Is Compostable Really Better for the Environment?
It seems like every brand is going plastic-free and switching to compostable packaging. But is compostable really better for the environment? Let’s break it down.
Compostable materials will break down into natural elements under certain conditions. The benefits are:
- It won’t leave behind toxic residues.
- It decomposes within a set timeframe.
- And it’s usually made from renewable resources like corn or sugarcane, which can be replanted and regrown.
However, this is rarely talked about but compostable materials are made from plants, which are actually more resource-intensive than plastic. The resources used to seed, harvest, and process these materials actually produce more greenhouse gas emissions than plastic.
Compostable materials also need proper facilities to decompose. Unfortunately the US does not have the infrastructure to support this, as most Americans don’t have home composts and most restaurants only offer trash and recycling bins. What ends up happening is that compostable materials end up in the trash, which releases methane and is 30x more potent than carbon dioxide. Or it gets thrown into recycling streams, where they can’t decompose or get recycled.
So while there are many benefits of choosing compostable materials, it’s always helpful to understand both sides of the equation.