The main purpose of compostable products to assist in the collection and diversion of food scraps to composting. Composting facilities can use pipes, probes, and other technologies to better monitor and regulate air flow, temperature, and moisture levels in composting piles. This allows commercial composters to efficiently process large volumes of municipal food waste. At the same time, it helps to ensure that compostable packaging is given enough time to break down in these advanced systems.

Home composting will not be able to produce the same results in the same timeframe without the controls, mechanical processes, and operating systems as commercial compost facilities. Temperatures in home compost piles typically don’t reach the levels of those in commercial or municipal facilities, and many of these products require higher temperatures to break down adequately.