Kepta
Biodegradable vs Compostable: What Those Labels Really Mean
Kitchen packaging is full of reassuring words. Bags, cups, plates and wraps say "biodegradable" or "compostable," sometimes both. They sound alike, but they are different claims, and neither one tells you which bin to use.
"Biodegradable" has a lot to prove
The Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides spell out how the FTC judges environmental claims in marketing. Under them, a plain degradable claim, and biodegradable is one, needs proof that the whole item will break down "within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal." For things that normally end up in landfills, incinerators or recycling plants, the FTC says unqualified claims "are deceptive because these locations do not present conditions in which complete decomposition will occur within one year." The rule's own example is a trash bag sold as "degradable" (16 CFR 260.8).
In plain words: when trash goes to a landfill, almost nothing there breaks down quickly. So "biodegradable" on its own tells you very little about what will happen to a package after you throw it away.
Some states have gone further. California prohibits selling plastic products labeled "biodegradable," "degradable" or "decomposable," and Washington banned those words on most plastic products from July 1, 2020 (California bill analysis, Resource Recycling).
"Compostable" is real, with a catch
"Compostable" is a more specific claim. The FTC expects proof that all the materials will become usable compost "in a safe and timely manner" in an appropriate composting facility or in a home compost pile. When composting facilities aren't available to a substantial majority of the people who buy the item, the claim should say so clearly (16 CFR 260.7).
The catch is finding a place that will take it. Many compost sites refuse compostable plastic. A CalRecycle survey cited by San Francisco in 2023 found only 3 of 17 responding compost facilities accepted it, and Sonoma County's hauler doesn't allow it in the green bin because no nearby facility takes it. An industry-funded survey found far higher acceptance, so there is no single national number (San Francisco, Sonoma County, Packaging Digest).
So a compostable cup helps only if your town's compost program says it takes compostable cups.
Neither one goes in the recycling bin
This part is simple. The EPA says compostable plastics are not for the recycling bin (EPA), and a biodegradable label doesn't make anything recyclable either.
And the number in the triangle?
The small number inside the chasing arrows names the type of plastic. The EPA notes that it "does not necessarily mean it can be collected for recycling in your community" (EPA). Your town's list is what counts.
A short way to read a label
- Biodegradable: on its own, treat it as no information about where the item should go.
- Compostable: compost it only if your town's compost program says it takes it. Otherwise, the trash.
- Chasing arrows or a number: check your town's recycling list.
We aren't judging any particular product here. A label can be accurate and still not match what your town accepts, which is why the local rule comes first. To find it, search your city or county website for "recycling," or try Earth911's search in the US.
Kepta doesn't read labels. What it does is help you use food before it goes bad, so less of it ends up in the bin, with freshness colors, a countdown to cook raw meat or eat leftovers in the fridge, and reminders that name real items.
