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The big ick of commercial compost

  • The Garbage Lady
  • Jun 27
  • 5 min read

Updated: Jun 27

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Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay


I'm a big fan of composting, although I try to compost as little food as possible, in the sense that I hate letting food go to waste. Wasted food is not only a waste of money, but also a waste of resources, including energy, water, and labor. Where that wasted food ends up also matters. In a landfill, it accounts for 25% of landfilled material and creates methane, contributing 11% of global greenhouse emissions. In a compost pile, it becomes rich nutrients that can be returned to the soil. Nature knows what it's doing.


We can avoid wasted food through meal planning, mindful shopping, proper storage, and resourcefulness, but food waste is inevitable considering inedible peels, pits, seeds, skins, trimmings, bones, and other bits. Whether it's wasted food or food waste, only about 5% gets composted in the US. (For more details on the importance of composting and tips to minimize food waste, see Rotten: The climate impact of the food we waste.)


Even if you're in the minority that has access to a composting service, there are several advantages to composting at home, with options that can accommodate those who live in the tiniest of apartments or have limited outdoor space. Why spend money buying commercial compost that was made from other people's food scraps, and possibly your own? Besides, commercial compost is packaged in plastic bags that aren't widely accepted for recycling. But perhaps more important than saving money and cutting down on plastic waste, you control what goes into the compost bin. With commercial composting, you rely on the judgments of others. Human error is one reason why studies have found commercial compost to be a significant carrier of both microplastics and PFAS (forever) chemicals.


Part of the problem is that so many "food contact materials" seem like they should be compostable. Think cartons, to-go cups, paper plates, parchment paper, waxed paper, and similar items. People are often unaware that these items are coated with petroleum-based plastic or mistake the coatings for natural wax. In my area, the collection service accepted plastic-coated paper cartons for composting until about a year ago, and never directly communicated the change to its customers. Even the compost facility was unaware, although it's website claims that "Upon arrival, all material is sorted to remove non-compostable items." Imagine someone picking out all the little plastic produce stickers that didn't get removed, or all the paper-based teabags that have a plastic-based sealant made of polypropylene and low-density polyethylene, the industry standard. (Yogi and Traditional Medicinals are two brands with plastic-free teabags.) Discerning conventional plastics from compostable, bio-based alternatives is another difficulty, and misleading branding doesn't help. I recently ended up with an Ecosystems to-go container. The brand name and leaf-like logo gave me pause and led to a garbage search result stating that the container, made from "eco-friendly" mineral-filled polypropylene (plastic), was compostable. It's not. With so many opportunities for error, the level of sorting required to assure non-contamination is simply unrealistic.


A more difficult challenge is identifying paper-based products that contain PFAS chemicals, which are commonly used in the paper pulping process, meaning that contamination also applies to paper towels, napkins, facial tissue, and toilet paper. Further, PFAS chemicals are added to food contact materials to make them grease- and water-resistant, although some states have begun banning items with these intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The safest approach is to compost only materials that are certified as compostable by TÜV AUSTRIA or BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), which test for PFAS chemicals. Certification doesn't mean PFAS-free, though, only that the material contains less than 100 parts per million (ppm). PFAS chemicals have become so prolific that their absence can no longer be guaranteed.


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A plastic by any other name ("eco-friendly" mineral-filled polypropylene) would smell as desperate


As careful as we may be with what we send off for composting, and as thorough as the facilities may be at sorting, the composting process itself adds to the problem. Many commercial composting facilities use a Windrow cover system, or covered-in-vessel method, where the collected waste is covered with large sheets of fabric intended to control moisture and odor. At our local facility, the fabric used is GORE® Cover, made from a layer of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, one of over 16,000 types of PFAS chemicals), sandwiched between two layers of polypropylene. I've contacted the facility repeatedly for information on any assessments they've done on PFAS and microplastic contamination in their finished product, but they have yet to respond. PFAS-free fabrics are available, but they're still made from plastic.


Cringey image from the Gore website instills more doubt than confidence
Cringey image from the Gore website instills more doubt than confidence

I'll admit that I didn't read the materials on the Gore website that justified their use of PFAS chemicals under the premise of social responsibility and environmental stewardship. They wreaked of desperation. I'm a staunch believer that PFAS chemicals are insidious and evil, and along with microplastics, are ruining our soil and water and negatively impacting life on this planet. No amount of industry claims will change my mind. Show me an independent, science-backed, peer-reviewed study and I'll reconsider.


Despite the unfortunate and flawed circumstances with commercial composting, it remains a critical measure to address climate change. I'll continue to leverage our composting collection service for food waste I don't toss in my home compost bin: meat and fish, bones, dairy, oily foods, and carefully assessed food contact materials. With what remains at home, I get satisfaction from watching nature do its thing, turning it into a valuable commodity, free from unwanted contaminants that won't end up in my garden soil or taken up by the food I grow.


I understand why home composting isn't more widely practiced. We have an innate aversion to rotten, decaying matter, but take a walk on any forest floor and that's precisely what's underfoot. In modern society, composting may seem like a lifestyle choice that doesn't align with one's personal brand. When I was growing up, the people who composted were more inclined to listen to the Grateful Dead than Black Sabbath. (Shout out to all the cool composting metalheads out there.) Most of us weren't raised in households that embraced composting, so the practice is unfamiliar. Contrary to common misconceptions, home composting isn't complicated, doesn't require much space, and doesn't smell or attract vermin when done properly.


If you're ready to set aside the stigma and stereotypes and swap commercial compost for homemade, you'll find plenty of online resources. Here are a few to get you started:


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I've been quite pleased with the sustainably-sourced cedar bins I purchased from Greenes Fence Co. (Photo taken after I set them up a year ago.)


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