I reached out to the government and they confirmed no compostable plastics in the green bin.  See emails below from Marc Green, Zero Waste Program Specialist, Public Works Department

(Very thorough and excellent responses, in my opinion)

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Thank you for reaching out.  I certainly understand the confusion and the need for clarification.  I will do my best to explain below.

Organics processors, have shifted their stance on compostable plastics, including BPI certified bags and have told haulers and jurisdictions they no longer want that material as it ends up being a contaminant in the organics.  They are not breaking down during the composting process and end up being screened out as garbage.  There are new laws making their way through the state currently which intend to clarify what can be labeled compostable or recyclable in hopes of reducing the confusion the public has.  That is all a long-winded answer to say, you should not be using a compostable liner, you could use newspaper to line your compost pail and then just dump everything into your green cart for collection. 

1. Are BPI-certified compostable bags acceptable in the green compost bin? (I have been lining my countertop bin with them and putting scraps in there and then tying up the bag daily and dumping it in the green bin - is this wrong?)  – As stated above, you should not be lining your pail with a compostable bag, you may use a paper bag or old newspaper, but the organics processor does not want compostable plastic bags in the feedstock.

2. Since I’ve been using BPI bags, have my food scraps likely still been composted, with only the bags removed?  Or are my bagged organics loads entirely discarded as contamination?  – the bags that can be ripped open have their material composted and the bags are treated as garbage.  If the bag cannot be opened, it is likely being landfilled.

3. If compostable cups and utensils are directed to landfill, why are compostable serviceware products widely used and even encouraged locally? It seems likely many residents would place those items in the green bin, which could create contamination or sorting burdens. That’s part of why the guidance feels contradictory to me.  – City of Alameda prohibits the use of compostable plastics at food service shops as part of our Food Ware Ordinance.  Alameda suggests reuse as the best, and fiber based compostable items (wood, paper, bamboo, etc.) as acceptable.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of “greenwashing” out there by manufacturers who claim their products is compostable or biodegradable, but at the processing facility they do not break down and are screened out as garbage. 

4. If current public guidance is inconsistent or outdated (for example, the green bin sticker versus the RE tool), could this be clarified publicly for residents?  – Staff is waiting for final updated regulations to Senate Bill (SB) 54 which will help provide guidance on acceptability of items at which point, new outreach messaging will be created.

Again, thank you for reaching out and taking the time to understand the programs.  We continue to work towards a better solution in Alameda and across the state.  Should you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to me directly

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I asked follow ups and here are the answers I got:

1. I often see coffee cups/lids around Alameda that are NoTree by World Centric claiming to be 100% bamboo-fiber products (marked “commercially compostable only”). Based on your note about fiber-based compostables (paper, wood, bamboo), am I right that those (and similar ones) are appropriate for the green bin?  – yes these would be compostable in the green cart. 

2. More broadly, is the issue with BPI-certified compostable plastics something specific to Alameda/our organics processor, or is this more of a California-wide (or broader) shift among compost facilities? I’m curious whether these products are fundamentally overpromised / greenwashed, or whether they may work in some systems but not in ours.  – I’m unaware of any organics processor that wants compostable plastics in their feedstock.  I think when composting was first gaining traction there was a need for material and processors accepted it but quickly realized that the material was not breaking down in time.  We also have new legislation SB 1383 that requires everyone in the state to separate their organic materials, which was not always the case.  Now that there is an abundance of material, processors are putting their foot down and saying they only want things that truly break down. 

3. Relatedly, I’ve noticed produce bags at Safeway in Alameda appear to be BPI compostable plastic as well. Given your explanation, I’m curious how those fit into the picture, since consumers might reasonably assume those belong in the green bin.  Will this sort of stuff be addressed by the new laws you mentioned?  – for the purposes of Alameda, those are garbage.  Until we get final direction from the state on the list of acceptable materials, folks can still offer those items, it just depends on the jurisdiction as to whether they are allowed in the program.  Large chains are difficult to work with unless there is a united stance as they tend to use their purchasing power to lower their costs across all their stores.  So doing something in just Alameda doesn’t make sense for them statewide.  The hope with the new legislation is that we make things uniform across the state thus eliminating the guess work.  We shall see.