We appreciate your commitment to compostability.
Learn more about partnering with CMA to help create, maintain, and distribute environmentally safe and compostable products by choosing the appropriate option below.
For CompostersFor MunicipalitiesFor Foodservice OperatorsFor Compostables SuppliersFor Community MembersCompost collection and processing programs continue to grow across the U.S., while the challenge of keeping feedstocks clean remains an ongoing operational and financial burden to processing facilities.CMA’s mission is to make compost manufacturing more sustainable by working proactively to field test and identify compostable products in real world processing technologies, while also engaging the supply chain in collaboratively working to minimize other inbound contaminants.
Compost manufacturers have free access to field tested product acceptance lists developed by over 20 facilities on a technology basis (windrow, ASP, mass bed, covered in-vessel ASP), as well as relevant information available that addresses consumer, stakeholder, and supply chain issues.
Compost facilities in the U.S. play a vital role in supporting the need for processing capacity as businesses, college campuses, policymakers and solid waste professionals push for more volume and a greater diversity in feedstocks intended for compost facilities. The current focus in many cities and towns is the inclusion of food scraps, compostable service ware, adding commercial food scrap collection, multi-family food scrap collection, closed system paper towel collection programs, along with many other emerging programs focused on minimizing landfill waste.What compostable products are accepted at your facility?CMA’s list of tested and approved products can be linked to your website for the appropriate processing technology used for your program. Here is an example of a list Accepted Compostables for Covered In-Vessel Aerated Static Pile.What should I avoid putting into the compost bin?CMA will provide a monthly link and story in its Contaminant of the Month, highlighting, at the consumer level, many misunderstandings about what can go into compost bins. For instance, not all paper is just paper. Many are treated or coated with grease resistors that inhibit microbes from adequately breaking down paper. For that reason, CMA reviews and/or field tests substrates to determine, with the information they are provided, what might be acceptable into commercial composting programs. Here is a link to items that have been cleared for composting under the CMA program for covered in-vessel systems.Change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Is this item compostable?By utilizing the CMA lists for your facility, you can provide the best acceptance criteria available for your program. Driven by the varying process technologies, a simple link on your site to the CMA process list can save hours in customer service time, and gives your recycling partners an efficient, high level of service at no cost.Click on your processing technology to see current acceptance guides that may be useful to your facility and stakeholders.
What CMA Can Do for Compost Facilities- AT NO COST TO YOU!
CMA’s vision and goal is to work to improve the business model for compost facilities by lowering contamination and its associated costs while proactively field testing compostable food service items for their viability throughout the varying process technologies (windrow, aerated static piles, tunnel, in-vessel, mass bed, etc.)
CMA is the composters’ no cost resource working for you to address your customers’ questions.
CMA Improves your Bottom Line in These Areas
Cost Avoidance
CMA supplies free Accepted Compostable lists and web links for facilities that want to know the products have met field standards. No staff time taking phone calls and trying to answer questions from customers and recycling partners. Simply link them to CMA’s site, and we provide the composter based support you need at no charge No field testing or site disruption doing your own field tests.Revenue Enhancement
More competitive feedstock lists that are composter tested and approved Increase your web presence by connecting your residents and consumers to the CMA Contaminant of the Month and other monthly educational campaigns and programs offered to CMA affiliates.
Cost Reduction
CMA provides municipal and stakeholder education focused in contamination reduction, which directly reduces costs Keep staff focused on making compost, and not on sorting and supply chain complexities that are impossible to manage within a compost facility budget. Cut costs by being a CMA affiliate as we work nationally to decrease contamination at the public, retail, food service, and policy level.Cities and counties across the U.S. are growing food scrap collection and processing as a key part of solid waste management plans.
CMA members have played a vital role in working for over 30 years to develop the operational, municipal, and community expertise to bridge issues between the supply chain and the compost piles. One of the major challenges cities and compost facilities face with food waste collection is contamination, with states like Washington working on multi-stakeholder solutions to address this issue (see the OCRWG publication, June 2017).
In addition to providing preventative measures to minimize the introduction of “compostable” products that may be incompatible with current processing technologies, CMA is committed to educating its municipal and hauling partners with relevant education on current contaminants.Why Field Testing?
ASTM D6400 and D6868, along with certifications from BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) and Vincotte (EN13432) are important to ensuring synthetic compostable materials will convert successfully to biomass and ensure the materials are not harmful to the soil. Yet, variations in compost technologies, the media used to test disintegration of products, and the duration of active composting cycles have created gaps between lab and field standards.Contaminant of the Month
Sauce Packets
Catching Up on the Ketchup Packet ConundrumRead more
 | DIFFERENCES IN DISENTEGRATION STANDARDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Testing Protocols | Cycle Time | Temperatures | C:N Ratio |
| ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868 | Simulation in lab Uses stable compost versus non-composted feedstock | <84 Days | <130 degrees F | 13:1 |
| CMA (Cedar Grove paramaters listed) | ASTM data review Field disintegration test in actual composting Uses non-composted feedstock | 49-60 Days | < 140 - 170 degrees F | 30:1 |
Issues With Compostable Products Breaking Down in Compost Facilities
City of San Diego Testing Trials, Biocycle 2010
Compost Controversy in Corvallis, Oregon, Fox 12 Oregon
By composting food scraps and compostables, food service operators have the opportunity to reduce the landfill waste they generate by as much as 50%. Not only that, recovering usable organics for composting helps create a highly valuable soil amendment that has endless benefits to the environment. By connecting food service operations with the compost facilities, the supply chain and solid waste systems can work more successfully to ensure that only the proper products enter the compost streams. In addition, compost facilities can provide a feedback loop to foodservice operators to help enhance product procurement practices, as well as educate food service operators on common contaminants.ACCEPTED ITEMS BY TECHNOLOGY
| DIFFERENCES IN DISENTEGRATION STANDARDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Testing Protocols | Cycle Time | Temperatures | C:N Ratio |
| ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868 | Simulation in lab Uses stable compost versus non-composted feedstock | <84 Days | <130 degrees F | 13:1 |
| CMA (Cedar Grove paramaters listed) | ASTM data review Field disintegration test in actual composting Uses non-composted feedstock | 49-60 Days | < 140 - 170 degrees F | 30:1 |
ASTM D6400 and D6868, along with certifications from BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) and Vincotte (EN13432) are important to ensuring synthetic compostable materials will convert successfully to biomass and ensure the materials are not harmful to the soil. Yet, variations in compost technologies, the media used to test disintegration of products, and the duration of active composting cycles have created gaps between lab and field standards.Whether you are a product manufacturer, biopolymer chemist, distributor or broker of compostable food service items, or are working on developing new products for the food service industry, CMA provides the field expertise to help validate your products’ compatibility with modern urban composting processes.
| DIFFERENCES IN DISENTEGRATION STANDARDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Testing Protocols | Cycle Time | Temperatures | C:N Ratio |
| ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868 | Simulation in lab Uses stable compost versus non-composted feedstock | <84 Days | <130 degrees F | 13:1 |
| CMA (Cedar Grove paramaters listed) | ASTM data review Field disintegration test in actual composting Uses non-composted feedstock | 49-60 Days | < 140 - 170 degrees F | 30:1 |
ASTM D6400 and D6868, along with certifications from BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) and Vincotte (EN13432) are important to ensuring synthetic compostable materials will convert successfully to biomass and ensure the materials are not harmful to the soil. Yet, variations in compost technologies, the media used to test disintegration of products, and the duration of active composting cycles have created gaps between lab and field standards.
Issues With Compostable Products Breaking Down in Compost Facilities
City of San Diego Testing Trials, Biocycle 2010
Compost Controversy in Corvallis, Oregon, Fox 12 Oregon
As interest grows in expanding curbside and commercial composting across the U.S., CMA strives to enhance community members’ knowledge of the composting process. Sorting compostables and other feedstocks is paramount to maintaining successful programs.
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