Look for Alternatives to Compostable To-Go Ware: Green Tip

For many recycling centers, these bio-plastic compostables are often seen as contaminants when mixed with regular plastics and can make our already difficult to recycle plastics even more difficult to recycle. As for compost- ing, certified compostable dishware typically requires a much higher temperature for breakdown than our backyard compost heaps can generate. This means that it would never break down in your home compost or that it may take years at best. Ultimately, we should be placing these materials in the trash bin if we cannot compost them industrially. There is debate about whether in the landfill they break down similar to the way plastics do or if they are even worse for the environment due to the release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as they break down.