The goal is not to put the word “compostable” on more products. The goal is to achieve a cleaner, contamination-free organics stream.
By Michelle Horneff-Cohen
Walk through almost any grocery store today and you will see products proudly labeled “compostable”. Compostable cups, compostable cutlery, compostable food containers, and compostable bags. For most consumers, that label sends the simple message: this product will break down naturally once I am finished with it. Unfortunately, that is not always what happens.
Over the past several years, I have spoken with property managers, haulers, composters, municipalities, and residents across the country. One theme repeatedly comes up—people genuinely want to do the right thing. They carefully separate their food scraps, buy products labeled “compostable,” and place these items into the organics bin believing they are helping the environment.
Yet (and sadly) many of these products never become compost. Instead, these products created to be composted may be rejected before they enter the composting process or are screened out as contamination during the process and then sent to landfill. Not because consumers made poor choices, but because the word compostable does not tell the whole story.
Compostable Does Not Mean “It Will Compost Anywhere”
One of the biggest misconceptions is that every compostable product behaves the same way. It does not. Some products are made entirely from molded fiber or paper. Others incorporate plant-based polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) or other bioplastics engineered to break down under tightly controlled industrial composting conditions. These materials are designed to decompose when exposed to sustained heat, moisture, oxygen, and microbial activity over a defined period, not necessarily in a backyard compost pile or in every municipal composting facility.
The label tells you what the product was designed to do. It does not tell you where it can be composted correctly or under what conditions it can be composted correctly, or how long it will take to become composted. That distinction matters. And it is because of these distinctions that these items created to be composted are getting screened out and sent to the landfill.
Commercial Composting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Industrial composting facilities are sophisticated operations. They carefully manage temperature, airflow, moisture, particle size, and processing time to create a stable, marketable compost product. However, no two facilities operate exactly alike. Some accept certified compostable service ware, while others do not.
Some facilities have equipment and processing times capable of handling certain certified compostable products. Others remove them because they resemble conventional plastics, interfere with processing, or do not break down within the facility’s operating timeframe. Even the U.S. EPA notes that certified commercially compostable food service ware should only be used where an appropriate commercial composting program exists and accepts those products. And consumers often assume a certified compostable label guarantees acceptance everywhere. It does not.
Why Some Programs Say “No”
One of the questions I hear most often is:“If it is compostable, why won’t my composting program accept it?” The answer usually has less to do with the product than with the realities of operating a composting facility.
Many compostable plastics look nearly identical to conventional plastics. Sorting equipment, and even employees often cannot reliably distinguish one from the other. To protect compost quality, many facilities remove both rather than risk contamination. Several California jurisdictions implementing SB 1383 openly advise residents not to place compostable plastic bags, cups, utensils, containers, or other service ware in the organics bin because their local facilities cannot process them successfully.
That is frustrating for consumers. But from an operational perspective, it makes sense. Compost facilities are ultimately judged by the quality of the compost they produce.
Infrastructure Must Lead Product Design
California’s SB 1383 has dramatically expanded organics collection while challenging jurisdictions to reduce contamination and increase participation in California. At the same time, SB 54 is reshaping how producers think about packaging, recyclability, and compostability. These policies are encouraging manufacturers, composters, municipalities, and regulators to work toward packaging that functions successfully within real-world recovery systems, not just in laboratory testing.
That shift is important. Too often, we ask infrastructure to adapt to products. Instead, products should be designed around the infrastructure that already exists, or the infrastructure we know communities can realistically build.
The Real Goal Is Not More “Compostable” Products
The goal is not to put the word “compostable” on more products. The goal is to achieve a cleaner, contamination-free organics stream. Higher participation. Less contamination = higher-quality compost.
Those outcomes happen when products, collection programs, processing facilities, and consumer education all work together. No single label can accomplish that on its own.
Looking Ahead
As our industry continues to innovate, we will see tremendous progress in both product design and composting infrastructure. However, innovation must always be matched with practicality. Helping people do the right thing begins with giving them systems they can actually succeed in using.| WA
Michelle Horneff-Cohen is the Founder of Clean Composting Company and Creator of The Compost Collector®. With a passion for sustainable living and more than 25 years of experience in residential property management, Michelle saw, first-hand, the need to tackle inefficiencies in organic waste management. Driven by her vision for a cleaner, greener future, she leads the company in developing innovative, sustainable solutions that empower communities to compost with ease and confidence. For more information or bulk pricing options, contact Michelle at (415) 269-8803 or e-mail [email protected]. To order The Compost Collector®, visit .