Is Compostable Silverware Sustainable?

Photo retrieved from Food52

It's easy to assume that anything "compostable" is good for the environment. For some waste (read: food scraps) composting is the perfect disposal method, but for waste like single-use silverware, composting may not be the best option. In this post I'll explain the pros and cons of compostable cutlery.

Pros

Compostable silverware is not plastic

Any utensil that isn't adding plastic to the environment is a pretty good utensil. Plastic is polluting our waterways, beaches and streets, and microplastics are contaminating our food and the air all around us. This pollution is harming all types of plant and animals species, including humans.

Compostable silverware is designed to break down faster than plastic while maintaining the convenience of single-use utensils. This makes compostable silverware a convenient option that contributes less to air, water and land pollution. Long story short, plastic pollution is majorly scary so anything we can do to reduce single-use plastics is a good option.

Some compostable silverware can compost in your backyard

Compostable silverware that is certified by the Biodegradable Product Institute (BPI) can be added to your backyard composter. Although it will take a lot longer to compost than fruit and veg scraps, it will eventually breakdown without harming your compost or your soil.

In theory, BPI certified products could also be added to community compost facilities. However, since these operations usually have strict time limits and routines for their waste streams, throwing silverware into the mix (which takes a lot longer to compost) would throw off their system. I talk more about this point in the "cons” section.

Cons

Compostable silverware isn’t quality compost

Some silverware that is advertised as "compostable" or “biodegradable,” but is not BPI certified, is only compostable after being broken down (via chopping and heat) in an industrial facility. This means that breaking down these compostable materials requires energy, which releases excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Making matters worse, many compostable utensils don't even come close to having the amount of nutrients that are typically in compost ingredients like fruit and veggie scraps. This means that not only do they require extra energy to compost in industrial settings, but they also typically don't create rich or valuable compost.

Compostable silverware could contaminate waste streams

Like I mentioned above, many community compost facilities don't accept compostable silverware. This means that if people place their compostable utensils in a community compost bin, that compost bin is now contaminated and likely won't be accepted at the compost facility.

If contamination occurs, all the properly sorted contents in compost bin will also be sent to the landfill, where they won't be able to break down and will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. This is clearly a major issue that could lead perfectly good compost to go to waste due to contamination. However, some community compost facilities might accept BPI certified compostable silverware, so check with your local facility to be sure.

Compostable silverware is single-use waste

Single-use products that require burning fossil fuels during production are typically worse for the environment than reusable products. This is because all of the energy used to make these product goes to waste immediately after their first use. This means that more products need to be made (and more energy used) to continually replace the products.

On the other hand, after reusable products are manufactured, they can be used again and again without the need for making more products. In other words, reusable products can get you more bang for your energy buck, making them inherently more sustainable. At the end of the day, compostable waste is still waste that needs to be reduced.