Making good choices when purchasing food service ware products can be quite complicated. That’s because not all food ware marketed as “compostable” gets composted at the large-scale commercial composting facilities that process our county’s food scraps and food-soiled paper. Many factors play a role, including the ability to distinguish compostable and non-compostable food ware, the food ware item’s thickness as well as time spent going through the composting process.

While molded paper/fiber products generally break down, some other products—even if certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)*—may decompose only partially or not at all. This guide aims to assist you in selecting the best single-use compostable products currently available when reusable food ware is not an option.