Certified compostable products and organics recycling – enabling a more Circular Economy

Certified compostable products such as caddy liners or waste bags and packaging such as fibre based or paper coated trays for FOGO are effective in the source separation of food waste from other wastes and the certification from the Australasian Bioplastics Association ensures that the inherent property of biodegradation in commercial or home composts is in evidence.

Diversion of food waste using certified compostable caddy liners is a simple, hygienic and cost effective way of source separating food waste in the home or commercial premises and diverting same from landfill.

Similarly, certified compostable food packaging post-consumer is also an effective method of collecting food waste post-consumer and can substitute for packaging formats that are not reusable or recyclable post-consumer in certain applications.

The ABA verification program and our logos are a way of ensuring claims of compostability are substantiated and the requirements of the two Australian Standards, AS 4736 and AS 5810, for commercial and home composting respectively, have been met.

Diversion of food waste or organic waste to organics recycling such as composting brings many benefits and contributes greatly to a more Circular Economy in the biological cycle of such an economy.

The benefits of organics recycling are numerous and range from improving degraded soils to mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon back in the soil where it is needed. Closing the loop on food or organic waste is a simple and smart way of avoiding emissions from this waste in landfills such as methane. More information on the Australian Organics Recycling Industry is available in the form of a study on the economic and environmental contribution of this industry at  About AORA - Australian Organics Recycling Association Limited

It is universally accepted that compost for soils is the way to increase soil organic carbon and is regenerative in nature and circular. Food comes form the soil and food goes back into the soil in the form of composts and other composted organic inputs.

When coupled with education on why diverting food waste from landfill is critical for both the environment and the economy and how to source separate food waste in the home or commercial premises correctly, certified compostable products are proven around the world to be effective in reducing contamination of this waste stream and increase the volume of food waste diverted and processed into composts over time.

There will be more certified compostable packaging coming to market in new formats in the future as design changes to accommodate reuse, recycling or composting of problematic packaging.

Certified compostable packaging other than food service ware is already being designed to replace non recyclable formats and when treated as similar to a caddy liner or waste bag these formats will also aid in the diversion of food soiled packaging that today is not reusable or recyclable but could go into the organics recycling stream.

The use of certified compostable products and the organics recycling industry go together as an exemplar with significant environmental and economic benefits in evidence as we transition from a linear to a more Circular Economy.

 

For more information contact the Australasian Bioplastics Association - www.bioplastics.org.au