Compostable Packaging Resources & Guides
Welcome to the Pure Compostables resource library — a working set of in-depth guides written for the people who actually procure, evaluate, and switch to compostable packaging. You’ll find detailed certification breakdowns (BPI, TUV, EN 13432, ASTM D6400 and beyond), step-by-step playbooks for transitioning a business away from conventional plastics, and product selection guides covering bag sizes, materials, and use cases. Every article is written from the perspective of a manufacturer with thirteen years of operating experience — not a marketing team. Use the categories below to navigate by topic, or browse the most recent guides directly. If your question isn’t answered here, our team is happy to help — start with our wholesale page or send us a note via the contact page.
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The First Compostable Shopping Bag at a Big-Box Retailer
Whole Foods’ 2008 switch to compostable produce bags wasn’t the first compostable shopping bag in retail, but it was the first to land at a national chain at meaningful scale. The story of how it happened — and what came of it — reveals more about retail packaging economics than about the bag itself.
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Backyard BBQ: Compostable Plate and Napkin Strategy
Backyard BBQs are hard on disposable plates — hot food, BBQ sauce, drippy ribs, eaten on laps not tables. Here’s the compostable plate-and-napkin setup that holds up to a real cookout for 20-50 guests.
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A Buyer’s Guide to Compostable Frozen Yogurt Cups
Frozen yogurt cups need to handle the specific demands of FroYo service — cold load, multi-topping weight, walk-around portability, and the variable serving styles of self-serve shops. Here’s what to spec for a compostable FroYo cup that actually works.
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A Buyer’s Guide to Compostable Smoothie Bowls
Smoothie bowls demand more from a bowl than typical foodservice — heavy load, multi-topping presentation, structural rigidity for eating-with-spoon. Here’s how to spec a compostable smoothie bowl that handles real service without compromising the photo-friendly aesthetic.
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Do I Need to Add Soil to My Compost?
Many composting guides say to add a layer of soil between additions. Most of the time you don’t need to — the microbes you need are already present. Here’s when soil actually helps, when it’s pointless, and what to add instead.
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A Compostable Wine Glass for Outdoor Events
Outdoor events have a wine problem: real glass breaks, plastic looks cheap. The compostable wine glass — a recent product category — solves both. Here’s how the engineering works, what they’re made of, and where the format actually delivers.
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How to Compost Wedding Reception Food Waste
A 150-guest wedding produces 200-400 lbs of food waste, plus napkins, paper goods, and flowers. Most of it is compostable if you’ve planned for it. Here’s the logistics — bins, signage, caterer coordination, and the day-after handoff to a compost hauler.
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How to Photograph Compostable Packaging for Catalogs
Compostable packaging photographs differently than plastic — the matte fiber finishes, kraft-brown colors, and slight irregularities don’t read the same on camera. Here’s how to photograph it for product catalogs without it looking cheap or muddy.
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How Often Should I Turn My Compost Pile?
Turn it daily and you’ll burn out fast. Never turn it and you’ll wait two years. The right turning frequency depends on what you’re optimizing for — speed, effort, or just letting it happen. Here’s the practical answer.
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What’s the Carbon Impact of Industrial Composting vs Home Composting?
Backyard composting and commercial composting both keep food waste out of landfills, but their carbon footprints are different in interesting ways. Here’s the actual math — methane, transport, processing energy, and what it adds up to per ton of waste.
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The Basics of Energy Conservation in Restaurants
Restaurants are the most energy-intensive commercial buildings in the US — 2.5 to 3 times more energy per square foot than average commercial space. Here’s where the energy actually goes, the high-leverage targets for cutting bills, and what the payback math looks like.
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Can I Compost Receipts?
The short answer is almost always no — thermal paper receipts contain BPA or BPS that don’t belong in compost. Here’s how to tell which receipts are which, what the chemicals actually do, and the rare exceptions where receipts can be composted safely.