Is compostable the best option? 

By Julie Evans, 5 Aug 2024 

Most people want to make choices that are positive for the environment where possible. However, this is often very complicated and what seems like a good idea initially can have hidden problems. This article summarises what I’ve learnt about compostable products (e.g. cups, plates, cutlery)when I started researching changes I could make as part of Plastic Free July 2024 – and is not what I expected. 

Without any large scale industrial composting facilities in Canberra, compostable products usually end up in landfill. There are other problems as well: 

  • Compostable products may look like they are plastic or paper but they can’t be recycled – this is confusing and compostable items end up contaminating recycling collections. 

  • Compostable products contribute carbon emissions, more so than many other options, requiring resources and energy to manufacture, transport and discard after just one use. 

  • Compostable products sound ‘green’ so can be a barrier to options that are actually better for the planet. 

Regardless of the compostable vs recycling conundrum, the most responsible option is reuse in all but a few situations. In summary – there are two key questions: 

  1. Is reuse possible, in full or in part, and how can it be supported? Reuse is almost always the best option for the planet. 

  1. Where reuse is not possible, what will happen to the item after it is used? Can it – and will it – be recycled, composted or repurposed, or will it end up as litter or landfill? 

Read on to find out more about the issues and the options. 

Note: SEE Change does not endorse specific suppliers. Under several tips below, the names of suppliers are provided as a guide to help you find relevant items. 

What is the problem with compostables? 

Composting sounds like it must be good for the environment – enriching plants rather than creating mountains of emissions-producing landfill. Compostable single use items offer convenience without guilt. But….. 

1. Compostable can’t be composted in the ACT 

In the ACT, compostable items (even if certified commercial or home compostable) cannot go into organics collections and there is no commercial composting facility that will accept compostable products at scale (as confirmed by the ACT NoWaste in email correspondence, 18 July 2024). 

Only compostable caddy liners can be used in FOGO [Food organics and garden organics] bins. They help divert food waste from landfill by enabling easier food waste collections for households. 

No other compostable products can be placed in the FOGO bin. This is because many compostable products contain additives to provide water and grease resistance in food packaging. They can include perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which may cause human and environmental harm. All Australian governments have agreed to prevent the release of PFAS where practicable. 

From: Food organics and garden organics (FOGO) - City Services (act.gov.au) 
Note: only residences registered on the ACT Government’s FOGO pilot project can put food waste into their green bins 

The only exceptions are on a small scale, when individuals compost items that are compostable at home. The Australasian Bioplastics Association certifies items as suitable for home composting as explained here: Home Compostable Verification Programme - ABA Australasian Bioplastics Association. 

 
 

2. Compostable can’t be recycled either 

Some compostable items look like they might be able to be recycled in our yellow bins, just like any other plastic, paper or cardboard items. However, this is not the case, which is confusing for people and results in recycling being contaminated. 

Compostable plastic usually has a recycling symbol on the bottom. However, on closer inspection, if that symbol is a ‘7’ (PLA or Other), it is NOT accepted in ACT recycling collections. Only plastics coded 1, 2, 3 and 5 are accepted in ACT recycling bins: Recyclopaedia-Plastic-Codes-factsheet-access.pdf. 

Compostable paper or cardboard items often have a bioplastic film and so should not go in recycling bins either. 

Putting compostable items in with recycling contaminates the recycling and may mean everything in the bin ends up in landfill, if the contamination is greater than the minimum level accepted. We saw this at the National Folk Festival, where the beer cups were recyclable plastic and wine glasses were compostable plastic, but they ended up together in the recycling bins (despite the signage on the bins), resulting in a high level of contamination. 

Since compostable items can’t be composted and can’t be recycled,  
they have to go to landfill.  

Compostable items are part of the waste stream, not reducing it. 

3. Compostable contributes carbon emissions 

Compostable items are often made from plant-based resources, which are renewable, rather than fossil fuel resources. However, this alone doesn’t mean they have lower carbon emissions. There are still carbon emissions from obtaining the materials, manufacturing and transporting the items, and then discarding them. 

As noted in this Clean Up Australia Report (Are compostable plastics the best option? (cleanup.org.au)): 

Compostable plastics can not only take more than a century to break down when buried in landfill, but like food waste, they also emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. 

To compare the carbon emissions from compostable items with other alternatives requires a detailed lifecycle analysis of the different options. One interesting study I found was from 2018 and commissioned by KeepCup.  

This compares the impact of different types of KeepCups to alternatives, both reusable and single use. The compostable single use cup had – by a long way – the highest climate change impacts of any of the options, as shown in this figure from the report.  

Reference: KeepUp - LCA - Greenwash, Or Deep Green? | KeepCup and KeepCup LCA Report.pdf. 

4. Compostable can be a barrier to better options 

When offering my KeepCup to a crew member on a plane, she said it wasn’t necessary as the cups they use are compostable. I said I’d still like my tea in my cup, and she obliged but this highlights another issue of compostables – since they are seen as good for the environment, people then don’t see the need for other options.  

Some of the companies producing bioplastics claim that their products are part of a circular economy – from containers to compost to plants to containers. This does not take account of the energy and resources required during the manufacturing process compared to alternatives – let alone that most go to landfill rather than compost. 

Coming back to the Clean Up Australia Report again: 

The move to a circular economy is about eliminating waste and pollution, and that includes greenhouse gas emissions. A circular economy aims to keep materials in the productive economy and decrease the need for new materials. Any time a compostable plastic item is used once – no matter how it is disposed of – it is still a single-use plastic. 

Where possible, we should be choosing products and packaging that can be reused, which will mean less single-use packaging being manufactured and less waste going to landfill or litter. 

So what are the alternatives? 

An article from The Conversation highlighted the limitations of trying to place the burden of change on individual consumers: Plastic Free July is a waste of time if the onus is only on consumers (theconversation.com).  

As one of the authors, Ralph Horne, explained further (email correspondence, 14 July 2024): 

The current fragmented approach is compounding both anxiety amongst consumers and poor environmental outcomes. There is no point allowing compostable products onto the market with vague ‘green’ claims unless there is a clear benefit and infrastructure, systems, that actually work to process the post-consumer material. Hence it is only through regulation, including material bans, responsible production, including minimisation of production, and consistent, workable post-consumer systems of reuse and then recycling of residue are the collective key that will deliver a fairer, more efficient and workable zero-waste society. 

I asked ACT NoWaste for advice, given the lack of composting options in the ACT, and the response was (email correspondence, 18 July 2024): 

We would encourage reusables as the preferred option wherever possible, over any single-use option. However, when choosing single-use, we would recommend recyclable options next, or items made from recycled materials. 

A recent US report examines the issues around bioplastics. Demystifying Compostable and Biodegradable Plastics — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution. After reviewing the issues around safety, lack of consistent standards, end of life management and cost, the report concluded:  

In short, bioplastics come with many challenges. While the plastics and packaging industries push the narrative of swapping out one type of plastic for another, that would be shortsighted. The best option is to turn off the spigot for single-use plastics of all kinds, whether conventionally produced or made with plant-based materials. 

Much of the effort from governments and businesses is going into new technologies and systems around single use items, increasing composting and recycling. However, there is so much more that can be done to support reuse, and that needs to be a focus for action and advocacy. 

In summary – there are two key questions: 

  1. Is reuse possible, in full or in part, and how can it be supported? 
    Reuse is almost always the best option for the planet. 

  2. Where reuse is not possible, what will happen to the item after it is used? 
    Can it – and will it – be recycled, composted or repurposed? 
    What products and support systems will make this happen? 
    Avoid options that contribute to litter or landfill. 

What you can do 

Try these four strategies for reducing your use of single-use items and supporting reuse in your own life: 

1. Drink or dine in 

Where possible, using the reusable cups, plates and cutlery from the café means no single use and no need for you to do dishes. It is estimated that reusable cups and mugs use seven times less water to wash in their lifetime, than the amount of water used in factories to make disposable cups (reference Paper Cup vs Mug - What's better for the Environment? (ecorate.eco)). 

2. Bring Your Own 

The  ACT Food Act 2001 and the Food Standards Code allow the use of BYO containers (such as reusable cups) in the ACT: BYO containers in food businesses - ACT Government. 

There are many situations when bringing your own is an option: 

  • Take cup, plate, cutlery for when you can’t eat in or only single use is offered 

  • Take containers along for take aways or left overs. A small fold-up bowl with lid can be purchased from camping stores and other outlets, and easily fits into a bag or purse. 

  • Buy your milk in refillable bottles (refill stations at many IGAs in Canberra). 

  • Take a bread bag along to your bakery. 

SEE Change WasteLess Mug Library

3. Borrow a mug 

Join a scheme that lets you borrow and swap cups. HuskeeSwap (HuskeeSwap) is one option, offered by cafes across Canberra. The Green Caffeen scheme (Green Caffeen - Swap & Go Coffee Cups) has almost disappeared in the ACT, though still available in some cafes. 

4. Run a no waste event 

If you are organising an event, look at borrowing or hiring what you need. 

What businesses and community organisations can do 

The options will depend on the context for the business or community organisation – whether a one-off event or regularly accessed facility, whether providing food and drink or an environment (such as markets or a carnival) where people will be purchasing from others or bringing their own. 

Sometimes single-use can seem like the easy option, quick and cheap to buy, no washing to do. But it isn’t the best for the environment – and reuse options can be easy too, once set up. 

1. Offer reuse options 

Cafes could join one of the schemes mentioned above, HuskeeSwap or Green Caffeen. 

Any business or community group providing single use mugs or cups could consider setting up a mug library, so people can borrow a mug. 

Some cafes sell reusable items but this alone is not enough – there also has to be support for borrowing, swapping or returning reusable items to make reuse easy. 

Wash Against Waste Trailer in Nelson, Aotearoa, New Zealand

2. Provide dishwashing facilities 

One of the difficulties of reuse is being able to clean items after being used. Workplaces and venues can help with this by providing access to facilities for washing dishes – including sinks and detergent – and letting people know where these are. For example, University of Sydney has a sustainability map that includes highlighting where to find dishwashing facilities (Sustainability - UNSW Sydney). 

Some communities have set up wash trailers for events, which provide all the items needed along with washing facilities including a dishwasher (which can do a 60-second sanitising wash) – it would be great to have one available in the ACT.

Here is an example in Castlemaine: Wash Against Waste – Waste not wash yes (waw.org.au), while the photo is of a Wash Against Waste trailer in Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand. 

3. Encourage BYO 

Particularly if only single use items will be available at an event, let people know in advance so they can bring their own cups, cutlery etc. 

I recently attended a meeting held by a group that I had thought was quite environmentally aware and would have provided a reuse option, but only single use cups were available at the venue – I would have bought my own if I had known. 

What SEE Change and WasteLess will do

The WasteLess team at SEE Change will continue to monitor and advocate on these issues. Stay in touch via the SEE Change newsletter or join the WasteLess team to find out more. Waste — SEE Change - Change for Society, Environment and Economy (seechange.org.au)