Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Ware: A Perfect Pair

Coffee dates with a low-waste girl sound like this:

“I’ll take a cup of coffee,” but hold the cup.  I have a reusable one.”

The barista takes my metal container and fills it. Big Smile.      

OR

“Oops, I forgot my refillable cup, let’s go to the shop that has compostable take-out cups.”

“Why?” my friend Karen texts back.

“Because then I can put it in my compost bin when I’m done and it will break down along with the other organic waste.”

“Cool. Do they have tea?”
Karen and I grab our tea and coffee-to-go and take it with us on our walk. When we’re done, she drops her cup into a nearby trash can.

“Nooooooooooooooooo……” I almost dumpster-dive into the can to retrieve it.

She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What’s the problem?”

“That kind of defeats the purpose of getting a compostable cup.  Now it’s headed for the landfill where it will become trapped with the other food waste producing methane instead of breaking down into compost.”

“Oh, where should it go instead?”

“Into a bin destined for a compost farm.”

*****

Okay, so I am that low-waste girl and yes I have done both of these. I try to remember to keep my refillable coffee cup in the car because there are far more shops in our area that don’t offer compostable take-out cups than ones that do. If you have looked in your trash can lately and noticed a lot of disposable coffee cups then please join us to:

Expand the list of shops offering compostable take-out

Not everyone understands the relationship between compostable ware and food waste diversion. The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certifies “items that can be cycled back into the soil safely at a commercial composting facility.” The inner liner of compostable take-out coffee cups and meal containers is made from plants-not petroleum. So just like food, we don’t want them ending up in the landfill.  Especially since it’s becoming easier to find compostable products at many of the stores where we shop and more people are buying them.. 

You can purchase a pack at your favorite grocery store or online.  They’re particularly useful when you’re having a big party and need a disposable option for cups, plates, etc. And you can feel good that this is a greener choice…….unless you toss them into a trash can, where my friend Karen will now tell you -they will not break down into compost. After tolerating my wagging finger she now asks:

Useful questions for shop owners

• Are your take-out cups and containers BPI compostable? 

• Do you divert your food/organic waste? (i.e. the waste is picked up and taken to a compost farm)

• Do you have a disposal bin for food waste and compostable take-out products? Is it clearly marked to keep non-compostable trash out? 

If the answer to the questions above is “No,” Karen kindly explains why as a customer who cares about the environment it is important to her that they consider making a change.

When food waste and compostable products made from plants are thrown into trash cans headed for the landfill, they produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. How sad, when the alternative is allowing them to break down into nutritious compost that can be used to grow new plants.

At this, Karen might dab her eyes a bit or mention the businesses that do offer compostable take-out containers and that she might go there instead. She’s so polite that most places don’t want to lose her as a customer. And since she knows that it will take some time and planning for her favorite shops to make a change, she remembers to bring her refillable cup (which is the preferred practice in low-waste living and a choice she has control over).

Of course, Impact Earth is hoping to hear that more businesses will begin saying “Yes! We do divert our organic waste and offer compostable take-out.” To which an educated customer can reply, “I’m so happy to hear that, I will tell all my friends about you!”

As we continue to learn about which local businesses support a low-waste lifestyle, we need your help building our lists. If we’ve missed highlighting a shop or restaurant offering compostable take-out please let us know. We’d love to be the friend that you tell about your positive experiences.

Please send your comments and recommendations to: Nancy Steinkamp