Home Compostable vs Industrial Compostable: The UK Difference

If you've shopped for eco food packaging, you've seen the word compostable everywhere. What most labels don't make obvious is that it describes two very different things: home compostable and industrially compostable. The gap between them matters — for your customers, your green claims, and your exposure to the UK's tightening rules on “eco” marketing.

Here's the plain-English difference, why it matters for UK foodservice, and how to check what you're actually buying.

The short version

Home compostable packaging breaks down in an ordinary garden compost bin — ambient temperatures, no special equipment — typically within around 90 days. Industrially compostable packaging only breaks down in a commercial composting facility that runs at high, sustained temperatures (usually 55–60°C) with controlled moisture and aeration. Put an industrially compostable item in a home compost heap or a kerbside bin and it often won't break down meaningfully at all.

Both can legitimately carry a “compostable” label. Only one of them actually composts in the conditions most people and most UK councils have access to.

Why the difference is a real problem in the UK

The catch is infrastructure. The UK has very limited industrial composting capacity that accepts packaging, and most household food-waste collections explicitly exclude compostable packaging. So an industrially compostable container, in practice, usually ends up in general waste — landfilled or incinerated — where its “compostable” credential delivers nothing.

That creates two issues for a food business:

• The environmental benefit evaporates if the item can't reach the facility it needs.
• The marketing claim becomes risky. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), under the Green Claims Code, is actively scrutinising vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims. “Compostable” with no qualification — or where realistic disposal routes don't exist — is exactly the kind of claim that draws attention.

The standards and certification marks to look for

This is where certification cuts through the noise. The marks tell you which conditions a product was actually tested against:

• Home compostable: TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME and DIN CERTCO (to standards such as NF T51-800 / AS 5810) verify breakdown in ambient home-composting conditions. This is the higher bar.
• Industrially compostable: EN 13432 / Seedling / OK Compost INDUSTRIAL verify breakdown only in a commercial facility.

If a product says “compostable” but carries only an industrial mark — or no recognised mark at all — treat the home-compost claim with caution. For more on how these certificates work, see our certifications & compliance page, and our explainer on what bagasse is and how it's made.

Don't forget the PFAS question

Compostability is only half the story. Some “compostable” packaging is coated with PFAS (“forever chemicals”) for grease resistance. PFAS don't break down, can migrate into food, and undermine any compost claim. A genuinely clean product should be both certified home compostable and PFAS-free. Every HOMELINK ECO product meets both tests — the bagasse fibre's natural properties handle grease and heat without chemical coatings.

What this means when you're buying

Before you commit to a supplier, ask three questions:

1. Home or industrial? If you want packaging your customers can realistically dispose of responsibly, choose home compostable.
2. Who certified it? Look for TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME or DIN CERTCO — not just the word “compostable.”
3. Is it PFAS-free? If they can't confirm it, assume it isn't.

Get those three right and your green claim is defensible, your customers get a product that actually composts at home, and you're aligned with where UK regulation is heading.

HOMELINK ECO bagasse packaging is certified home compostable by DIN CERTCO and TÜV Austria, PFAS-free, and held in UK stock for next-day delivery. Browse compostable bagasse plates or shop the full range.

Frequently asked questions

Is home compostable better than industrially compostable?
For most UK businesses, yes — home compostable breaks down in an ordinary compost bin, while industrially compostable needs a commercial facility that most households and councils can't access.

Can I put compostable packaging in my food-waste bin?
Usually no. Most UK kerbside food-waste collections exclude compostable packaging. Home compostable items can go in a garden compost bin; check your local council for anything else.

How do I prove my packaging is genuinely compostable?
Use products with a recognised certification mark — TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME or DIN CERTCO for home compostable — and keep the certificates on file to support your green claims.