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Composting, the eco-friendly endeavor that accelerates decomposed organic materials into nutrient rich soil—is nothing less than all the rage.
Green living expert Sara Snow recently turned her home’s gutter clutter into compost, this year’s Green Apple Festival volunteers spread the good stuff across New York City’s Tompkins Square Park—and even heavyweights like Martha Stewart are getting down, dirty and domestic with worm compost.
But it isn’t just individuals giving composting its due credit, businesses are also starting to jump the bandwagon—integrating compostable materials into their product packaging. Like Coca-Cola who unveiled a compost compatible fountain cup, and Burgerville, the Northwestern fast food chain using uncoated, compost-friendly food wrappers. Most recent is snack brand SunChips who pledges to have their chips bags fully compostable by 2010.
Other than starting our own compost, we consumers can also do our part keeping our eyes out for this compostable packaging hitting the market—and actually composting it.
One of the easy eco-traps to fall into is thinking that all labeled ‘compostable’ packing breaks down in the landfill—so long as you dispose of it. In reality, for a compostable product to actually biodegrade, it requires the conditions put forth in an actual compost: heat, moisture, air and a healthy mix of fruit and veggie scraps, dried up leaves, cardboard shreddings, grass clippings, etc.
So whether you’re urban composting in your tiny apartment, doing it our in your big backyard—or taking your compost scraps to a community garden or green market—make sure to mix in your empty compostable wrappers.
And if you’re not composting already—or contributing to one—why not get started one lovely spring day?
Learn more consumer tips about SunChips’ soon-to-be 100 percent composting packaging in this exclusive interview with Steve Davies—the man helping head up the snack brand's green efforts.
More on Compostable Packaging
Discover, Find, Use Compostable Bags and Packaging
Compostable Packaging on TreeHugger
Ecoflex Compostable Plastic Packaging Materials by BASF
How About a Burger and Some Renewable-Resource Packaging with Those Fries?
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