Don't put compostable plastics in green bin, Metro Vancouver says

The take-out cup and straw from your local juice shop may say "compostable" on it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can toss it in your green bin.

"There seems to be confusion about compostable plastics," said Karen Storry,a senior engineer with Metro Vancouver.

"Even if they are labelled compostable, they may not be accepted at local facilities."

Compostable products on the market include things like straws and other dinnerware made from either paper or PLA- polylactic acid,which are made from natural resources like corn and look like traditional plastic.

Storrysays paper-based products can be put in curbside-collected green bins, but she doesn't know of any of the region's municipalitiesthat accept the plastic-looking compostable items and that goes for bags too.

These items are growing in popularity ascities like Vancouver are looking atmaking all single-use items recyclable or compostable, and as businesses look to make a smaller environmental impact.

But Storry says there are only a few facilities locallythat meet specific conditions for handling compostableplastic containers including high temperatures, bacteria and composting over a longer periodof time.

That means it is up to businesseswho contract their own green bin collection companyto make sure they can handle the plastics.

"For businesses that are switching to compostable plastics, it is important for them to check to make sure that, at a minimum, it is accepted,"Storrysaid.

'There is no clear science to say it is remarkably better'

In a statement, the City of Vancouver says the facilities that handle its curbside green waste will filter out the compostable plasticsand send them to the dump.

The question is, what happens to them then, under conditions that are very different from a compost heap.

"When we talked to researchers and looked into the science of ... is it better in a landfill to have regular plastic or compostable plastic items, it was inconclusive," said Storry.

"There is no clear science that says it is remarkably better to have one or the other."

Compostable plastics are also not recommended for backyard compost bins, which likely don't get hot enough. Also, theplastics are considered contaminates and removed from recycling processes.

So,what do you do with the cup you just brought home? If you live in a strata, check whetherthe company collecting your buildings organics will accept them. You can also try taking it back to the store or restaurant you bought it from and make sure itsgreen bin collectorcan process it.

'It's a bit of aWild West out there'

The Compost Council of Canada says while itbelieves these items are a good step,the lack of infrastructure is posing a challenge for the industry. The council is a non-profit that advocates for organics composting and represents facilities.

Executive director Susan Antler says facilities have to operate under strict conditionsof what can be inside their end product before it is sold as compost, so they have to be extra cautious about what goes in. Atraditional plastic straw can look just like a compostable one, she adds.

"The compost facility is saying we can't distinguish one from the other, so we don't want any,"Antler said.

The other issue, she says, is whether items being sold as compostable actually are. She says some companies have gone through the process of being certified to prove they will break down in compost facilities. But there are some who haven't, and she says the federal government should do more to verify theclaims.

"It is a bit of a Wild West out there, and sothat iswhy we are keen on saying "certified compostable" because then the company and product have invested in the process to say we are not going to do any harm in the compost process," Antler said.

"But at this point there aren't a lot of screens on that."

The other issue she says is funding. Recycle B.C. collects fees from any company that produces packaging of any kind and right now that money canonly be used to pay for recycling programs.

Antler wants to see those funds put toward composting.

Metro Vancouver says theissue will have to be looked at by all levels of government.

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