Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Suitable for compost.
  • noun That which is suitable for compost.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

compost +‎ -able

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Examples

  • Today, 90% of Sainbury's organic fresh produce is available in compostable, recycled or recyclable packaging.

    Compostable Salad Packaging 2008

  • Today, 90% of Sainbury's organic fresh produce is available in compostable, recycled or recyclable packaging.

    16 posts from September 2008 2008

  • They are cleverly made out of renewable resources like natural starch and fiber (GM free corn and potato) and come in compostable and heat-sealable packaging, too.

    Din-ink Cutlery Retools the Bic-Pen | Inhabitat 2008

  • Ingeo™ is actually classified as compostable rather than biodegradable in the US.

    PLA Fiber: From Plastics to Pillows 2009

  • But this country does not have a comprehensive composting infrastructure, so while it may feel good to have packaging that's "compostable", unless you live in San Francisco or Seattle, it's not actually being composted.

    Gwen Ruta: What Do iPhones, Coca-Cola and SunChips Have in Common? Gwen Ruta 2010

  • But this country does not have a comprehensive composting infrastructure, so while it may feel good to have packaging that's "compostable", unless you live in San Francisco or Seattle, it's not actually being composted.

    Gwen Ruta: What Do iPhones, Coca-Cola and SunChips Have in Common? Gwen Ruta 2010

  • Some garbage bags, for instance, are promoted as "compostable," implying that you can throw them into the compost bin and by spring they'll be fertilizer.

    Save The Planet, Lose The Guilt 2008

  • The only terms relating to the green attributes of a plastic product that are expressly permitted in advertising, under the proposed legislation, are "compostable" and "marine degradable;" provided, however, that at the time of sale the plastic product bearing such term shall meet the applicable American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard specification approved by the Legislature (all such approved standard specifications being set forth in the bill).

    New Jersey Law Blog 2010

  • By enhancing SCA, Premier members can now more easily identify environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP) contracts through EPP key word search capabilities such as compostable, organic, energy-efficient, and recycled; and a

    The Earth Times Online Newspaper 2010

  • The idea, Morris said, is to encourage all vendors to use green products - such as compostable cups, takeout containers and utensils - so that as much waste as possible could be turned into compost on site, along with any scraps and compostable trash created at the market.

    TNT Diner 2009

Comments

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  • Compostable things can be broken down by microorganisms under conditions that aren't too weird or extreme, like a nice hot, aerobic pile). If it's compostable, and you throw it in your compost pile, eventually it'll be turned into humus. In a sentence: "Are these corn-based plastic cups really compostable?"

    June 9, 2009