How can you tell if a product is truly compostable?

Because the term “compostable” is regulated, companies that use the term on their products must have the products tested and certified by third parties to prove that they meet certain parameters. Once certified, the product will be able to include specific marks. Marks to look out for include:

BPI Certified Compostable

The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) is “North America’s leading authority on compostable products and packaging”. The organization’s certification program offers third-party verification of ASTM standards for compostable products.

ASTM D6400 is a globally-recognized mark that outlines the conditions and timeframe within which a compostable product must degrade. This testing is done in a laboratory environment, so the results are as consistent as possible in between tests. A product passes if it biodegrades within 90 days, doesn’t leave behind any harmful residue, and if the resulting compost is not harmful to plant life.

Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) Approved

While BPI Certification demonstrates that a product meets composting standards in a lab setting, it doesn’t account for the variability in real-life environments. This is where CMA approval comes in

CMA conducts “field disintegration testing”—which essentially involves testing BPI Certified compostable materials in a commercial composting facility to make sure they disintegrate within the allotted timeframe. Products with a CMA logo are proven to disintegrate in a commercial composting facility, as predicted, without contaminating the compost.

The optimal compostable products will be both BPI Certified and CMA Approved.