A new pilot is being launched to better understand the performance of compostable packaging at industrial composting facilities around the country.
The Compostable Packaging Degradation Pilot is being launched by the Composting Consortium, which describes itself as a collaboration of industry partners managed by Closed Loop Partners.
The consortium is working to improve data about the degradation of certified, food-contact compostable foodware and packaging at different types of composting facilities, including those who use static piles, worms and covers.
The pilot will examine more than 30 different products and packaging types, including bioplastic cups and compostable cutlery, at locations with different climates, methods and equipment, Closed Loop said.
"The Degradation Pilot is a critical step in the Composting Consortium's broader work to identify best practices in areas including consumer understanding of compostable packaging labeling and collection, sortation and sensing technologies, and policy," Closed Loop said in announcing the work.
Pilot testing data will be donated to the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), a non-profit facilitating field testing in North America. CFTP works to develop data "that correlates composting conditions with the disintegration of common compostable products and packaging," Closed Loop said.
Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm focused on circular economy issues.