A lot of people don't know that "compostable", "biodegradable" or "corn/plant-based" plastics ONLY break down in commercial composting facilities where temperatures are maintained at 60˚C for a month or two.[1] You can't just toss them into a landfill or backyard compost heap and expect earthworms or microbes to do the rest.

The green symbols on the plastic and the eco-friendly marketing fools a lot of people. I don't know how many people in cities lacking curbside compost pickup programs happily buy this stuff guilt-free and think they're doing their bit for the environment.

1. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-scienc...

Just my opinion, but compostable doesn't make that great of a product in a lot of places they're being pushed. I've seen a bunch of places switch to compostable silverware and cups. The silverware is a lot less durable than plastic (which is already a low bar) and coffee lids don't fit properly. One place I frequent uses them and I constantly hear others complain and discover this for themselves. I sound like an old man, but I am often very explicit about getting a mug of coffee when I order, but a different person fulfills the order and often puts it in a compostable cup.

Poor products turns people off to that technology and discourages me from ordering coffee.