Facilities stop accepting compostable packaging as contamination debate persists
After a decade of trying, one of Oregon's leading compost facilities is calling it quits on compostable packaging — and until more clarity comes to the market, it might not be the last.
Jack Hoeck, vice president of Rexius, shared the news at this year's U.S. Composting Council Conference in Phoenix. Initially, he said, Rexius had expected compostable packaging would help capture more food scraps, and that any resulting contamination could be managed effectively.
"As we've gone through, my experience has been that's really not true. We have not been able to keep the contamination at a level that I think I would want for my product," Hoeck said during a presentation on the subject. "At the end of the day, my real job is to produce a product that people will want."