Do we have the facilities to live up to the great claim on the side of your compostable coffee cup?
I was excited to see disposable coffee cups were bearing the label "compostable" in many of the local businesses around Christchurch. I thought this was a win for sustainability, to see local businesses embrace more environmentally friendly practices.
However, it was not until I went to dispose of one of these great compostable cups that I stopped to consider where this cup would end up.
Living in a flat in Christchurch, we have green waste/compost kerbside collection. I was surprised to learn that Christchurch is one of the few cities to have this. After looking more into it and without having a compost heap at our flat, it became clear that that compostable cup was never going to make it to compost.
"All takeaway cups and lids must be disposed of in the red wheelie bin, which goes to landfill regardless of the marketing material printed on the outside of the cups." -Christchurch City Council
The conditions in landfills prevent decomposition and can release toxic chemicals and greenhouse gasses including methane! So what started as a wonderful concept, ended up on the verge of greenwashing as Christchurch does not have the infrastructure to support the compostable claim.
Even if I did have a compost at home, many of the cups require the higher temperatures of a commercial compost unit, so check with the company first if you have one at home to make sure it will breakdown properly.
So what can be done?
Firstly, take your own cup. Reusable beats single use, so keep a cup in your car, on your desk, even in your handbag if it fits! And if you forget, spare five minutes to sit and drink your coffee at the cafe.
Secondly, if you are allowed to have a compost bin on your property, go for it! This goes for compostable packaging on things like Fair Trade Chocolate, Yum!