordinary paper. We use a natural blend of sugarcane, linen, and hemp fibers to produce a biodegradable, sustainable sticker.

Sugarcane is a by-product of sugar production and is reclaimed and turned into pulp. This process results in thicker, stronger stickers than standard recycled paper options.

The paper has a naturally matte texture and a premium, tactile feel. That’s why we don’t laminate biodegradable paper stickers — the raw finish looks and feels great. Learn more about what a biodegradable sticker is.

Because these are paper-based, we don’t recommend using them outdoors or in wet environments.

That said, they’re ideal for logos, branding, and even decorative uses indoors.

Are both types environmentally friendly?

Yes — both eco-friendly and biodegradable stickers are made from natural, compostable materials.

We use biodegradable adhesive and vegan, UV-cured inks on both options. That means you can place your used eco-friendly and biodegradable stickers into a food waste or compost bin, and they’ll break down within about 12 weeks.

Ready to try them out? Browse our range of sustainable stickers — all shipped in eco-friendly packaging.

Need more info before you decide? Visit our blog to learn about what makes a sticker recyclable, how plastic stickers work, and everything else you need to know about our environmentally conscious products.