Get answers to all the quick questions you have about composting and compostable products. We provide information as transparently as possible because our reason for being is to provide environmental benefit for the world.
Yes. EcoSafe compostable bags, liners, and other certified products are designed to break down in commercial composting facilities and are independently verified through rigorous third-party testing.
Our products are BPI Certified, meaning they meet the requirements of ASTM D6400, the leading North American standard for compostable plastics. This certification verifies that products are designed to disintegrate during the composting process and leave behind no harmful residues. That’s right, there are no PFAs in BPI Certified compostable products.
To further demonstrate real-world performance, our EcoSafe products have achieved CMA-IAW acceptance through the Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA). CMA-IAW (In-Vessel, Aerated Static Pile, and Windrow) acceptance means these products have been tested and successfully proven to disintegrate in all three major commercial composting technologies used across North America. This provides composters, municipalities, haulers, and end users with additional confidence that EcoSafe products perform as intended in operational composting environments.
We believe certifications matter because they help distinguish truly compostable products from materials that may be marketed as "green," "biodegradable," or "eco-friendly" but are not designed to compost properly.
When choosing compostable products, look for trusted third-party certifications such as BPI Certification and CMA acceptance to help ensure the products you use are compatible with commercial composting systems and support the creation of healthy compost.
Yes they do. Because compostable productsare designed to break down, the materials and processes used to create are notas permanent as plastic bags. The degradation process doesn’t truly start untilthey conditions for composting a just right like they are at an industrialcomposting facility. However, even on their own, compostable bags will begin toweaken after about 1 year. After a year of sitting on a shelf, the seams of thebag will begin to lose some of the strength that a new bag has. To gain extratime with your bags, store them in a cool dry place and out of direct sunlight.
Here are some tips:
1. Do not put plastics, glass, cans, or any non-organic items in the food scraps collection bin.
2. Check the website of your local composter or municipality to learn about “what is” and “what is not” accepted in your food scraps collection bin
3. Ensure that any compostable items such as compostable bags, utensils, cups, etc. are BPI certified and CMA approved. These certifications ensure that the items are easily identified and will compost properly in a commercial compost facility.
4. Lining your kitchen bin with an EcoSafe compostable liner will keep your bin clean and help reduce odors and fruit flies.
Since society started the migration from rural to urban centers, we have struggled to control food waste. In the 20th Century, we moved to a highly automated “tip and dump” system that included food and organics with trash destined for landfills. In some progressive cities and countries, recycling was added, but there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve Zero Waste in a growing society of over consumption.
Additionally, industrial agriculture practices have depleted healthy soil after years of pesticide use and tilling practices. With hotter temperatures on the rise, droughts and flooding is also on the rise. This is causing major negative impacts on farmland by increasing soil erosion, washing away the areas we need to grow food, and creating less resilient communities.
The good news is that by composting, we can keep nature in balance by replenishing the soil with nutrient-rich organic matter that maintains the natural biocycle. The healthier the soil, the more carbon is placed back into the soil. We must accelerate the collection of food scraps to produce compost that can be returned to local farmers in order to support regenerative agriculture. This video from Kiss the Ground explains the benefits of food scraps that are diverted from landfills.
EcoSafe compostable bags, liners, and foodservice products are designed to break down using the same natural process that decomposes food scraps, leaves, and other organic materials in a commercial composting facility.
When placed in an active compost pile, naturally occurring microorganisms release enzymes that break down the material's plant-based polymer chains into smaller components. These components are then consumed and digested by the microorganisms alongside food scraps and other organic matter.
Unlike conventional plastics, EcoSafe compostable products do not require special additives or chemical treatments to break down. They rely on the heat, moisture, oxygen, and microbial activity already present in a properly managed composting environment.
At the end of the composting process, the material is converted into water, carbon dioxide, and nutrient-rich organic matter that contributes to healthy compost. The result is a product designed to return to the soil as part of the natural carbon cycle rather than persist in the environment as plastic waste.
To ensure performance in real-world composting systems, EcoSafe products are certified to ASTM D6400 standards through BPI and many products have also achieved CMA-IAW acceptance through testing in commercial composting facilities.
EcoSafe® compostable resins are made of compostable biopolymers, PBAT and PLA. We do not put a product in market without industry-best testing and confirmation of compostability.
Unlike traditional plastic bags and other single-use plastic items that last for decades in landfills, EcoSafe’s compostable products are strong like traditional plastic – yet – when disposed of in a commercial compost facility, the material will decompose within 10 – 45 days depending on the type of composting technology being used.
Composting facilities can take 2-6 months to fully compost organic matter. Commercial compost facilities send our collected bags/products along with other food scraps and organic matter through a grinder that partially disintegrates material to speed up the composting process. A feedstock mixture of carbon materials (brown items such as lawn waste) and nitrogen materials (green items such as food scraps and our bags) are full of microorganisms that give off enzymes to break down all of the material. Commercial compost facilities apply high heat in an intense composting phase that generally lasts 3-6 weeks to sanitize and break down most of the organic material. This composting stage is where most facilities vary in their process.
Finally, all compost must undergo a curing process that reduces heat and finalizes material breakdown, lasting 2-4 months depending on the composting process. At the end of the composting process, our compostable bags/products have broken down into nothing but water, a small amount of CO2 (this is produced by all food or products in the composting process), and humus (a nutrient-rich organic material).
Thank you for taking the steps to ensure you are compliant with local policies. If your city doesn’t accept compostable bags or other compostable products, it is most likely due to the lack of composting infrastructure that can support processing them. We are currently working with the government across North America on all levels to ensure that composters can accept our compostable film products. If you’re looking to advocate for the transition from plastics to compostables, notify your local MP or contact us, we’d be happy to help!
Terms like “biodegradable”, “oxo-degradable”, and “photo-degradable” sound like they are the same as “compostable.” However, these products will not compost at a commercial compost facility as they contain components of plastic and will need to be removed manually by the facility to avoid contaminating an entire batch of compost.
The term “biodegradable” or similar terms are often used as a marketing tactic in film plastics to make consumers think they are environmentally friendly. The truth is most of these products are just polyethylene products that have additives which cause them to fragment into smaller pieces of plastic which remain in the environment for years to come.
There is no standard specification against which to measure the term “biodegradable”, thus it really doesn’t mean much of anything. “Certified Compostable”, on the other hand, is measured to ASTM D6400, the standard specification test for compostability, which allows manufacturers to print the BPI logo on their products and packaging.
Contamination is the presence of an undesirable item that spoils the composting process and makes inferior soil material deemed unsuitable for growing purposes. Compost must be nearly entirely free of visual impurities which is why managing contamination is critical. Items such as plastic bags, produce stickers, glass bottles, uncertified compostable products, and other inorganic items should stay out of food scrap and organics collection programs.
The success of the composting industry depends on the strength of the end-markets for finished compost, that is why EcoSafe heavily focuses on addressing contamination through our food scrap collection programs.
Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is wreaking havoc on our natural ecosystems, so it is critical to reduce waste and human impacts where we can. Food scraps is an amazing resource that should not be mistaken as trash destined for landfills. Collecting food scraps for compost is essential to solving the climate crisis, and it doesn’t have to be complicated!
When food is sent to landfill, it degrades anaerobically (without oxygen) which emits methane, a greenhouse gas that is 20x-80x more harmful than CO2. The single most important thing we as an urban society can do is compost our organic waste and return it to the soil as a nutrient rich organic supplement that replaces chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
Compost is the foundation of the natural biosphere that has evolved for more than a billion years. Everything that lives, flora or fauna, must die. Through nature’s carbon cycle, it gets returned to the soil to support the intricate balance of life on our planet.
The proper way to collect food scraps is to avoid combining common recycling practices with your compost, often considered “contamination”. Plastic bags, produce stickers, bread tags, and other plastics, glass, or non-organic items are considered “contamination” items that must not get mixed into food scraps and organic waste collection systems. Composters are responsible for processing this material into compost, and for the compost to be useful in a healthy soil environment, we need to keep non-organic items out.
If you already have bins, or have your desired bins in mind, head over to our bag size calculator. There you can search by bin name or by inputting the dimensions of your bin. There is also a Right Fit Guide you can download that can help you find the right bin from a list of some of the most widely used bins, and see the corresponding properly fitting EcoSafe compostable bag.
EcoSafe compostable bags, liners, and foodservice products were primarily developed to help collect and divert food scraps from landfill to composting facilities. In many organics programs, compostable liners improve participation, reduce contamination, and make food scrap collection cleaner and more convenient for residents, businesses, and institutions.
To break down effectively, compostable products require the same conditions as other organic materials: heat, moisture, oxygen, and microbial activity. Commercial composting facilities are specifically designed to create and maintain these conditions at scale. Through active management, facilities monitor and regulate airflow, moisture levels, and temperatures—often maintaining temperatures between 55°C and 70°C (131°F to 158°F) for extended periods. Many facilities also use turning equipment, aeration systems, probes, and other technologies to optimize the composting process and ensure materials receive adequate exposure to these conditions.
Home compost systems can certainly break down many organic materials, but they are often less consistent. Temperatures tend to fluctuate with the weather and rarely reach or sustain the same high temperatures achieved in commercial composting operations. As a result, compostable products that are designed and certified for commercial composting may take significantly longer to break down in a backyard compost pile or may not fully decompose under typical home composting conditions.
It's important to note that "commercially compostable" does not mean a product requires special chemicals or industrial treatments to break down. Rather, it means the product has been tested and certified to compost within the conditions commonly found at professionally managed composting facilities.
EcoSafe products are certified to meet ASTM D6400 compostability standards through BPI Certification, and many products have also achieved CMA-IAW acceptance, demonstrating successful disintegration in real-world In-Vessel, Aerated Static Pile, and Windrow composting systems.
As composting infrastructure continues to evolve, so do compostable products. EcoSafe is currently working toward additional home compostability certifications for select products, helping expand the range of composting environments where certified compostable products can successfully break down while maintaining the performance customers expect.
While EcoSafe compostable bags and liners are designed to break down into compost, they are certified for commercial composting systems, not typical backyard compost piles.
Commercial composting facilities maintain the heat, moisture, oxygen, and microbial activity needed to efficiently break down compostable products. These systems often sustain temperatures between 55°C and 70°C (131°F to 158°F) for extended periods, creating ideal conditions for decomposition. Most backyard compost piles do not consistently reach or maintain these temperatures, especially during colder months.
As a result, EcoSafe compostable products may take much longer to break down in a home compost system than food scraps, leaves, and yard trimmings. While the material will naturally biodegrade over time in the presence of oxygen and microorganisms, the process is often slower and less predictable without the managed conditions of a commercial composting facility.
The good news is that certified compostable products are designed to fully break down into natural elements and organic matter. Unlike conventional plastics, they are not designed to leave behind persistent plastic fragments or microplastic contamination when properly composted. Compostability certifications such as BPI Certification (ASTM D6400) require products to disintegrate and biodegrade within the composting process while meeting strict limits for ecotoxicity and heavy metals.
For the best results, we recommend using EcoSafe compostable products in communities and facilities that accept food scraps and certified compostable products through a commercial composting program. We are also actively pursuing home compostability certifications for select products to provide more options for consumers who compost at home.
EcoSafe compostable bags and liners make food scrap collection cleaner, easier, and more convenient. They help control odours, reduce mess and leaks, minimize fruit flies and pests, and reduce the need for bin washing.
For homes, businesses, and municipalities, compostable liners have been shown to increase participation in organics programs by making food scrap collection simple and user-friendly. They also help keep conventional plastic bags out of compost streams, reducing contamination and supporting the production of high-quality compost.
Best of all, EcoSafe liners are strong, durable, and moisture-resistant, providing the performance you need while helping keep food scraps out of landfills and returning nutrients back to the soil.
Not if it's used properly.
One of the easiest ways to reduce odours is to line your kitchen pail or green bin with a certified compostable liner. Liners help contain food scraps, moisture, and liquids that can otherwise collect in the bottom of the bin and create unpleasant smells. They also make it easier to empty your bin, keep containers cleaner, reduce the need for washing, and discourage pests such as fruit flies and maggots.
EcoSafe compostable liners are designed to be strong, leak-resistant, and tear-resistant, helping keep food scraps contained until collection day. When paired with regular organics collection and simple habits like keeping lids closed and emptying bins regularly, odours are typically minimal.
In fact, many organics programs use compostable liners because they make food scrap collection cleaner, more convenient, and more enjoyable for residents, leading to higher participation rates and better diversion results.
No. Certified compostable bags are designed to be composted, not recycled.
Compostable products are made from materials specifically engineered to break down in composting environments. Because they have different material properties than conventional plastics, they are not compatible with plastic recycling systems and can contaminate recycling streams if placed in recycling bins.
The best end-of-life option for certified compostable bags is a commercial composting facility that accepts food scraps and compostable products. Always check local program requirements before disposal.
Compostable bags are designed to break downin active composting environments, not on roadsides, in parks, or in thenatural environment.
Like all certified compostable products,EcoSafe bags require the right combination of heat, moisture, oxygen, andmicrobial activity to compost effectively. Without these conditions,decomposition occurs much more slowly.
While certified compostable products aredesigned to fully biodegrade and not leave behind persistent microplastics whenproperly composted, they should never be considered litter-friendly. Theresponsible disposal method is through a commercial organics collection programthat sends materials to a composting facility.
EcoSafe compostable bags are manufactured using a process called blown film extrusion, which is similar to the process used to make conventional plastic bags.
Compostable resin pellets are melted and extruded through a circular die to create a thin film bubble. The bubble is carefully cooled, flattened, and wound into rolls before being converted into finished bags. The film is then sealed and perforated to create individual bags with the strength, flexibility, and performance needed for food scrap collection.
This process allows EcoSafe bags to deliver the durability and leak resistance customers expect while maintaining certified compostability.
EcoSafe's compostability certifications can be found directly on our products, packaging, and product documentation.
Our products are certified to meet ASTM D6400 compostability standards through the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), and many products have also achieved CMA-IAW acceptance through the Compost Manufacturing Alliance, demonstrating successful disintegration in In-Vessel, Aerated Static Pile, and Windrow composting systems.
Certification numbers can be found on product packaging or provided upon request. We encourage customers to verify certifications directly through the certifying organizations and to look for trusted third-party certifications whenever evaluating compostable products.
For more than 20 years, EcoSafe has helped municipalities, haulers, composters, property managers, schools, universities, restaurants, and businesses launch and improve food scrap collection programs. Whether you're starting from scratch or expanding an existing program, we can help with the right bins, compostable liners, signage, training, and best practices to maximize participation and minimize contamination.
A successful food scrap collection program requires more than just a bin. The most effective programs combine the right collection containers, certified compostable liners, clear signage, staff or resident education, and a processing partner that accepts organics. EcoSafe works with organizations across North America to design collection systems that are easy to use, cost-effective, and tailored to local composting requirements.
Yes. Program participation and contamination are often the biggest challenges facing food scrap collection programs. EcoSafe has worked with municipalities, multi-family properties, institutions, workplaces, restaurants, haulers, and composters to develop proven strategies that increase participation, improve source separation, and reduce contamination. Through education, signage, training, and certified compostable collection solutions, we help make organics diversion easier for everyone involved. See our Case Studies page for more information.
The cost of food scrap collection varies depending on your location, service provider, collection frequency, and the amount of organic material generated. In many communities, organics collection can be less expensive than landfill disposal because composting facilities often have lower tipping fees than landfills.
Organizations that successfully divert food scraps from garbage can also reduce landfill disposal costs and improve waste diversion performance. EcoSafe can help connect you with resources, best practices, and collection solutions that support efficient organics programs.
Yes. Many organizations have reduced waste management costs by diverting food scraps from landfill to composting. This can lower landfill tipping fees, reduce garbage service requirements, and help organizations comply with local regulations.
One of the biggest cost drivers in organics programs is contamination. When non-compostable materials are placed in organics bins, loads may be rejected or subject to contamination fees. That's why EcoSafe focuses on education, signage, training, and certified compostable collection systems that make source separation simple and effective.
Food scraps are typically collected by municipal services or private waste haulers and transported to a commercial composting facility.
Depending on your location, food scrap collection may be provided as part of a municipal organics program or through a contracted hauling service. Haulers are responsible for collecting organics from homes, businesses, institutions, and multi-family properties and delivering them to composting facilities where they are transformed into nutrient-rich compost.
For over 20 years, EcoSafe has worked with municipalities, haulers, composters, property managers, schools, universities, restaurants, and businesses across North America to support successful organics diversion programs. From bins and certified compostable liners to signage, education, and training, we help organizations build cleaner, more effective food scrap collection systems.
A contamination fee is a charge that may be applied when an organics load contains too much non-compostable material, such as plastic bags, packaging, or garbage.
Highly contaminated loads can be rejected by composting facilities and redirected to landfill, resulting in additional transportation, disposal, and processing costs. Preventing contamination starts with clear education, proper signage, and easy-to-use collection systems that help people put the right materials in the right bin.
A tipping fee, sometimes called a gate fee, is the charge paid to dispose of materials at a landfill, composting facility, or other processing site. These fees are generally based on the weight of the material delivered.
Tipping fees help facilities cover operating costs, infrastructure investments, environmental monitoring, and regulatory compliance. Because tipping fees can vary significantly between landfills and composting facilities, diverting food scraps to composting can often provide economic and environmental benefits.
We offer standard, expedited, and express shipping options:
• Standard Shipping (5–7 business days) – Free on orders over $50
• Expedited Shipping (2–3 business days)
• Express Shipping (1 business day)
Shipping rates are calculated at checkout and may vary based on location, order size, and shipping method selected.
At this time, we only ship orders within Canada through our online store.
For customers in the U.S., our compostable products are primarily available through our network of distribution partners serving food service operators, institutions, municipalities, businesses, and retailers. If you're located in the U.S. and interested in our products, please contact us and we'll be happy to connect you with a distributor near you.
Orders are typically processed within 1–2 business days. Orders placed on weekends or statutory holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Once your order ships, you'll receive a shipping confirmation email containing your tracking number and a link to track your shipment.
If your package hasn't arrived within the estimated delivery window, please contact our customer service team with your order number. We'll work with the carrier to investigate the shipment and help resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
We accept returns within 30 days of delivery for unused, unopened items in original packaging. A receipt or proof of purchase is required.
For hygiene and safety reasons used products cannot be returned unless defective.
Contact us with your order number and the reason for return. Our team will provide a return shipping label and instructions.
We offer free return shipping for defective or incorrect items. For all other returns, the customer is responsible for return shipping costs unless otherwise stated.
Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days of receiving the returned item. Refunds are issued to the original method of payment.
Due to the nature of the products, please make sure to check our bag size calculator before purchasing as we do not offer an item exchange unless the item is defective.
As a product containing certified compostable polymers and renewable resources, these bags have a shelf life, and are not designed to be recycled in a standard facility that processes plastics. The limited life factor of the resin makes it unsuitable for processing into further products. Please keep compostable products out of the recycling bin as this will contaminate the recycling systems.
These bags are not designed to breakdown in a non-composting environment, as is the case with all certified compostable film bags. The lack of appropriate levels of heat, moisture, oxygen, and microbes mean that a bag thrown on the ground will remain as litter until it is broken down mechanically over time. It is thus important that these bags be disposed of in a commercial composting facility via a food scraps or organic waste collection program. This is the only appropriate end of life for this product.
Our bags are a blown film product – pellets of compostable resin are melted down inside a large machine called an extruder. This liquid is then blown through a die head which creates a bubble to a specific diameter based on the desired bag size. From there, the bubble travels up at a height which allows it to cool, so that when it is gusseted, folded, and wound onto itself, it is already in solid form and thus will not stick to itself. Lastly, it is either transferred to rolls for conversion into bags at a later date or is fed directly via a series of tensioned winders through machines that seal and perforate the bags, dictating the length of each bag.
Our BPI certification number can be found printed on our products and in our full BPI logo. In certain places with limited space, such as on cartons or boxes, a smaller logo is used that does not require the certification number to be printed on it. Nevertheless, any manufacturer that is claiming to be certified compostable will readily provide their certification number on request which can be cross referenced at www.bpiworld.org.
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