composting FAQs
Our certified compostable products are non-toxic and made from plants, enabling them to break down completely in a commercial composting facility within 3-6 months and in a home composter within 12 months. In addition, through our partnership with LOMI, Repurpose LOMI Approved products will compose in a matter of days. Through Repurpose, you help contribute to creating nutrient-dense soil that helps future plants, and a circular economy, flourish.
Our compostable products are compostable in commercial composting facilities as well as in home composting environments, when labeled as ‘home compostable’. They are ASTM D6400 and D6868 Certified ensuring that they break down into natural elements so that they are not visually distinguishable within 90 days and leave no toxic residue behind. The majority of our products are also LOMI Approved and will break down in the LOMI within a matter of days.
Most people think these words are interchangeable, but there’s an important distinction to be made.
Biodegradable simply means that disintegration will occur, without specifying an amount of time or what the end material may be. Technically, any material is biodegradable overtime and depends on the environment. Companies often use the term “biodegradable” to mislead consumers. It is illegal in the state of California to label a product as biodegradable without being substantiated by third-party testing.
Compostable materials must degrade at a certain rate into a nutrient-rich substance to be qualified. We consider “compostable” to be a legitimate way to measure and represent a product’s end-of-life impact on the environment.
Our compostable products are certified as compostable, not just biodegradable.
We focus on packaging that is made from highly recyclable materials. Compostable products are well-designed for products that come in contact with food, such as our products themselves, but since our packaging will not be contaminated by food, recycling is a much more appropriate end-of-life option for our packaging.
The available packaging made from compostable materials does not perform well enough to ensure your products make it home clean and safe.
We are committed to continuing our work innovating cost-effective compostable packaging that’s up to our performance standards. We hope to make all our packaging compostable soon.
Our Marine Degradable PHA straws and waste bags are backyard compostable and achieve degradation within 12 months at an ambient temperature. Other products in our tableware are on track to be. In addition, through our partnership with LOMI, Repurpose LOMI Approved products will compose in a matter of days at home.
Contact your local waste management service to see if your city has a curbside composting program. Find more information on how to properly compost our products at the following links.
Industrial composting sites across the nation:
https://compostingcouncil.org/participants/
Independent businesses that specialize in compost pick-up:
https://compostnow.org/compost-services/
Find a composter near you: https://findacomposter.com/
When it is time to dispose of your product, we recommend they be sent to a commercial composting facility where curbside collection is available due to optimized breakdown conditions not typically found in one's home compost bin. If curbside collection is not available, we recommend home composting and use of the LOMI.
No, food-soiled items cannot be recycled, and that's why our products are best suited for composting.
We do understand that our products may end up in a landfill if composting is not available. The truth is, methane is a natural byproduct of microbial decomposition of any organic material in a landfill under anaerobic conditions. This is why we are proponents of the benefits of compostable tableware as a primary driver in food waste diversion from landfills. Simply put, compostable products are helping food waste be diverted from landfills to composting, avoiding the methane emission that would have been generated if the food waste was disposed of in a landfill.
Even if our products end up in a landfill, there are upstream benefits associated with our products which are made from renewable plant-based sources compared to virgin fossil-fuel derived plastics. Our products are totally non-toxic and leave no toxic residues or microplastics behind.
It is very important to dispose of any and all products in a responsible manner to make sure they do not reach waterways. However, our compostable Marine Degradable PHA straws are certified biodegradable in soil, freshwater, and marine environments, keeping our ocean friends safe.
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