Have you ever thought about how long it will actually take for the BB to completely decompose?
What if we told you that the BB you once shot may still be around even hundreds of years later?
For a couple of decades there has been a wide market of airsoft BB's that are made of a plastic formula called PLA and marketed as "biodegradable", indicating that when these BB's are shot to the nature, they will decompose and disappear.
Another story is how long this process actually takes in the nature. There isn't accurate data on this as PLA BB's - and airsoft in general - was invented just a few decades ago and thus we haven't been able to monitor what would happen to a PLA BB after being for example hundred years in the soil. Regardless, based on what we know about plastics and PLA in general, we have a good reason to assume that the BB isn't decomposed even after hundred years.
Then how can be PLA BB's be marketed as biodegradable?
Many of the "biodegradable BB" brands say they fulfill a standard that tells they are biodegradable. Often the referred standard is ISO-14855. The reason for the controversy is that ISO-14855 standard is based on the definition that a product with this standard decomposes in industrial composing, which means a temperature of 58°C* (±2) degrees. This means that there's no guarantee the PLA-based airsoft BB would decompose when shot outdoors as the temperature it faces there is far from the temperature of industrial composting. The biodegradation standards aren't exactly created for stuff that is meant to be left to the soil.
What does decomposition actually mean?
It is also important to note that the process of the BB breaking down in one way or another isn't necessarily decomposing. The BB might break down into smaller pieces, but this is mostly caused by erosion, which means the BB is exposed to physical damaging caused by for example rocks or water. When the BB breaks down but doesn't decompose, it becomes microplastics - small plastic particles that can cause damage in many ways in the ecosystem.
Decomposition, instead, means that the material breaks down into matter that has a simpler form. After decomposing the material has turned into for example water, carbon dioxide, sugars and minerals.
As awareness of the vulnerability of our planet has risen, the airsoft community should also consider the eco-friendliness of playing airsoft in the light of these aspects of PLA.
What's so revolutional about TerraBB?
TerraBB is a new generation airsoft BB that actually decomposes in natural circumstances. The key to this revolutional change is its formula. As a result of exposure to outdoor conditions, TerraBB degrades to the soil in a few months depending on the temperature, humidity and amount of microbes.
TerraBB consists of lime and minerals that are bound together by polymers that break down in outdoor temperatures. The polymers, i.e. the "glue" that holds the BB together, breaks down into water, carbon dioxide and minerals that exist naturally in the soil.
A nature-friendly high precision BB
Airsoft is often played outdoors. This also creates a responsibility to protect the nature from the effects of playing. TerraBB is a revolutional airsoft BB that actually decomposes in the nature, honouring the nature's original materials and processes. Simultaneously it offers an excellent playing experience: it is a high precision airsoft BB with a super smooth surface thanks to high quality coating. The material won't shatter from hits which makes it safe to use. Our quality control is very strict with a tolerance of +- 0,01mm.
It is self-deception to see airsoft as an eco-friendly hobby as long as we claim that traditional bio-BB's degrade in the soil in a reasonable amount of time. With TerraBB we can set a new standard of biodegradability and create the sustainable future of airsoft.
*58°C = 136,4°F