Compostable Packaging in the Real World
- Amir Gross
- Dec 22, 2025
- 3 min read
What the latest U.S. composting consortium report means for brands and policymakers
As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies accelerate globally — from multiple U.S. states to the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — one question continues to surface: does compostable packaging actually work in real composting systems?
In April 2024, the Composting Consortium, led by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, published one of the most comprehensive field studies to date addressing exactly that question. The report, Breaking It Down: The Realities of Compostable Packaging Disintegration in Composting Systems, provides practical, data-driven insights that are highly relevant to brands, buyers, sustainability managers and policymakers considering compostable packaging as part of their packaging strategy.
Why this report matters
For years, compostable packaging has been debated more on perception than evidence. Critics often argue that compostable materials “don’t break down,” contaminate waste streams, or lack the infrastructure to be viable at scale. This report moves the conversation forward by focusing on what happens to certified compostable packaging in operational, commercial composting facilities — not lab conditions.
The Composting Consortium conducted disintegration testing across multiple U.S. composting facilities, evaluating a range of certified compostable food-contact packaging formats, including items commonly used in foodservice and retail.
Key findings: Compostable packaging does break down
The headline finding is clear and significant: Certified compostable packaging successfully disintegrated in real-world industrial composting environments when aligned with accepted standards and processing conditions.
Key insights from the report include:
High disintegration performance: The majority of tested compostable packaging items met or exceeded disintegration thresholds within standard composting timeframes.
Consistency across facilities: Results were consistent across different composting operations, reinforcing that performance was not limited to a single “ideal” site.
Importance of certification: Products certified to recognised compostability standards performed far better than non-certified or “compostable-like” materials.
Operational compatibility: Compostable packaging did not disrupt composting processes when properly designed and correctly accepted by facilities.
In short, the report provides strong evidence that compostable packaging is technically viable today, not a future concept.
Implications for corporate sustainability policies
For companies looking at their options to reduce plastic and improve sustainability outcomes, the findings are particularly relevant. Many organisations are under pressure to reduce plastic usage, improve recyclability scores, and prepare for EPR and PPWR compliance — often at the same time.
This report reinforces several practical takeaways:
Compostable packaging is no longer experimental. There are mature, certified solutions already on the market suitable for many applications.
Selecting the right materials and certifications is critical. Compostability claims must be credible, standardised and aligned with end-of-life infrastructure.
Compostable packaging can play a strategic role in reducing residual waste, especially where food contamination limits recyclability.
For brands operating in foodservice, fresh produce, bakery, or food-to-go, compostable packaging offers a pathway to simplify waste streams while supporting organic recycling outcomes.
EPR, PPWR and the policy signal
While the report focuses on the U.S., its implications extend directly to European policy discussions around EPR and PPWR. Both frameworks aim to improve packaging outcomes, reduce environmental impact, and shift responsibility upstream to producers.
One of the report’s most important contributions is that it provides evidence policymakers can use when deciding how compostable packaging should be treated within EPR schemes. Without data, compostable materials risk being sidelined. With data, they can be evaluated fairly alongside recyclable options.
As PPWR continues to evolve, the question is no longer whether compostable packaging works — but how policy frameworks recognise and incentivise packaging designed for appropriate end-of-life routes.
Compostable packaging and organic recycling
Compostable packaging is most effective when paired with well-managed organic recycling systems, including industrial composting and anaerobic digestion. The report reinforces the need for alignment between packaging design, collection systems, and processing infrastructure.
For companies exploring compostable packaging, this highlights the importance of:
Clear on-pack communication
Alignment with local collection systems
Supplier expertise in material selection and compliance
What this means for the future
The Composting Consortium’s findings mark an important step toward evidence-based decision-making in sustainable packaging. They show that compostable packaging can perform as intended — and that the conversation should now shift toward implementation, policy alignment, and scale.
For businesses evaluating compostable packaging, the message is encouraging: the materials exist, the data exists, and the opportunity exists.
At Treetop Biopak, we work closely with buyers, sustainability leaders and brands to navigate this complexity — helping identify certified compostable packaging solutions that align with product needs, regulatory requirements and real-world disposal routes.
As EPR and PPWR reshape the packaging landscape, informed choices will matter more than ever.
The question for brands is no longer “does compostable packaging work?” — but how and where it fits into a smarter, more resilient packaging strategy.
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