Compostable Claims on Bags and Packaging

The Green Guides summary says marketers who claim a product is compostable need competent and reliable scientific evidence that all materials in the product or package will break down into, or become part of, usable compost safely and in about the same time as the materials with which it is composted.

What the source says

• The marketer needs competent and reliable scientific evidence that all materials will break down into usable compost safely and in about the same time as the other materials.
• The claim should be qualified if the product cannot be composted safely or in a timely way at home.
• A claim that a product can be composted in a municipal or institutional facility should be qualified if such facilities are not available to a substantial majority of consumers.

What this means when you shop

1. Look for the words home or industrial.
2. Check whether you have a facility.
3. Check that all parts, such as tapes and labels, are covered.
4. If in doubt, ask the seller or your local service.

Why it matters

A compostable wrapper is useful only if it ends up where it can compost. A claim without conditions can lead to the wrong bin.

A practical habit

Keep compostable items out of recycling and out of general waste if your area has a collection for them. If it does not, ask the seller what disposal they expect. A compostable cover that ends up in the wrong bin can cause problems, and a label that does not name a disposal route leaves the choice to you.

A final point: do not put a compostable item into recycling bins, since it can contaminate a batch. If you are unsure, the safest course is to ask your local waste service how they treat it.

Where this answer stops

The summary is about claims, and it does not describe what happens to a material in a particular composting system. This is not legal advice.