Compostable Packaging Disposal Instructions

1 ) Remove all plastics

You will first need to remove all plastics from your compostable mailer. This includes any packaging tape, shipping labels and stickers. We recommend to cut the label out with a pair of scissors.

2 ) Compost it

If you have a home compost in your garden, you can stick your compostable mailer straight in and leave it to do its thing or you can toss it in your general waste trash cans.

3 ) No compost bin?

If you do not have a compost bin/pile, it could be a good idea to start one. Sites like SodGod and Gardening Know How offer great guides on how to compost and how to set up a compost bin/pile - and it’s a lot easier than you might think!

Biodegradable vs. Compostable packaging:

Biodegradable & compostable get used interchangeably, which can make it confusing for those wanting to dispose of packaging responsibly! Here is a quick break-down:

While just about every packaging material is technically biodegradable, not everything is compostable. The term ‘biodegradable’ sets no limits on how long the process takes, or the environmental impact it has. Even a regular plastic poly mailer is biodegradable - but the process can take hundreds of years! Needless to say, this doesn’t constitute sustainable packaging.

Moreover, while everything will break down eventually, harmful residues can be released during the process. This is why plastic pollution is a two-fold issue. It already has an adverse impact on ecosystems as a form of litter. But as a petroleum-based material, chemicals will leach out of plastic as it biodegrades - which is bad news.

Compostable packaging differs in that it will break down into natural elements in a compost setting, usually at a much faster rate than ‘biodegradable’ products. To facilitate the composting process, certain steps need to be taken. i.e. Putting your compostable mailer in a home or industrial compost bin/pile.

Compostable packaging also counts as sustainable packaging because it releases no harmful residues as the materials break down. Our compostable mailers are made from organic composites, so they are ‘returned to the earth’ in the most eco friendly way possible!

Credit to the source of information above : Beth Owens