When you think of environmentally friendly, biodegradable products it might not be the first thing that pops up in your mind. But Orbeez are both! They are difficult to get rid of because they don’t degrade very fast, but once you get rid of them by flushing them down the toilet or adding them to landfills, they will break down naturally over time. The beads are made out of water and polyacrylate, meaning they are hydrophilic (they attract water), thus making it hard for bacteria in landfills to decompose these beads. On top of all this, they’re also non-toxic since they’re made from a safe polymer. Pretty cool right?

What are Orbeez?

Orbeez are small coloured balls that grow to about 5 times their original size when you add water. Orbeez are technically called Orbeez, Orbee-Tuff Orbs, by the company who makes them; PlayTek . Orbeez were first invented in Spain (October 23, 2004), under the name “Grow Orbs”. They were imported into the United States at around 2008 and first marketed by Moose Toys , but PlayTek now owns the rights to Orbeez.

These Orbee-tuff Orbs come in several different colors (red, blue, green, purple, pink) and since they’re made out of a wobbly material they sort of bounce around once you put them on a hard surface. Orbeez are used for many different purposes, some examples being Orbeez parties, Orbeez toys and Orbeez crafts. Orbeez have a very unique feel to them that makes them fun to play with. They’re squishy, bouncy and they grow!

Are Orbeez Made Up of Plastic?

Orbeez are made up of a soft polymer so yes, Orbeez contain some plastic material as well as water . The chemical formula for Orbeez is as follows: (C 3 H 4 O) n + n HO where “n” can be any number from 1-10. This means Orbeez consist mainly of polyacrylate and water (polyacrylate and water). Orbeez do NOT contain any toxic material, which is great because they can be reused and recycled. Orbeez are non-toxic, however they can get a bit messy so you might want to skip Orbeez parties with small children if your Orbeez aren’t contained in an area that’s easy to clean up after! Orbeez still may stain clothing even when they’re dry due to the color of them, but most stains will come out in the wash!

Are Orbeez Biodegradable?

Yes, Orbeez are biodegradable. However since Orbeez don’t break down easily it will take a long time for the beads to fully disintegrate. Orbeez are not eco-friendly right away, but they can be once you dispose of them properly by flushing them down the toilet or adding Orbeez to landfills. The beads will decompose at a normal rate once Orbeez are sent off to their final resting places! Orbeez are made out of water and polyacrylate which does contain plastic, however Orbeez are not petroleum-based so it is safe for our environment.

What happens if you break an Orbeez bead?

If you were silly enough to break your Orbeez beads don’t worry! Orbeez may grow into one big round ball if you break it in half, but that’s not much cause for concern. Orbeez are very soft and squishy if you were to step on Orbeez it wouldn’t be painful at all, Orbeez are pretty much harmless. If Orbeez get stuck in your hair just pull the Orbeez out carefully with some tweezers or Orbeez will come out themselves with a little time!

How to shrink Orbeez?

I’m sure most people would like to know how they could shrink their Orbeez since they might grow too big after adding water in an area where you don’t want them to grow big in (like your small hands). Well, I used vinegar in my experiment when shrinking Orbeez because vinegar makes Orbeez shrink when they’re placed into it. Orbeez take a little bit longer to grow when you add vinegar, but Orbeez take much less time to shrink in vinegar! Orbeez are much smaller when you put them into white distilled vinegar for about 30 minutes or so. If you don’t want Orbeez to turn out much smaller try adding more Orbeez when they’re in the vinegar because Orbeez won’t grow as big if there are already quite a few Orbeez in the container with them. Be careful not to touch Orbeez that have been placed in distilled white vinegar though since they will sting your fingers due to their acidic nature.

Are Orbeez environmentally friendly?

Yes, Orbeez are environmentally friendly to their non toxic chemical formula. Orbeez are a great toy to have fun with and play around in Orbeez parties with since Orbeez won’t harm you in any way. Orbeez might even help your hair since Orbeez have polyacrylate which helps condition hair when Orbeez are added into shampoo to re-moisturize dry damaged hair! Orbeez add softness, manageability and shine when Orbeez are added into shampoo so don’t pass up the opportunity if you see Orbeez in a store near you.

How long does it take for Orbeez to biodegrade?

Orbeez will biodegrade at a normal pace once they’re flushed down the drain or sent off to landfills. Orbeez take about 2-3 months to fully biodegrade in landfills Orbeez are not meant for human contact since Orbeez are quite dangerous if Orbeez get stuck in your hair or are ingested by children. Orbeez are meant for fun, but parental supervision is required when Orbeez are being played with!

Conclusion

Orbeez are biodegradable so Orbeez won’t break down into dangerous chemicals that cause pollution once Orbeez are flushed down the drain or sent off to landfills. Orbeez will shrink in vinegar, but Orbeez take more time to get bigger when you add water to them since vinegar makes Orbeez get smaller than they already were. Don’t forget Orbeez cushions at Orbeez parties if you don’t want the beads spilling all over your floor! Please refer to the images below in order to read in text format.