Just because a product label claims it is compostable or bio-degradable, if it is not recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as feedstock for compost used in organic farming, WMearthcare/Redwood Landfill (the company that composts the materials collected by Mill Valley Refuse Service and other Marin and Sonoma County haulers) cannot accept them.
Bio-Plastic Food Ware
- Some bio-plastics may contain harmful chemicals such as PFOs and PFAs.
- When non-compostable bio-plastics enter compost processing facilities, they contaminate the waste stream.
- Bio-plastics do not always break down during the composting process.
- Bio-plastics look a lot like their plastic counterparts during the composting process.
- When bio-plastics end up in oceans and bays, they behave similar to regular plastics in the way they decompose, potentially harming marine life.
Compostable Bags
Even though BPI-certified compostable bags meet a laboratory test for compostability, this standard is not recognized by the US Department of Agriculture National Organic Program, which certifies compost for organic farming application. What’s more, compostable, biodegradable and petroleum plastic bags are indistinguishable in the 500 tons of material Redwood Landfill processes a day.
Instead, try transferring contents from your food-scraps pail into a paper bag to carry out to your Compost Cart. This offers the benefit of a carbon source, odor reduction and moisture-absorbing container!