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.
-
Thanksgiving Tablecloth Choices: Cotton, Recycled, and Compostable
Thanksgiving table dressing produces a specific decision moment annually — what tablecloth covers the holiday meal? The standard choices include polyester, plastic-coated paper, conventional cotton, and increasingly, sustainable alternatives. Cotton (washable and reusable), recycled fabric, and compostable rolled paper each fit different priorities. Here’s the practical guide to picking the right Thanksgiving tablecloth.
-
The Compostable Cup at a Music Festival Cleanup Record
Music festival post-event cleanup metrics tell a story most attendees don’t see. The data on waste diversion at major festivals shows compostable foodware producing dramatic improvements over conventional plastic. Some festival cleanup operations have set records for compostable diversion percentage. Here’s what the metrics reveal about how compostable foodware actually performs at festival scale.
-
Dog Waste Composting: When It Works and When It Doesn’t
Dog waste in compost is one of the more controversial composting questions. The standard advice is ‘absolutely not’ — pathogen concerns, parasite risks, and contamination of garden soil are real reasons. But a more nuanced answer exists for households committed to handling pet waste responsibly. Specific composting setups handle dog waste safely; others don’t.
-
Compostable Sneakers: When Adidas First Made One That Worked
Adidas introduced the Futurecraft Loop in 2019 — a sneaker designed to be returned at end of life and recycled into new shoes. The ‘Made to Be Remade’ line included experiments in fully-compostable construction. Several iterations followed; some sold; some didn’t. The story of compostable sneaker development reveals what’s achievable and what remains hard in…
-
Old Pasta: Composting Cooked vs Uncooked
Old pasta — both cooked leftovers and stale dry pasta — accumulates in households that cook with pasta regularly. The composting question splits two ways. Cooked pasta has higher moisture and may include sauce; uncooked pasta is essentially dry flour-based material. Different composting setups handle each differently. Here’s the practical guide.
-
A Compostable Cup at a NATO Summit
International summit hosting often produces specific decisions about what materials get used in front of cameras. Some recent NATO summit hosts have made deliberate choices about compostable foodware as part of broader sustainability messaging. Here’s what’s been documented about these decisions, what it might mean, and why summit-scale procurement matters in the broader market.
-
12 Compostable Items for Music Festival Concessions
Music festivals — Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Burning Man — produce massive amounts of foodware waste from concessions. A 100,000-attendee festival can generate 50-150 tons of foodware waste over a weekend. Compostable alternatives have become standard at sustainability-focused festivals. Twelve items that festival concessions actually use.
-
A Compostable Picture Frame From an Art Supply Brand
An art supply brand introduced a compostable picture frame line several years ago. The frames were made from recycled paper, plant-based bioplastic, and wooden corner reinforcement — fully compostable in industrial facilities. The product was a small experiment in a category dominated by plastic and metal frames. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what it…
-
Can I Compost Dairy Products?
Dairy products in compost — milk, yogurt, cheese, butter — are a category that comes up frequently. Standard advice is ‘avoid dairy in backyard compost’ but the actual answer is more nuanced. Some dairy works fine in some composting setups; some causes real problems. Here’s the practical guide for what works, what doesn’t, and what…
-
Wedding Showers: Compostable Decor and Catering
Wedding showers — bridal showers, baby showers, engagement parties, anniversary parties — are concentrated events that often produce substantial single-use waste. A typical 30-50 person bridal shower generates trash bags of plastic plates, cups, utensils, balloons, decorative items, gift wrap, and packaging. The total waste from one event can be 20-50 lbs. Jump to: What…
-
6 Compostable Items for Theme Restaurants
Theme restaurants — Tiki bars, sci-fi cafes, retro diners, holiday-themed restaurants — face specific challenges in adopting compostable foodware. The aesthetic of the theme often calls for distinctive serving vessels, custom packaging, and decorative elements that conventional plastic provides easily but compostable alternatives may not. Six compostable items that fit theme restaurant aesthetics while delivering…
-
Compost-Ready Meal Prep: 7 Recipes With No Plastic Packaging
Meal prep typically involves substantial plastic packaging — produce bags, deli containers, snack bags, ziplocs for portioning. The ‘compost-ready’ alternative uses bulk-bin sourcing, glass storage, paper wrapping, and recipes that produce minimal non-compostable waste. Seven recipes that demonstrate the approach across breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.