Are Compostable utensils really Compostable?

Since society has recognized the crisis posed by single-use plastics, more individuals are striving to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle. This shift has prompted supermarkets and take-out eateries to offer alternatives to conventional plastic cutlery. Many of these new options are marketed as compostable and biodegradable by their manufacturers. But the question remains—are they truly compostable?

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Can Utensils Labeled as Compostable Truly Decompose?

The simple answer is NO!

Compostable and many biodegradable plastics are composed of naturally occurring polymers such as starch or cellulose. This leads to the misconception that these plastics are inherently biodegradable and not truly "plastic."

Despite being made from natural polymers (e.g., derived from crops like corn), the utensils are manufactured in a laboratory through chemical processes similar to synthetic polymers. As such, these 'compostable or biodegradable' materials are, in essence, still plastics. If it looks and feels like plastic, it essentially is plastic.

Here’s the catch. Composting these utensils isn't feasible in your backyard. They require commercial-grade composting facilities where the material is shredded into very small pieces and subjected to extremely high temperatures to facilitate biodegradation. This is a highly specialized process that isn't accessible to the average consumer. Additionally, according to Biocycle, there are only 185 fully operational food waste composting facilities in the U.S. This means that the majority of people probably don’t live near one of these facilities.

Are Products with Compostable Certification Truly Compostable?

Yes and no.

Products that are certified compostable have usually passed a specific composting test, known as ASTM D6400 – the Compostable Product Test.

This test specifies that, to be considered compostable, the material must decompose within a reasonably short timeframe. For industrial composting, this period is defined as 84 days for the product to fragment into smaller pieces and 180 days for full mineralization in a well-managed composting facility.

So, while certified compostable products do biodegrade, they are generally designed for commercial-grade facilities and can take 6 to 9 months to decompose fully. If you inspect these certified compostable items closely, you may find a disclaimer stating, "Check locally as a commercial composting facility does not exist in many communities - Not suitable for backyard composting."

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Several independent tests have been conducted on these so-called compostable products in backyard compost piles. After two years, the majority of these utensils remained largely intact.

The Fate of Most Compostable Utensils

Composting is a specialized process that does not occur in landfills or bodies of water. As previously mentioned, the U.S. has only 185 full-scale food waste composting facilities, compared to 3,092 active landfill sites.

Unless your "compostable" utensils are separated from regular waste and your city is among the 5% that have commercial food waste composting systems, your utensils won’t compost. Furthermore, if they end up in waterways, they are unlikely to break down, unless they are made from simple, grain-based materials like those from TwentyFifty.

(The spoon on the left is a currently available 'compostable' spoon. The spoon—what’s left of it—on the right is TwentyFifty. Both have been submerged in water for 60 days).

For truly compostable or biodegradable options, consider TwentyFifty products. Made from simple, wholesome ingredients such as wheat flour, soy flour, corn flour, and water, these products break down within 30 days or less even in backyard compost—and can biodegrade in water over time.

Addressing plastic pollution doesn’t require a few people to live a zero-waste life perfectly, but rather, it requires many people making imperfect efforts. TwentyFifty offers a straightforward, effective way to start.

Are Compostable Utensils Really Better for the Environment?