What if you could compost your plate?

If you have attended events where food is served, you know just how much waste there can be. Wasted food, disposable dishes, napkins, ketchup packs... the list goes on. A demand for more environmentally-friendly options has given rise to a whole array of compostable single use food serving options.

Despite being more expensive, compostable products have become very popular. Here's the kicker: if they are not properly composted they are little better for the environment than plastic disposables. We'll give you the 'ins and outs' of going compostable for your next event.

There are two main reasons why a 'green event' should avoid putting organic materials (dishes or otherwise) in the garbage:

1. It removes organic matter from the growing cycle, and puts it where we no longer have access to it -- in an a landfill.
2. Organics decomposing in an environment without oxygen (ie. buried in a landfill) produce greenhouse gases and liquid leachate. The liquid can pick up any number of toxins present in a landfill and pool at the bottom, potentially working its way into ground water.

For these reasons, it would be fair to say that an event using compostable dishes, but just throwing them away, is not very 'green' at all.

Here on the prairies, it is easier to find compostable products than composting programs to accept them. Check with your municipal office to see if your community has a composting program that might be able to help. You may also be able to find a farmer or acreage owner who will take the materials.

Advantages of compostable dishes include less separation of materials (leftover food and serving ware can be collected together), no washing, sorting or long-term storage. They have all the convenience of a disposable product without filling up the landfill. Compostable dishes are normally also made from renewable materials.

The key to going compostable for an event is to plan for composting from the beginning. Sounds like a no-brainer, but many organizers don't take the time to do it. Once you find a service provider to take your compost, and understand what materials they take and how, you can tailor your event to meet their needs. You may need to collect materials in compostable bags instead of plastic, or exclude meat products -- these things are much easier to do if you plan ahead.

There are a multitude of online retailers of compostable dishes. Close to home, Canada Green Natural Products Inc., located in Winnipeg, sells compostable products in many materials and styles. Visit their website for the products they carry www.cagreen.ca.

(Source: August 2010 WasteWatch)

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