Composting is no longer confined to backyard bins or practiced solely by eco-conscious individuals. It has become an integral part of more waste management systems as nations work to combat global warming and lower their environmental footprints. The UK and France are the latest countries to pass laws that mandate food waste composting systems, joining a growing list of European nations, including Italy, Austria, and Spain, that have enacted similar policies.
These efforts are part of a global shift toward a more circular approach to waste, where composting plays a vital role. By allowing organic waste to decompose naturally, composting creates a valuable end product: agricultural compost that can be used on fields and in gardens, where it helps restore soil, increase crop yields, reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers, and absorb planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere. At the same time, composting keeps this waste out of landfills, where methane and other greenhouse gas emissions are produced as it breaks down over time.
Composting also has an economic impact. Diverting more waste to composting saves space in municipal landfills, which extends landfill lifespans and reduces their long-term management expenses, such as methane capture systems and leachate treatment to prevent pollution. Moreover, industries that rely on compostable materials—such as sustainable agriculture, bio-packaging, and compostable textiles—are creating new jobs and driving innovation. As the demand for compostable materials rises, so too does the economic potential for companies developing these alternatives.
The clear environmental and economic benefits of composting raise an important question: As more countries adopt composting laws, why limit these efforts to food scraps?
The potential of composting extends far beyond kitchen waste. Recent advancements in compostable materials, including textiles, packaging and other consumer items that are difficult to recycle, have paved the way for new opportunities to reduce waste. Just imagine being able to toss old clothes and shoes that your kids have outgrown straight into the school compost bin at the end of the year. Or imagine tossing a compostable plastic bag into the compost bin along with the peelings of carrots or potatoes. Today, these aren’t just theoretical examples, but concrete ways to lessen the environmental impact of consumer goods.
It’s time for policymakers, brands and consumers to broaden our vision for what composting can achieve.
Sustainable Solutions in Everyday Items
As more countries adopt composting laws, the focus should go beyond food waste to a broader range of everyday products. Innovations in compostable materials are addressing some of the most persistent waste challenges, particularly for items that are difficult to recycle due to complex materials or multi-layered compositions. Products such as packaging, textiles, shoes, and personal care items can be designed to break down in compost conditions, reducing their environmental impact and easing the strain on local waste management systems. By integrating these materials into their waste strategies, countries can significantly expand the role and impact of composting across multiple sectors.
Packaging waste, for example, poses a significant recycling challenge due to its complex composition, which often involves mixed materials like layers of different types of plastics, metal foils, paper and adhesives. These components not only complicate recycling due to their inability to be easily separated, but they also tend to retain food residues and oils, making them even less suitable for standard recycling streams. In fact, only about 9% of all plastic waste generated globally is successfully recycled. Compostable packaging, however, is an effective alternative. Designed to break down under the right composting conditions, this kind of packaging helps reduce landfill dependency and offers a viable end-of-life solution that is not currently possible within recycling systems. Many companies are now investing in these sustainable alternatives, from grocery bags to coffee capsules and takeout containers, positioning compostable options as a viable game-changer for plastic waste management.
Textiles and shoes also contribute significantly to landfill waste, particularly due to their complex fiber blends and synthetic components, which are often unrecyclable. Globally, the fashion industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste each year, with around 85% of it ending up in landfills or being incinerated. In the footwear industry, an estimated 300 million pairs of shoes are discarded annually, some of which can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Compostable textiles and footwear, on the other hand, provide a sustainable alternative. Clothing made from materials like organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo can decompose naturally and return valuable nutrients to the earth, avoiding the typical waste cycle. Footwear is another area ripe for innovation; brands are now producing compostable shoes with plant-based soles and uppers that allow the entire shoe, or a significant part of it, to break down without leaving harmful residues behind.
Composting could even extend to personal care items and home goods. Everyday essentials like toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and dish sponges could be crafted from compostable materials such as bamboo, natural fibers, or compostable plastics. Once used, these items could be composted rather than relegated to a landfill, further integrating composting into daily life. In home goods, dishware, party supplies, and even cleaning tools made from compostable plant fibers could replace single-use, non-recyclable items that otherwise contribute to the waste problem.
The Path Forward: Embracing a Comprehensive Composting Strategy
Expanding national composting regulations and infrastructure beyond food scraps to include packaging, textiles, home goods and footwear is a tangible step toward a more sustainable future. Such efforts should also include public education and consumer awareness campaigns; as studies have shown that the number of consumers properly disposing of compostable packaging and other non-food materials increased five-fold when provided with helpful information as well as accessible disposal systems.
While this shift to more compostable products will take time, now is the moment for policymakers and waste systems to take the lead. Brands and consumers as well must continue embracing the innovation and change required to accelerate the transition to a circular economy where waste is minimized, resources are renewed, and our planet thrives.