November 29, 2021

What's the tea on compostable and recyclable packaging?

Written by:
Catherine Marot

Does "Compostable" and "biodegradable" packaging go into the organics or recycling?

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The results are in... and it is... neither.

Here's the tea

They were invented and made only to go into the waste streams. When they first came on the market (years ago), the waste industry was so excited about it because it was made to replace full plastic containers.

Ever heard the term "landfill friendly"?

They were called “landfill friendly”. In Europe, consumers totally got it, from Rome to Finland they all called it landfill friendly. In North America, we hate the word landfill, so they called it compostable/biodegradable.

It’s not a total scam, they started out with good intentions.

The idea was, we were going to create smarter garbage that could then be sent to incineration. It’s not the best solution, but it's a thousand times better than only landfills. Incineration leads to more job creation and you can harness energy from it.

" These landfill friendly products were designed to be cleaner burning items. Incineration drives more jobs for our economy and creates energy in the process. "

Links to additional reading material (bc who doesn't love that)

  • https://www.eater.com/2020/1/15/21065446/compostable-take-out-containers
  • https://www.popsci.com/compostable-packaging-PFAS/
  • https://www.eater.com/2019/8/5/20754832/compostable-sweetgreen-chipotle-bowls-not-so-environmentally-friendly