Industry Knowledge

An honest look at whether compostable soda can tabs exist — what’s actually been developed, what would be needed for a real product, and why the aluminum tab specifically has been one of the harder packaging components to replace with a compostable alternative.

A specific UK publisher’s experiment with a fully compostable children’s picture book — paper from sustainable sources, plant-based inks, plant-starch glue binding — and what happened when it went into a commercial composter. A small fun fact about publishing innovation.

A working bioplastics glossary for B2B procurement teams — PLA, PHA, PBAT, PHB, Bio-PE, CPLA and more, with what each material is, how it behaves, where it fits in foodservice procurement, and the certification implications.

PHA — polyhydroxyalkanoates — is a class of biopolymers produced by bacteria, with surprising properties that distinguish them from PLA and other plant-based plastics. Eight things worth knowing about the material category quietly reshaping bioplastics.

The story of mycelium-based acoustic panels — grown from agricultural waste, fully compostable at end of life — and why a handful of architects have started specifying them as cubicle wall material in place of fabric-wrapped fiberglass.

A compostable bird feeder made entirely from sunflower seeds is a real and documented DIY project. Compressed sunflower seed cakes — sometimes with peanut butter or honey as binder — work as both food source and the feeder itself. Birds eat the seeds; the remaining structure eventually breaks down and composts. The feeder lasts 1-3…

During the 2020-2022 pandemic, the global use of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) exploded. Surgical masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns generated an estimated 3.4 billion individual items per day at the peak. Most was made from synthetic plastics — polypropylene, polyethylene, nitrile rubber — that persist for centuries in landfills. Some researchers and companies…

What 2026 research shows about microplastic shedding from food packaging — by material category, by application, what regulatory direction is taking, and the procurement implications for B2B foodservice operators.

A compostable Christmas tree skirt is an unusual product category — most tree skirts are made from synthetic velvet, polyester, or acrylic fabric and are designed to last for many decades of seasonal reuse. The compostable version is for households that want to make different choices: natural fiber fabric that breaks down cleanly when retired…

Major sustainable stadiums report annual diversion rates that translate into substantial absolute waste volumes. A 90-ton annual figure is realistic for a mid-size sports venue with mature compostable foodware and active organics collection — that’s roughly 180,000 pounds of food waste, paper packaging, compostable foodware, and other compostable materials redirected from landfill each year. This…

Disposable shoe covers at tourism sites — museums, archaeological excavations, traditional Japanese homes, sensitive cultural venues — are a small but globally distributed waste category. The conventional shoe cover is a thin polypropylene fabric with an elastic band, used once and tossed into general waste. Some venues have transitioned to compostable shoe covers made from…

American households spend $3.5-4.5 billion on Halloween costumes annually, and the majority of those costumes end up in landfill within a year. The conventional Halloween costume is polyester, polyamide, or similar synthetic fabric — durable for one-night use but persistent for centuries in landfills. Compostable Halloween costumes — made from natural fiber materials like cotton,…