“Compostable in 6 months — in industrial composters.” It sounds like the ideal alternative to plastic. No landfill. No guilt. Just nature doing its job.
But waste systems don’t run on labels. They run on infrastructure, process compatibility, and regulatory compliance. And in India today, those systems are not aligned with the marketing promise of compostable bottles and bags.
Most compostable packaging is certified to break down under industrial composting conditions — controlled temperatures of 55–60°C, consistent aeration, and defined microbial activity for up to 180 days. The claim itself is conditional. It assumes the existence of dedicated industrial composting facilities that accept certified compostable packaging. In India, that infrastructure is extremely limited (personally have not seen even a single one) and not widely accessible to households or bulk waste generators. Without a verified end-of-life pathway, the “6-month” claim becomes theoretical.
The mismatch becomes clearer when we examine decentralized composting. Apartment complexes, campuses, and institutions typically process only food and horticulture waste. Their composting cycles are designed for organic matter that stabilizes in 30–45 days. Compostable bottles and bags, even if certified, require significantly longer residence times and specific temperature conditions. They are not designed for standard community composters. Introducing them into these systems can disrupt aeration, slow microbial activity, and destabilize compost quality. Oxygen flow is fundamental to aerobic composting. Materials that do not degrade within the operational cycle can create process inefficiencies and odour risks.
However, the regulatory position under the Solid Waste Management Rules changes the discussion even further. Under SWM Rules 2016 and the strengthened 2026 compliance direction, certified compostable products are to be segregated as dry waste, not wet waste. This means compostable packaging should not be placed in kitchen waste or fed into on-site composting units. From a compliance standpoint, they enter the dry waste stream and move through material recovery facilities alongside conventional plastics.
This creates another challenge. Compostable polymers often resemble conventional plastics and may be mixed into recycling batches. Because they are engineered to degrade under certain conditions, they can weaken recycled products if blended into traditional plastic streams. At best, they are rejected. At worst, they contaminate valuable recyclable material. Either outcome shifts the burden onto recyclers and increases system inefficiency.
For bulk waste generators — real estate developers, gated communities, campuses, corporates — the implications are significant. SWM compliance requires clear segregation, contamination-free processing, and traceable handover to authorised recyclers or processors. A product labelled “compostable” does not automatically fit into existing wet waste systems. Nor does it guarantee a viable dry waste recovery pathway. If mismanaged, the accountability rests with the generator.
The central issue is not whether compostable materials can biodegrade under laboratory or industrial conditions. The issue is whether our current waste infrastructure is designed to handle them correctly. Sustainability claims without systems integration create operational risk.
This is where monitoring and systems intelligence matter. Composting is not a static installation; it is a biological process that requires control, measurement, and stability. At Aaditi Stonesoup, we work with many composting products and manage installations. Through compost monitoring systems and Compost-as-a-Service (CaaS) models, we support bulk waste generators with real-time process tracking, contamination risk management, and SWM-aligned operational design. If new materials enter a waste stream, they must be tested against real processing conditions — not assumed to work.
Compostable packaging may have a role in the future. But without aligned collection systems, authorised industrial composting pathways, and protection of recycling streams, it risks becoming another well-intentioned material that does not perform in practice. Sustainability cannot be printed onto packaging. It has to be engineered into the waste system.
Citizens, if possible ignore all such products till the manufacturers show you the facility where it will be composted and how they will collect and send there!
What can brands do today? Go the market and you will see alternatives for every need. Glass bottles and jars, tin boxes, leaf plates and boxes. check video made during Karanataka plastic ban on 2bin1bag.in. Want advise? Write to us at sales.aaditi@stonesoup.in