Synthetic Compostable Packaging Does Not Belong in Organic Compost

This spring, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is discussing all areas of the organic regulations that pertain to making compost to apply on organic farms. This is one of the hot topics that organic community members will be considering at the upcoming NOSB Meeting in Milwaukee on April 29 through May 1.

The (NOSB is considering recommending changes to the organic regulations that relate to compost to reflect new developments in the compost industry and food safety regulations, and is also reviewing a petition to the USDA by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). This petition calls on USDA to expand the current compost definitions that reference “plant and animal materials” to a definition that includes the use of synthetic compostable materials as compost feedstocks.  NOC strongly opposes this change.  Even after these synthetic materials are composted, the composts contain micro- and nanoplastics and persistent chemical contaminants that could lead to degradation of organic soils.    

Organic Compost Standards are a Critical Organic Integrity Issue

NOC believes this is a critical organic integrity issue and for that reason, we submitted detailed comments to the NOSB. Here are a few of the key points that we made in our comments:

  • The use of composts is a long-standing and often fundamental part of organic crop production. The current standards have been widely applied and accepted since the inception of the National Organic Program at USDA.

  • The processes set out in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and the organic regulations should guide any proposed changes to organic compost standards.

  • Allowing synthetic compostable packaging as a feedstock in compost could lead to human health concerns and environmental degradation, and would be a grave mistake for the future of organic production.

Synthetic Compostable Packaging Should NOT Be Allowed

The allowance of synthetic compostable packaging in organic compost would degrade soils, not maintain or improve them. NOC has three objections to including these materials in organic compost:

  1. Failure of testing methods: ASTM tests do not show complete biodegradation of synthetic compostable materials. If materials can pass through a 2mm sieve, they are assumed to be broken down. The fact that they are small does not mean they have disintegrated into component parts - it only means the particles are not easily visible to the naked eye. Furthermore, the biodegradation test also allows for a certain percentage to not be fully broken down. Microplastics remain in compost after using compostable packaging as a feedstock.

  2. Adverse Impacts: Allowing synthetic compostable packaging would have an adverse impact on organic ecosystems for a variety of reasons. These include microplastic pollution, chemical persistence, failure of products to fully degrade, human health effects and biodiversity effects. We outline these problems in detail in our comments to the NOSB. Organic land is not a dumping ground to get rid of problematic wastes. While synthetic compostable packaging seems to be environmentally friendly, a deeper dive shows significant negative effects of using that packaging in organic compost. Because of the environmental, health and ecosystem effects of microplastics and other materials contained in synthetic compostable packaging, they should not be allowed to be added to organic compost.

  3. Alternatives: There is no need, other than pressure by industry, to include synthetic compostable packaging in compost feedstocks. The fundamental premise of organic production is to use natural materials wherever possible. Organic compost can be produced with natural inputs. There is no need to add synthetic materials to organic compost. The addition of compostable synthetic materials could be extremely problematic and a vector for contamination of organic land. Microplastic materials in synthetic compostables can contaminate the final compost where they then could be transported into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and add to the plastic pollution problems in all the environments they pass through.

 

You can read NOC’s comments to the NOSB regarding our opposition to the inclusion of synthetic compostable packaging in our ‘Crops’ Comments to the NOSB (see page 3). NOC also made additional comments to the NOSB on many different topics. NOC’s full comments to the NOSB are available here.

 

Join the National Organic Coalition in Milwaukee:

The National Organic Coalition will be convening the organic community at the Historic Pabst Brewery on Sunday, April 28 for a full-day participatory meeting on organic policy and farmer issues. Here is some additional information about upcoming events in Milwaukee. We hope you will join us!

 

Public Comment Webinars

The NOSB will hear oral comments from farmers and organic community members on April 23 and 25.

  • Day 1: Tuesday, April 23 from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern

  • Day 2: Thursday, April 25 from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern

Watch/Listen to the public comment webinars (Use the same link for both days.):
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device.

Please join the webinar with this URL.  https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1618332176
Meeting ID: 161 833 2176

 

Abby Youngblood