Compostable plastics + landfill = methane

[MG]

Hello -

Is anyone out there talking about compostable plastics ending up in the landfill, creating methane?  I have heard many people (public, business owners) say they think compostable plastics going to the landfill is a good thing, that they are doing a good eco-deed by using them, and throwing them away becomes guilt-free. 

 

When merchants that offer compostable plastics they don't tell their customers to put them in the foodscraps bin; when manufacturers make them, they don't label them with instructions to dispose of in a compost facility or foodscraps cart.  When wholesalers sell them, they don't educate their customers about proper disposal.

 

Yet, in some regions, like the Bay Area, we are encouraging businesses to use these compostable plastics, as if the job is done there.  We have ordinances in some cities requiring compostable plastics, in part, because it's better than other plastics.  But, is it, if compostable plastics end up in the landfill? 

 

Without instructions for the end user, we potentially contribute to the methane load in the atmosphere........... right?

 

When organic compost facilities receive these compostable plastics, they are sorted out because they are made with GMO products.  Even compostable plastics going into the green cart, in some cases, STILL don't get composted.  They end up in the landfill anyway, so I've been told.

 

I think it would be good to start this conversation amongst ourselves, to strategize a solution.  Is this a good place to do that?

 

Marcy Greenhut

Berkeley

(Solid Waste Programs, City of Emeryville)
--
"We will not believe that this is happening to us, that 200 years of modernity can be brought to its knees by a world-wide power shortage." James Howard Kunstler

[Andrew Kessler]

Marcy. Thank you for your observations. I would add that because
"compostable" plastics are virtually indistinguishable from non-
compostable plastics, a tiny fraction of "compostable" plastic is
actually ever composted - as you say, it just ends up in the trash can
or (worse?) gets dropped into plastic recycling bins, thereby
contaminating the plastic recycling efforts.

In addition, most "compostable" plastic must be commercially composted
- backyard composting usually will not create sufficient, sustained
heat to lead to material degradation. And not all commercial
composters even accept "compostable" plastics.

Net, net, are we better off? Are we just perpetuating our wasting
habits? Wouldn't it be better to encourage the use of cutlery that is
cleaned and reused rather than single use cutlery regardless of it's
"compostable" properties?

[Barbara Hamilton]

There is some great information from the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative (click here) that will inspire you as to the forward-thinking planning for compostable food service ware.

Barbara Hamilton

Eco-Stream

760-717-6627

www.eco-stream.com

Eco-Stream Blog

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[JT]

It's like the paper vs. plastics decision. People think biodegrade
means disappear or produces no negative byproducts. All those
biodegradable paper products break down into green house gases in
landfills. We need to advocate is reducing the amount of trash that
is going into landfills. Demonizing any specific material doesn't
really solve anything. There are trade offs with all materials. The
real solution is to be more responsible with what we do when we are
done with the products.