Why Compostable Packaging Isn’t a Silver Bullet Solution

By Suz Okie and Sydney Harris

 

On a trip to your local haunt, you may have noticed a rising trend: a growing number of coffee shops, cafés, and food establishments across Maine — and indeed across the country — are distributing compostable cups, straws, and containers. 

With concerns escalating over single-use plastics and the limitations of our recycling system, it’s no wonder that businesses large and small are looking for more eco-friendly alternatives. After all, packaging and plastic waste have become a ubiquitous and unwelcome part of our modern lifestyle. 

We now know that less than 9% of plastic waste has ever been recycled, compared to the 91% that ends up incinerated, in landfills, or in the environment. And as plastic production grows exponentially, recycling rates in the United States are dropping, rather than rising to meet the challenge.

The sad truth is that even if we could recycle 100% of our waste, it would not be the climate solution we so desperately want and need. Recycling is costly and energy intensive. Even if run flawlessly across the nation — a likely unattainable aspiration —  our recycling system could only reduce packaging sector emissions by 31%. That’s a far cry from the 90% reduction needed in that sector to live within our planetary boundaries, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  

With this knowledge, compostable packaging appears to be a cleaner, greener choice than the average single-use plastic. But while compostables have an important role to fill, they are not a silver bullet solution to the single-use waste crisis. They are, after all, a single-use option themselves. Here’s why the growing push for these products isn’t the environmental fix we need: 

1. Compostables Are Rarely Composted

The first major challenge is that compostables are rarely composted at all. 

Without federal regulations in place, packaging producers can freely label their products as  “bioplastic,” “biodegradable” or “compostable” whether or not they can degrade. To combat this, a growing movement of certifiers — including BPI, CMA and OK Compost — are reviewing and certifying truly compostable containers. But often these labels only verify that compostables will break down in the high heat or unique conditions of industrial composting facilities. 

Compostable packaging is very rarely compostable in your backyard, which is why access to composting services is essential for compostables to work. Unfortunately, a vast majority of Americans do not have access to these services: just 12% of households in the U.S. have municipally supported composting, and only a fraction of composters accept any form of compostable packaging for fear of contamination (see point 2).

More often than not, the compostables procured by our well-intentioned coffee shops are being sorted out of our recycling and composting streams and ending up in our landfills.  

2. Compostables Have a Bigger Environmental Footprint Than You Think

There’s a common misconception that a compostable item — even if it ends up in a landfill — is better than most single-use alternatives. “At least they’re breaking down,” we think. Unfortunately, compostables rarely degrade in a landfill setting because a landfill doesn’t emulate the conditions of an industrial compost facility. In the rare case they do break down, compostables can release methane — a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO2. 

Beyond this, manufacturing compostables often comes at a greater environmental cost than the average single-use item. Consider that compostable food serviceware was found to have significantly increased impacts across every environmental metric, from water consumption to ozone depletion to global warming, when compared to non-compostable alternatives.

Why is that, you might ask? The agricultural processes involved in growing the raw feedstock materials for compostables, like corn or sugarcane, require significant water, energy, and fertilizers. This can contribute to higher carbon emissions and environmental degradation, all while placing additional strains on an already stressed food system. If the U.S. were to shift all single-use items to compostables, it would likely require large-scale monoculture farming — further exacerbating issues of soil depletion, pesticide use, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. 

Last but certainly not least, many compostable products are treated with toxic chemicals like PFAS for durability and water resistance. This highly persistent group of chemicals — also known as “forever chemicals”— can leach into the environment and water supplies, posing long-term health risks to humans and wildlife. 

As previously mentioned, many composting facilities refuse compostable packages altogether for this and many other reasons. . 

3. Compostables Are More Expensive

Compostable packaging is often significantly more expensive than its traditional single-use or plastic counterparts. The financial burden of this higher expense falls disproportionately on small businesses and their consumers. 

While large corporations may be able to absorb the higher costs of compostable materials, many small businesses find that these products don’t just cost more — they also present logistical and financial challenges. “Compostable packaging creates a number of issues with regard to space in our bins as well as in the collection vehicle, which in turn can drive up the cost of a program” shared Greg Williams, Director of Organics at Agri-Cycle, a food waste collection service and composter in South Portland. Without an effective composting infrastructure in place, businesses are left to foot the bill for packaging that ultimately ends up in the landfill. 

It’s important to note that in some cases, compostable packaging does make sense. For example, certified compostable food ware can increase food scrap collection and reduce recycling contamination — particularly when composting infrastructure is available. But for many households and small businesses, it’s a costly and ineffective solution. As Will Pratt, owner of Tandem Coffee Roasters in Portland, shared, “[Compostables] give a business the feeling that they are making a difference when in actuality they might not be. Single use is single use.” 

One thing is clear: compostable packaging isn’t a reliable or universal fix to our waste crisis. 

The Real Solution: Reuse

If we’re serious about addressing the environmental impact of single-use packaging, we need to focus on a solution that really works: reuse.

Studies show that reusable packaging could reduce emissions from single-use plastics by as much as 69% — far more than compostables or recycling can achieve. And if we reused just 10% of plastic products across the globe, we could prevent 50% of ocean plastic pollution.  In fact, reusable food serviceware can beat single-use alternatives — including compostables — on every environmental measure.  

Reuse systems like reusable and refillable containers and cups offer the best path forward for reducing waste and cutting emissions. This is a solution that can make a real difference for the environment.

Across the world, cities and companies are beginning to implement reusable packaging systems with promising results. In Europe, for instance, reusable packaging models are gaining traction and proving to be effective in reducing waste. If we prioritize reuse, we can achieve significant reductions in waste and emissions while building more resilient local economies with greener, cleaner jobs. 

What You Can Do

The good news is that as a consumer, you have the power to drive change. Start by bringing your own cup to the coffee shop — it’s a simple, effective way to reduce waste at its source. If your local café still uses compostables, check if they’re certified by BPI, CMA or OK Compost. Better yet, ask your café to provide reusable containers on-site and to encourage customers like you to bring in their own cups and containers for take-out! 

Reuse Maine — a volunteer coalition advocating for reuse in the Pine Tree State —  is calling on cafés and businesses to display its “BYO encouraged” sticker as a signal to customers that they’re welcome to bring their own cup or container. You can request stickers and distribute them to your local cafés to help spread the word. (FYI: Maine’s food code already allows for this, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.)

Other steps you can take are supporting businesses with reuse systems in place and advocating for policies that encourage the same. Reuse Maine’s longer-term vision is for all dine-in and take-out foodware in Maine to be served in returnable, reusable containers. As the customer, you’d simply bring them back to any participating restaurant, hand them to your next delivery driver, pop them into a return kiosk while you’re out and about, or even return them alongside your empty recyclables. (Reach out or get involved with Reuse Maine to learn more about their vision for Maine’s reuse economy!) 

It’s time to move beyond the compostable packaging trend and focus on sustainable, long-term solutions. Reuse is the future, and we’re looking forward.