End-of-Life Preferences for Certified Compostable Foodservice Packaging

Foodservice packaging plays a significant role in our daily lives, and certified compostable packaging offers an environmentally responsible single-use option. Products made with renewable raw materials that are designed for composting provide several environmental benefits, such as helping keep food out of landfills (thereby reducing methane emissions) and breaking down into nutrient-rich compost, which supports a circular economy. While certified compostable products already deliver beginning-of-life (BOL) benefits, the end-of-life (EOL) scenario is equally important.  

The EOL scenario of a product influences its overall environmental benefit.

When a product can be recovered and used again as a valuable resource, that EOL option can help advance the circular economy and close the loop. Ultimately, the full environmental benefit of a product is realized when the ideal EOL scenario is achieved. The following EOL options outline the preferred disposal methods for compostable products, prioritized by their environmental impact.

If commercial composting infrastructure that accepts certified compostable packaging is available in your area, composting is the most preferred EOL scenario.

Commercial composting is ideal for this packaging because composting is an aerobic process, meaning that microbes, heat, and moisture create the perfect environment to break down food, yard trimmings, and other organic matter. The result is a nutrient-rich soil amendment that improves soil health, supports plant growth, and stores carbon in the ground.

Certified compostable foodservice packaging also serves as a vessel for food, enabling excess or unused food to be composted alongside the packaging. Since both the certified compostable packaging and the food can all go into the same bin, composting is considered an effective solution in keeping both materials out of landfills.

Additionally, Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) do not want food at their facilities, making composting the most practical and desired option.

Composting infrastructure that accepts certified compostable packaging is expanding, but we recognize that access to commercial composting facilities may not be available in your region. It’s important to check if composting infrastructure that accepts compostable packaging is available in your region before placing certified compostable products into the compost bin.

If commercial composting infrastructure that accepts compostable packaging is not available in your region, recycling may be an option for certain items and is the next preferred EOL scenario.

Despite recycling and composting streams operating differently, there are instances where certain compostable items may be able to be recovered and recycled, if they meet specific guidelines. This overlap provides an additional recovery pathway and helps keep materials out of landfills when composting infrastructure may be unavailable.

Examples of potential compostable foodservice packaging items that may be accepted* in recycling streams include:

• PLA-lined paperboard trays or containers
• PLA-lined paper hot cups
• Molded fiber products (without food residue or grease)
• Paper based coffee cup sleeves
• Paper bags

Please note that all items should be dry and unsoiled to be placed in the recycling bin

It’s important to note that for any product placed in the recycling bin, the packaging must be clean and dry, free from any liquid or food residue, and generally larger than two inches in diameter. Always check with your local recycling hauler and program for a comprehensive list of accepted materials, as not all Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) accept this type of packaging.

If composting or recycling is not an option for compostable foodservice packaging, landfill becomes the default EOL pathway.

Unlike composting and recycling systems, which are designed to recover materials and transform them into valuable resources, landfills remove materials from circulation entirely. When products and packaging are sent to landfill, they cannot be recovered or reused and do not contribute to a circular economy, making landfill the least preferred EOL option for compostable foodservice packaging. This highlights the critical role that access to composting and recycling infrastructure plays in realizing the full environmental benefits of compostable products.

Learn more about what happens in landfills at this story on our website and explore ways to reduce waste and help keep materials out of landfills when possible.

EOL outcomes matter, because they shape a product’s full environmental impact - and that’s why designing products with the end-of-life in mind is essential.

Eco-Products cares deeply about what happens to our products after use, which is why we work to expand composting infrastructure and support recycling and reuse systems. Next time you use a certified compostable plate, bowl, or cup, take a moment to choose the right bin. Every choice counts, and the proper disposal of each of these products helps support a circular economy.

Learn more about the work we’re doing at ecoproducts.com/circularity and ecoproducts.com/support-composting