A Sebastopol resident was surprised to learn that, while compostable bags are a better alternative for standard plastic bags, ...

Do our “compostable” bags, utensils and containers really return to nature? Hailed as a solution to the plastic problem, a growing number of new materials — marketed as biodegradable, sustainable, ...

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network. In the United States, one of the best-selling dog waste bags on Amazon is compostable. So far, so green.

These buzzwords are increasingly appearing on utensils, to-go cups and food containers and other kinds of disposable packaging. While you might think the dizzying array of products could be a simple ...

It’s no longer a secret that single-use plastic is harming the planet. Not only does the process of creating these materials emit enormous amounts of planet-warming gases, but they also can take ...

A new report from Beyond Plastics, an NGO, claims that very little of the bioplastics labeled as compostable can be composted by consumers. “Compostable” bioplastics can only be broken down in ...

1:10 p.m. July 21, 2025: An earlier version of this article referred to an independent review board, contracted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as the Organics Material Review Institute. The ...

Regulatory questions cloud the segment’s future, as do concerns about feedstocks, material capabilities and compostability ...

The dismal results of the UK's Big Compost Experiment reveal that most so-called compostable plastics do not break down in backyard compost bins. Composting is a bit like alchemy. You put food scraps ...