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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8 Compostable Items for Corporate Lunch Service
Office lunch programs run through staggering volumes of disposable foodware — a 200-person office doing daily catered lunch goes through ~50,000 individual pieces of foodware per year. Eight specific items that compost well and have proven supplier ecosystems, with real costs and tradeoffs.
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The Repair Cafe Movement: Where to Go When You Can’t DIY
A Repair Cafe is exactly what it sounds like: a place where volunteers help you fix broken things instead of throwing them out. The movement started in Amsterdam in 2009 and has spread to thousands of locations worldwide. Here’s how it works, how to find one near you, and how to start one if there…
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10 Reasons Restaurants Switch to Compostable Foodware
Restaurants switch to compostable foodware for ten common reasons — and most operators are weighing several at once. Some are forced into it by foam bans. Some chase customer demand. Some discover their hauler bill drops once they pair compostables with a composting program. This article walks through the ten reasons that come up most…
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Compostable Stir Sticks for Cocktail Service: A B2B Buyer’s Guide for Bars and Beverage Programs
Stir sticks serve a small but visible role in cocktail and beverage service. The compostable wood, bamboo, and CPLA stir stick category provides the alternative to conventional plastic stirrers — here’s the working B2B buying framework.
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Trench Composting: A Garden Bed Strategy You Can Set and Forget
Trench composting is the laziest legitimate composting method out there — and that’s meant as praise. You dig a hole in your garden, dump your kitchen scraps in, cover them with soil, and walk away. Six months later your soil is better. No pile to turn, no thermometer, no carbon-to-nitrogen ratio worries. Here’s how to…
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The Compostable Plate Made From Kelp at a Sushi Chain
Kelp-based foodware is one of the more interesting frontiers in compostable products. Several startups are working on it, a handful of restaurants are piloting it, and the environmental case is compelling — kelp grows fast, doesn’t need land or fresh water, and actually sequesters carbon as it grows. Here’s where the category is at.
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The Compostable Bowl That Survived a Microwave Better Than Pyrex
Bagasse bowls are surprisingly competent in the microwave — sometimes outperforming glass for specific use cases. The story of a bagasse bowl outlasting a Pyrex is partly apocryphal and partly a reflection of how thermal shock actually works. Here’s the real microwave compatibility breakdown for compostable foodware.
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What If I Don’t Have a Yard? Apartment Composting Solutions
Apartment dwellers, urban renters, condo residents — composting is harder for you, but it’s not impossible. The yard-less options range from simple (drop-off at a community garden) to involved (a worm bin under your kitchen sink). Here’s how to figure out which combination works for your situation.
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A Buyer’s Guide to Compostable Sandwich Wraps
Sandwich wrap selection is more complicated than it looks — grease resistance, structural integrity, food safety, and customer-facing visibility all matter. Plus a lot of sandwich wraps that look paper-based actually have plastic linings. Here’s a buyer’s guide for delis, sandwich shops, and cafes considering the compostable switch.
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A Buyer’s Guide to Compostable Cocktail Picks for Garnishes
Cocktail picks are one of the easiest sustainability swaps a bar can make. Plastic plastic picks cost less than a penny each and are everywhere; bamboo and wood picks cost slightly more, perform better, and look better. This is a buyer’s guide for bar managers and restaurant operators making the switch.
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The Compost Pile That Ate a Refrigerator Box (Cardboard Composting at Scale)
There’s a story that circulates among home composters about somebody whose pile absorbed a refrigerator box. Whether the specific story is true matters less than what it illustrates: cardboard is one of the best browns you can put in a pile, and a healthy pile can absorb more than you’d think. Here’s how to put…
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Can I Compost Coffee Filters and Tea Bags?
Short answer: paper coffee filters yes, tea bags it depends on the brand. The longer answer involves understanding which tea bags are pure paper, which have plastic mesh, and what to do about the staple. Here’s the full breakdown.