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Compostable Packaging Collaborative

Sharing knowledge and best practices on labeling and composting infrastructure for compostable packaging, including both fiber products and compostable bioplastics.

SPC Team Lead
Olga Kachook, Director of Innovation
Co-Chairs
Eric Klingenberg, Mars
Shannon Pinc, Natureworks
Renaud des Rosiers, Amy's Kitchen


This Collaborative’s mission is to identify best practices for compostable packaging design and labeling, as well as to understand and support the composting industry, in order to catalyze the growth of compostable packaging. We do this through:

  • Educating Collaborative members on the challenges and opportunities for compostable packaging design, labeling, supply, and collection through presentations from members as well as outside presenters from across the composting value chain.
  • Providing resources to empower members to better understand the compostable packaging collection and consumer education landscape, including maps of composting infrastructure and food waste legislation resources.
  • Supporting the development of future SPC compostable packaging work products, such as a best practices guide for brands and converters, by providing feedback as requested by the CPC chair and co-chairs, to inform the final deliverable.
On monthly calls we discuss industry updates, research, and reports; hear about trends and solutions with guest speakers from the composting and legislative arenas; and share ideas for new approaches to labeling and designing compostable packaging. 

Understanding Compostable Packaging

Compostable packaging is receiving significant attention from brands and retailers. Though composting infrastructure is not yet widespread across the U.S., interest in this recovery pathway is growing rapidly. As more communities look to divert food scraps (currently at least 15% of the waste stream) out of the landfill, composting will be a big part of their materials management strategy. At the same time, cities across the U.S. are beginning to require compostable packaging for foodservice vendors, and retailers, quick service chains, and even airlines are jumping on board.

It’s not just food service that’s turning to compostable packaging. In response to recycling challenges, CPGs are also starting to include compostable packaging as part of their packaging sustainability goals. Unilever, Danone, and PepsiCo have all included compostable packaging as a strategy for tackling currently unrecoverable packaging waste. 

What is the value of compostable packaging, and why do we need it as part of a suite of solutions that improve the sustainability of packaging? Compostable packaging is critical for:

The first step to designing compostable packaging is to understand whether it is the right fit for your packaging application. Compostable packaging should not be a blanket solution for all packaging. Rather, it should be used in applications where it helps divert food waste out of landfills and into compost bins, reduce food scrap contamination of recyclable materials, or replace non-recyclable packaging.

Consumer Perceptions of Compostability 

Increasingly, consumers report a strong preference for packaging to be compostable. Three recent studies help illuminate how compostable packaging is perceived by consumers. 
A survey of European consumers found that 32% of consumers believe this type of packaging is the least damaging for the environment, and 50% of consumers would buy a product for its compostable packaging. (Amcor

In the UK, 85 percent of surveyed consumers believe that food packaging should be compostable, with two thirds of those asked agreeing that the food industry should lead the move towards compostable packaging. (resource.co

In the US, 60% of surveyed consumers called compostable packaging “extremely or very eco-friendly” (EcoFocus), and 71% of Millenials feel positive towards companies that only use packaging that is compostable (Evergreen Packaging).  

Produce Stickers and Labels

Plastic stickers are used on a variety of produce to carry price look-up, or PLU, codes. The International Federation for Produce Standards has assigned over 1,400 codes since 1990. While these stickers are typically made out of traditional non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic, more brands and retailers are exploring compostable alternatives (see Case studies).

A big problem at composting facilities

By some measures, produce stickers are part of the “big three” of contaminants at composting facilities, resisting identification and/or removal and showing up in finished compost. According to European Environment Agency briefing documents, replacing conventional plastics with certified compostable plastics for items that are often mixed with, or attached to, food waste can help reduce contamination with conventional plastics, and produce stickers are a key solution.

Compostable alternatives

Compostable produce stickers are not yet widely available. However, several manufacturers have market-ready compostable produce stickers or sticker components:

Case studies

A handful of retailers and growers have explored using compostable stickers, primarily in New Zealand, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Legislation - proposed and passed

Legislation that attempts to address plastic produce stickers is on the horizon - see the locations with proposed and passed legislation below:

Learn more

Resources

Compostables 101 Infographics
The SPC has developed graphics that define and illustrate the key concepts of compostable packaging and composting. These graphics can help companies share foundational information with customers, supply chain partners, and stakeholders such as composter, municipalities, and institutions.

Ensuring the Success of Compostable Packaging
The goal of this document is to organize the barriers facing compostable packaging and the solutions needed, as well as to outline the organizations working to address and ultimately overcome these barriers. In highlighting what additional efforts are needed and how companies can get involved, this document aims to spur further investment, research, and collaboration. It seeks to ensure that compostable packaging can be used effectively by brands, foodservice companies, and other stakeholders.

View the PDF

Recordings from Past Collaborative Meetings
SPC members can log in to review presentations from past collaborative meetings.

Log in to Review Past Collaborative Presentations
Log in to Review Additional Slides

Understanding the Role of Compostable Packaging in North America
This guide aims to provide a framework for understanding the best role for compostable packaging in a sustainable packaging strategy. It offers considerations for appropriate use cases, insights into composting infrastructure and municipal collection programs, and perspectives on composter and consumer engagement. It clarifies the recovery ecosystem surrounding compostable packaging today, for the benefit of brands, retailers, municipalities, consumers, and other stakeholders.

View the Guide

BPI's Guidelines For The Labeling And Identification Of Compostable Products And Packaging
The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) published new identification guidelines in 2020, making it "easy for consumers, composters and others to identify compostable products and packaging, with the goals of reducing contamination, facilitating food scrap composting programs, and decreasing landfill methane production."

Download BPI's Guide

Composting Facilities Map
The Compostable Packaging Collaborative brings together members from across the value chain to discuss issues, share resources, and identify best practices.

Map of composting facilities in the united states

GreenBlue has developed several interactive maps and charts of composting infrastructure and supportive legislation in the United States, available on Tableau Public: 

These maps seek to provide insight into basic questions such as where composting facilities are located in the United States and how many accept compostable packaging. Additionally, the maps display where state and local legislation has banned the disposal of food waste to landfills. Legislation that bans food waste from landfills often spurs the expansion of composting infrastructure, since composting is identified as one of several alternative pathways for food waste.

Composting access maps show composting facility locations overlaid on the United States by state and urban populations, with more densely populated areas in darker blue. Information on state and urban populations might be used to calculate residential access to composting programs. It can also be used to identify high-population cities that do not currently have sufficient access to composting infrastructure, and are therefore unable to compost food waste or compostable packaging.

Food Waste Legislation Map
The map shows state and municipal-level food waste legislation in the United States. This map can be used to identify which states and municipalities are requiring composting in order to divert food waste from landfill.

Essentials of Compostable Packaging
The Essentials of Compostable Packaging is an immersive foundational course that explores the basics of composting, the current state of composting infrastructure, residential and commercial access, as well as best practices for compostable packaging design, labeling, testing, and certification. 

Access to this on-demand video course is available for free to SPC Members. 

Value of Compostable Packaging Report
The Value of Compostable Packaging Report explores how compostable packaging may enable increased food scrap diversion, building feedstock for compost manufacturers. 

Biocycle's 2017 State of Organics Recycling Report
BioCycle asked states to complete an organics recycling “Snapshot Survey” to collect most recent data on composting, anaerobic digestion and quantities of organics diverted.

How2Compost
How2Compost is a standardized on-package label that clearly communicates composting instructions to the public. Both How2Compost and How2Recycle, its companion program, involve a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and composted and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels.

Plant Based Products Council
The Plant Based Products Council strives to guide the evolving global economy toward more sustainable and responsible consumer products and packaging.

US Composting Council Target Organics Project 
The USCC Target Organics Project aims to assemble resources that can be used to advance compost infrastructure and compost use in local communities across the United States. 

Field Study: Foodservice Packaging as Compost Facility Feedstock
This field study was designed to answer the following question: How does compostable foodservice packaging compare with other conventional organic inputs (e.g. yard trimmings, straw, wood shavings, grass, food scraps, etc.) in its contribution to balancing targeted carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios, providing nutrients, and acting as a bulking agent in compost feedstocks?

Participating Members

ALDI

Alpha Poly

Amcor

Amy's Kitchen

APP SinarMas

Asean Corporation (Stalkmarket)

BASF

Berry Global

Botta Packaging

BUNZL

Canada Post

Carbiolice

Chemol

CJ CheilJedang

Clif Bar

Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, Washington State University

Colgate Palmolive

Dart Container

Dow

Driscoll's

DuPont

Eastman

Eco-Products, PBC

Erthos

Elk Packaging

emerald packaging

ePac Flexible Packaging

Evanesce Packaging

Fabri-Kal Corporation

Futamura

General Mills

Henkel

Inno-Pak

Kaneka Biopolymers

Keurig Dr. Pepper

Kraft Heinz

KwikLok

Mars

Metsa Board

McDonough Innovation

Michelman

Mitsubishi Chemical Group

Nature Fresh Farms

NatureWorks

Novamont

Oliver Packaging

PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited

PepsiCo

Pure Strategies

Plastic Suppliers Inc.

Printpack

Reynolds Consumer Products

S-One Labels & Packaging

Sabert Corporation

Seattle Public Utilities, City of Seattle

Sway

Sun Chemical Corporation

Target

TIPA

Toray Plastics

TotalEnergies Corbion

Treehouse Foods

University of Georgia 

Walmart

WestRock

World Centric

Increasingly, consumers report a strong preference for packaging to be compostable. Three recent studies help illuminate how compostable packaging is perceived by consumers. 
A survey of European consumers found that 32% of consumers believe this type of packaging is the least damaging for the environment, and 50% of consumers would buy a product for its compostable packaging. (Amcor

In the UK, 85 percent of surveyed consumers believe that food packaging should be compostable, with two thirds of those asked agreeing that the food industry should lead the move towards compostable packaging. (resource.co

In the US, 60% of surveyed consumers called compostable packaging “extremely or very eco-friendly” (EcoFocus), and 71% of Millenials feel positive towards companies that only use packaging that is compostable (Evergreen Packaging).