Are Compostable utensils really Compostable?

Are Compostable Utensils Really Compostable?

With the rising awareness surrounding the single-use plastic crisis and a growing interest in leading a zero-waste lifestyle, grocery stores and take-out restaurants are increasingly offering alternative options to traditional plastic utensils. Many of these alternatives are advertised by their manufacturers as compostable and biodegradable. However, this raises an important question: Are they truly compostable?

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Are All Utensils Labeled Compostable Really Compostable and Biodegradable?

The straightforward answer is NO!

Compostable and many biodegradable plastics are derived from naturally occurring polymers like starch or cellulose. This is where the confusion begins, leading to misconceptions that compostable or biodegradable plastics are somehow "not plastic."

Although these materials originate from natural polymers (like those sourced from crops such as corn), the utensils are still artificially produced in laboratories as a result of chemical reactions, just like synthetic polymers. Thus, the purportedly compostable or biodegradable materials are still fundamentally plastics. In essence, if it appears and feels like plastic, it is plastic.

The catch is that there exists a way to compost these types of utensils, but it doesn't involve your home composting setup. Instead, it requires access to commercial-grade composting facilities. At these facilities, organic matter is reduced to small pieces and then subjected to high temperatures, promoting biodegradation in a controlled environment. This process is specific and not replicable in home conditions. Moreover, recent research indicates that there are only 185 full-scale food waste composting facilities in the U.S., implying that statistically, many people may not even have one nearby.

If Products Are Certified Compostable, Are They Really Compostable?

The answer is both yes and no.

Products that are certified as compostable often imply they have passed specific composting tests, such as the ASTM D6400 Compostable Product Test.

This test establishes that for a product to be deemed compostable, it needs to biodegrade within a reasonable timeframe. For industrial composting, this timeline is typically 84 days for the product to break down into small fragments and 180 days for complete mineralization—provided it is processed in a well-managed commercial composting facility.

While it’s true that certified compostable products do biodegrade, most are only designed to break down effectively in industrial environments, often taking six to nine months to fully decompose.

You'll often find fine print that advises: “Check locally as a commercial composting facility may not exist in your community - Not suitable for backyard composting.” Indeed, numerous third-party tests have shown that many so-called compostable items took as long as two years to decompose in backyard composts.

What Happens to Most Compostable Utensils?

Composting is a precise process that does not happen in landfills or water. As noted earlier, with only 185 full-scale food waste composting facilities in the U.S. compared to over 3,092 active landfill sites, the odds are that unless your compostable utensils are separated from regular trash and your locality happens to be one of the few with a commercial composting system, they won't undergo composting. However, simple grain-based utensils may fare better!

Additionally, if these items are made from food-based materials that are not water soluble, they will likely remain intact if they enter our waterways.

(The spoon on the left represents a current 'compostable' spoon on the market. The right side shows the remnants of a TwentyFifty spoon after spending 60 days in water).

If genuine compostability or biodegradability is what you're after, Biodegradable Utensils Supplier is the way to go. Our spoons and forks are crafted solely from wholesome ingredients: wheat flour, soy flour, corn flour, and water, allowing them to break down in 30 days or less—even in your backyard compost—and even biodegrade in water over time.

In the fight against plastic pollution, the key is not just a few individuals living a zero-waste lifestyle flawlessly, but rather many people adopting an imperfect approach. TwentyFifty provides a straightforward, effective, and easy starting point.