May 30, 2008 - Best of all, biodegradable implies that the customer is off the hook. Few product labels make it clear that many "biodegradable" products will biodegrade only if a person is willing and able to take other steps. At a Federal Trade Commission workshop on "green" product claims in April, The Biodegradable Products Institute, a not-for-profit that promotes composting, reported that biodegradable claims are on the rise, and for good reason.