How to dispose of compostable packaging
Products made from organic material can be a nuisance in the wrong recycling service, but gold-dust in our Compostables Packaging Recycling sacks.
Compostables don't belong in your Mixed Recycling bags because they contaminate other materials and clog up the machines. But they also can't be disposed of with your Food Waste because food and compostables use very different processes to decompose.
Compostable packaging
Tricky? Not anymore!
Use our dedicated Compostable Packaging Recycling bags to give the land a special treat.
Got a smaller quantity to recycle? Check out our RecycleBox scheme for one-off orders!
✔︎ Chuck it in
✘ Please keep it out
Vegware
Compostable cutlery
Compostable packaging
Food waste
Garden waste
Biodegradable plastics
Non-organic material
Compostable packaging must be collected separately, as it can only be broken down in specialist industrial composting facilities.
Benefits
Don't confuse compostables with biodegradables!
Compostable packaging must be certified. It proves the material decomposes completely in up to 180 days, leaving no toxics or residues behind. They are made of renewable resources and, once they break down, can be used as fertiliser.
Biodegradable packaging is made of petrochemicals modified to break down quickly by microorganisms, but it doesn’t specify a timeframe for decomposition or the conditions needed. Unsurprisingly, biodegradables often end up in landfills where they can take years to break down, releasing toxic gases. And, once they do break down, we're left with microplastics that harm the soil and can reach the ocean.
Recyclable packaging
So, although compostables are a safer and greener option than biodegradables, they need their own processes to decompose safely - and that's why compostable recyclable packaging can’t be disposed of with food.
Compostable recycling services
Food waste, for example, breaks down at a temperature around 37 degrees in an Anaerobic Digester (a big artificial stomach!). Compostable packaging, however, needs an autoclave with high pressure and temperatures that exceed 160 degrees.
First Mile's Compostable Recycling service ensures materials are correctly processed and recycled, without risk of ending up in a landfill.
Make sure to separate your compostable packaging for recycling and join the revolution!
Set up a Compostables Collection
