US Composting Council Publishes New Primer on Compostable Products
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As the range and number of compostable products continues to grow compost manufacturers are coming under increasing pressure to process them, whether it makes good business sense or not. To help composters understand what these products are, the different types, how they are certified as compostable, the current regulations and the immediate future, the US Composting Council (USCC) has released "Compostable Products: A Primer for Compost Manufacturers," written by Biocycle Associates.
The release is part of a month long "conference" on compostable products this summer. The Conference consists of two educational workshops, June 17 and 24, and a Summit on July 15. All events are online. The workshops delve into the science, history, current status, testing and labeling of compostables, and look at how some of the big issues, like associated contamination and additional costs, are being managed. The Summit will feature a panel of experienced compost manufacturers and will explore the key question "should I accept compostable products at my facility" and what are the consequences of deciding one way or another.
The Summit will also coincide with the release of the second publication on the topic, a "Decision-Making Guide on Accepting or Rejecting Compostable Products," including a decision tree and set of worksheets to help current and future composters.
"Compostable products can help divert more food scraps, reducing greenhouse gases and increasing the total amount of compost available to help increase healthy soils and carbon sequestion," explains Frank Franciosi, Executive Director of the USCC. "On the other hand, accepting them opens the door to more plastic contamination, increases processing costs, and limits the number of markets the compost can be sold to. Composters have to weigh the costs and benefits. We have developed this series to help compost manufacturers understand their options."
The new Primer can be downloaded from the USCC website here: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/CompostableProductsPrimer
For more info on the Conference, go here: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/Composters-Conference-on-Compostable-Products
