How to Compost Our Refill Pouches Responsibly

If you care about sustainability, you're not alone! Compostable packaging has become a hugely beneficial eco-friendly option, and still, properly disposing of these greener packaging items can be confusing.

Step-by-Step: How to Compost Our Regular Refill Pouches

Step 1: Confirm Commercial Composting Access

Our pouches are commercially compostable: They are not home of compostable and should not be placed in recycling.

Before composting, check whether your local commercial composting facility accepts:

• Compostable packaging
  

• PLA or bioplastic-lined paper products
  
  

Acceptance rules vary by facility, even within the same city or state.

How to Find a Composting Facility

If you're in search of a composting facility near you, there are a few great tools we recommend trying to aid in your search:

• Find a Composter → https://findacomposter.com

• BPI Directory → https://bpiworld.org/composters

• Earth911 → https://earth911.com

Always confirm acceptance directly with the facility.

Step 2: Prepare the Pouch

Before composting, prepare your pouch by doing the following:

• Empty the pouch completely
  

• Shake out or lightly rinse any remaining residue
  

• Remove any non-compostable labels or stickers

Step 3: Compost Only Where Accepted

If your facility confirms acceptance:

• Place the pouch in the approved commercial compost stream
  

• Follow any size or material guidelines required by that program
  If acceptance is unclear or denied, do not place the pouch in compost. 

Step 4: No Commercial Composting Available

If you do not have access to a commercial composting facility that accepts PLA packaging, the most responsible option is regular trash disposal.

While not ideal, this prevents contamination of recycling and compost systems.

What Our Packaging Is Made Of

Our pouches consist of:

• A kraft paper exterior for structure
  

• A thin 100% commercially compostable plant-based PLA lining on the inside for freshness and moisture protection

PLA, or polylactic acid, is a plant-based bioplastic typically derived from renewable resources, cornstarch, corn, cassava, sugar beets or sugarcane. 

Source materials: Primarily cornstarch, but also sugarcane, cassava, and sugar beets.

Production: Plant starches are converted to sugar, fermented into lactic acid, then polymerized into PLA pellets.

Key benefits

Renewable: Our pouches are made from plants that absorb carbon.

Lower energy: Uses less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gases during production than oil-based plastics.

Compostable: Breaks down into water and carbon dioxide in commercial composting facilities (90-180 days).

Versatile: Clear, rigid, grease-resistant, and used in food packaging, disposable cutlery, 3D printing, and more!

Important considerations

Composting conditions: Pouches need high heat and specific microbes found in industrial composters; they won't properly break down in a landfill or backyard compost.

Not always a perfect swap: While better, it can be misused for single-use items that could be replaced by reusables, note some zero-waste advocates.

Why These Pouches Are Not Home Compostable

PLA requires specific conditions to fully break down, including sustained heat, humidity, oxygen, and microbial activity. These conditions are reliably present in industrial composting facilities but not in most backyard compost systems.

Under lower-temperature conditions, PLA can persist for long periods and may fragment without fully breaking down. That is why compostability certifications are based on commercial composting standards rather than home composting claims.

Why We Chose This Packaging

We selected PLA-lined compostable pouches as a step forward from conventional petroleum-based plastic while balancing real-world needs:

• Product freshness and safety
  

• Food-grade barrier requirements
  

• Reduced reliance on fossil fuels
  

• Availability of materials that meet current standards
  
  

Composting infrastructure varies widely, and packaging innovation continues to evolve. At Woof Creek, we're actively evaluating new materials and systems as better options become available!