Understanding the Breakdown: Plastics vs. Compostable Materials
Dec 6th 2023
How do the breakdown processes of plastics and compostable materials differ, and why does it matter?
The term "breaking down" is used to describe both the slow degradation of petroleum-based plastics and the biodegradation of compostable products.
Adding to this complexity is the issue of greenwashing, such as additives that make plastics degrade faster, misleadingly suggesting a similarity to compostable materials.
Understanding the
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Rethinking Plastic: Health Risks and Environmental Impact
Nov 29th 2023
What really is 'plastic'?
The term encompasses a broad range of materials, each with unique properties and uses. Originally defined as “pliable and easily shaped,” the word now primarily refers to a category of materials known as polymers. Polymers, whether natural or synthetic, are substances composed of monomers - small building blocks - bonded together into large, complex molecules. The word itself means “of many parts.”
When we talk
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What is Compost Contamination?
Nov 8th 2023
How Does Compost Contamination Happen?
Compost contamination is when non-compostable items end up mixed with organics in a compost bin. These are things that don’t belong in compost because they don’t decompose entirely (or at all) during the compost manufacturing process. This trash gets mixed up with compost feedstocks and, if not removed, can end up in finished compost and added to soil.
There are a variety of reasons contamin
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Say Boo to Landfills - Compost Your Pumpkin After Halloween!
Nov 1st 2023
The Hidden Horror of Halloween: Pumpkin Landfill Waste
What’s the scariest thing about Halloween? The waste!
In 2023, roughly
154 million Americans planned to carve a pumpkin as part of their Halloween celebrations.
About 1.9 billion pounds of pumpkins are grown each year in the US. Many of them are carved, decorated, and set on porches for Halloween. Then, a few days after Halloween, they are thrown in the trash. The af
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Is Compostable Packaging Only For Food?
Oct 25th 2023
As brands become increasingly aware of their environmental footprint, the question of how we package our products has never been more relevant. The food industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards more sustainable packaging choices. But is this exclusive to food packaging? Or does the potential of compostable packaging extend beyond the boundaries of meals and snacks?
The unique nature of composting, the power of closed-loop sys
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