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Compostable Cups, Plates, Bowls, & Utensils
Instructions
Make sure that the items are labeled BPI "compostable" and put them in the green compost cart. If labeled "biodegradable", "bioplastic," or anything else, put them in the gray cart (landfill).
Alternatives
Use reusable cups, plates, and utensils instead. When you do buy single-use items, look for 100% recycled content, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, or paper, or wooden options.
Facts
In general, compostable products take longer to breakdown than the commercial compost pile takes to "finish". So, before they have time to breakdown they are picked out of commercial composter piles, because they are still solid and look like plastics. "Biodegradable" products require one year or longer to breakdown. These materials often have some portion of plastic as an ingredient which means when they do degrade, that plastic is put into the environment. It is best to place these biodegradable items into the landfill.
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