In a new report, a multi-stakeholder coalition has identified ‘inconsistent and fragmented’ definitions of compostability as a key barrier to advancing compostable packaging systems – leading to gaps between laboratory testing and real-world outcomes.
The report (‘Breaking Solos, Building Bridges: A Collaborative Scan of Definitions for Compost and Compostable Packaging’) finds that definitions for the term ‘compostable’ vary between organizations, including ASTM International, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME).
Specific meanings are also thought to differ between environmental standards, jurisdictions, and operational environments.
These conditions are feared to create misalignment between laboratory certification and real-world composting performance, inconsistency between product acceptance policies, and fragmentation across regulations.
This leads to confusion across the marketplace, the report asserts – introducing challenges for brands and packaging designers, while compost manufacturers and consumers feel less confident in the true compostability of their products.
While its research finds that definitions for the terms ‘compost’ and ‘composting’ are largely consistent across authoritative sources, the fragmentated definition of compostability itself is feared to create barriers to national consistency and market scalability.
The report also highlights that laboratory standards do not always align with real-world disintegration outcomes in commercial composting systems – and that the end result can differ ‘substantially’ between composting technologies and facilities.
The report is the result of a multi-stakeholder collaboration originating from the 2024 Improving the Circularity of Compostables and Composting (IC3) Strategic Planning Event in Denver, Colorado, USA.
The coalition sees multiple packaging and material manufacturers join forces with compost manufacturers, certifiers, researchers, trade associations, policymakers, and others. Together, they aspire to establish a ‘transparent science-based, consensus-driven framework for compostability definitions and performance criteria that reflects real-world composting conditions while remaining adaptable to innovation and future harmonization.’
In a future report, the collaborators will examine how existing standards, certifications, and testing translate into real-world disintegration at compost manufacturing facilities. The two reports aim to support the development of better policies, align certification and operational performance, and boost confidence across the composting ecosystem.
In other news, a recent report from the U.S Plastics Pact details how policymakers could accelerate composting infrastructure, support compostable packaging systems and divert food waste and food-contaminated materials from landfills.
The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) has also revealed a draft legislative proposal to exempt biodegradable and compostable formats from the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s bans on single-use plastic packaging. European Bioplastics describes the measure as “positive and pragmatic”.
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