What "Compostable" Actually Means (and What It Doesn't)

"Compostable" is one of the most common claims on foodservice packaging today, and also one of the most commonly misunderstood.

At its core, a compostable claim means the product is designed to break down into compost under the right composting conditions, within a defined period. What it doesn't automatically mean is that the product will break down anywhere you put it — a compostable clamshell in a landfill behaves very differently than the same clamshell in an industrial composting facility.

Many compostable foodservice products are designed for industrial composting specifically, which requires higher, sustained temperatures than most home composting setups can reach. Whether that infrastructure is available depends entirely on where you and your customers are located.

For a business communicating this to customers, the most useful thing you can do is be specific rather than general: instead of just labeling something "compostable," let customers know what that means in your local context — for example, whether your area has a composting program that accepts the material, or whether the product is better suited to standard disposal where composting isn't available.