I get this question a lot, so I thought it might be helpful to post my thoughts here for future reference. This isn’t so much an answer to the question, but rather additional information so that each event planner can find the answer they feel most comfortable with.

The question is: If an event or venue does not have a composting program (the infrastructure to process the compostables after the event), is it better to use compostable or plastic utensils and cups?

There are several things to consider in answering this question.

1) Most people think that if a utensil or other food ware product is compostable, it will break down even if it goes to the landfill. This is not true. It will remain in tack for decades or longer, just like everything else in the landfill. If it does start to break down at some point, it will likely do so without oxygen, forming methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times as potent as CO2 in the atmosphere.

2) A compostable utensil or cup made with poly lactic acid (PLA) uses an agricultural base for the polymer instead of a petroleum base (plastics are made from petroleum). In many cases, corn is used as the base. These products are still fairly new to the market and are more expensive that typical plastic utensils and cups.

3) Just because a cup has a #1 symbol on it, does not mean that it can be recycled. Most recycling programs in the U.S. do not accept anything but #1 or #2 plastic bottles and/or narrow neck containers. Utensils are very rarely, if ever, recycled. The number and symbol on plastic products relates to the resin used to make the product, and does not mean it can be recycled. Recyclability is determined by the markets and infrastructure, i.e., whether anyone is willing to buy the collected plastics and can reprocess them without losing money.

Based on this information, my opinion is that if you can’t compost the compostable products, it is better to waste the plastic than the compostable products. To me, there is extra waste associated with wasting (versus composting) compostable products: the extra resources used to purchase them (money) and the corn or agricultural base which could have been used for food instead of a single use product that is discarded instead of used to generate compost.

Of course, there is the need to drive the market for compostable products, so the compostable product prices eventually decrease. Corn and agricultural products are also renewable, whereas petroleum is not. Some vendors and venues chose to purchase compostable products for these reasons even though they get thrown away. I just have a hard time justifying the extra resources needed to waste them for the sake of building demand. Plus, the infrastructure to process the compostable food ware products needs to be developed along with the compostable products, and the extra money going into the products is not going into local infrastructure to process it. At least not yet. The infrastructure piece is often forgotten.

By far, the best answer to this question is to use neither compostable ware nor plastic ware, and to use reusable products instead. I.e., dishes and utensils that can be washed and used again. Of course, there is an extra cost in water and energy resources to haul and wash these dishes, but at least they eliminate the need for single-use, disposable products.

As with most questions of what is more sustainable, there is no easy answer. There are many factors to consider, several of which are determined by the local infrastructure in which an event is held. Save resources, drive markets, build infrastructure. They really all go hand in hand.