Recycling 101: Compostable packaging - common questions and misconceptions

Compostable packaging is confusing - its quick adaption and rise in popularity introduced even more jargon into the complex waste lexicon, and it's a topic that requires great nuance.

In today's article, we will break down some common misconceptions and questions about compostable packaging. Throughout all of this, it's important to acknowledge two things:

1. The onus is on manufacturers to ensure they are communicating, certifying and labelling their packaging to support the correct end-of-life processing.
2. Reuse is always better, KeepCup’s life cycle assessment against multiple varieties of single-use coffee cup options demonstrates that using a reusable container or sitting in to eat or drink is the best way to go where possible.

What is Compostable Packaging?

Compostable packaging is packaging that is made from natural materials as an alternative to oil-based plastics. The natural materials vary; commonly, you’ll find wood pulp, potato starch, bamboo or bagasse (a by-product of sugarcane).

Compostable packaging can come in a variety of different textures, colours and styles, which can make discerning what materials you’re holding even more difficult.

Common Questions & Misconceptions

Compostable packaging will not compost anywhere

If you drop a compostable coffee cup in the dirt in the woods, will it break down? What about a landfill?

Compostable packaging requires specific conditions to break down, a balance of temperature, humidity, airflow and micro-organisms. Most compostable products on the market need to be sent to a commercial composting facility to break down correctly. This is one of the greatest misconceptions about compostable packaging for consumers.

Below is an image of a commercial composting facility, there are many different models. At the site below, the machine is going up and down the rows of compost and turning it to ensure it has sufficient air to break down the materials while mixing the compost to break down evenly. In a landfill, it will be smothered by other waste and not have the required environment to break down correctly.

How do you know if something can be composted?

Australian certifications separate packaging into two categories - commercial and home, each with its own strict technical requirements about the amount of time a product needs to break down, and what size it needs to break down to.

Below are the two certification logos that should be present on any certified compostable packaging. Read in more detail here. New Zealand doesn't have official certifications at the moment however, Australian standards are widely accepted.

All compostable packaging is the same

There is an extensive range of compostable packaging solutions that vary in materials, rigidity, texture and application, which add to the confusion for consumers to understand end-of-life solutions.

Compostable packaging is the same as biodegradable packaging

For consumers, the difference between biodegradable and compostable isn’t particularly useful. Biodegradable as a term is largely unregulated, and because it doesn’t require a certification, it can be used to mislead consumers on the sustainability of a product or material.

Compostable packaging is a subset of biodegradable packaging (meaning all compostable packaging is biodegradable, but not all biodegradable packaging is compostable).

• Biodegradable simply means a material is capable of being degraded
• Compostable means that the material can break down into natural elements that aren’t toxic

The ultimate goal when looking at these terms is whether they have a reliable certification.

Composting infrastructure is widely available

As Australia works towards the goal of halving the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030 as a part of the action plan composting capacity is increasing and is available in most major centres.

However, compostable packaging is often not included in the collection due to many reasons, to name a few:

• Contamination: Inconsistency in labelling, certifications and the resulting consumer confusion would mean the organics stream would be contaminated by non-compostable materials that would be difficult to separate
• Incomplete Breakdown: With inconsistencies in materials and construction, not all compostable packaging is breaking down in the timeframe needed, this can lead to packaging fragments remaining in the soil we put back into the environment
• Better Output: Organics composting has the benefit of turning food waste into nutritious soil and fertilisers that can be used to return nutrients to the soil. Compostable packaging can reduce the quality of the resulting soil in large quantities and may restrict the composter from achieving certifications such as the bio-grow certification.

Compostable packaging is recyclable

As we mentioned, compostable packaging can be made from numerous materials, many of which look like paper or card. We find the graphic below from the Ministry for the Environment in New Zealand helpful to understand. So even if it looks like plastic or cardboard only put it in the recycling bin if the container is labelled as being made of paper, #1,2 or 5 plastic (learn more about plastic codes here) or is labelled as recyclable with the Australian Recycling Label and remember for something to be recyclable it needs to be free of food remnants.