While “biodegradable” and “compostable” may appear to be synonymous terms, there are important differences. While everything that is compostable is biodegradable, not everything that is biodegradable is compostable.

BPI’s third-party certification program distinguishes products that meet ASTM standards (and BPI’s other requirements) from those that do not. When looking at a product that is self-declared to be compliant by the manufacturer or brand, a consumer or composter will not know what standards have been met for the product.

The BPI Certification Mark indicates the end-of-life opportunity for a compostable product. BPI Certification guides manufacturers in designing items, understanding what ingredients they can use, and how to make an independent compostability claim that consumers and composters can trust. The BPI Certification Mark helps consumers to identify and trust that an item is compostable and can be diverted with food scraps where programs exist. Composters are able to identify and trust that certified products mixed with food scraps and yard trimmings will break down during the regular composting process and will not negatively impact compost quality. Considerations and recommendations for thoughtful labeling are contained in BPI’s “Guidelines for the Labeling and Identification of Compostable Products and Packaging”.