Results Are In From USCC Survey on NOSB/Compostables

In preparation for this year’s final National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in October in Portland, Oregon, the USCC took a quick pulse check of its members on attitudes toward a request from member and partner Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) regarding adding packaging meeting ASTM standards to feedstocks allowed in compost used in organic agriculture. Currently, those materials are not accepted as a material allowable in compost. The NOSB will make its final decision at its October meeting, but its Crops Subcommittee has released a proposal that includes the definition change request. Out of 947 eligible members, we heard from 217 of you on our survey. Members who identified as compost producers were given additional questions regarding operations size, feedstocks, and organic markets.

Out of the survey participants who were compost producers, we asked them if selling their product was a part of their business.

The results showed a majority of our membership (78%) favors the inclusion of certified compostable packaging in compost used for organic agriculture, with a number of comments about the practice. This is tempered slightly to 74% when you look at the response from the subset of composters only, who make up nearly 40% of our membership. When looking at a further subset of composters accepting 51,000 tons or more, support drops to 53%.

Producers were asked whether they accept certified compostable products: 45% said they do not, while 55% said they do.

Of those who do not, 34% answered a question asking the reason: Contamination was the leading obstacle at 72% with breakdown following behind at 32%.

Reasons given in comments were were the following:

• Labor
• No demand yet
• Products that state they are compostable do not breakdown in 45-100 days
• Yard waste composters
• Food safety
• Not permitted for an on-farm composting operation

When it comes to organic certification, answers were split between 33% currently selling to organic markets, 37% interested in selling to organic markets, and 30% not working towards using organic markets.