An independent review by leading environmental scientist and Federation University Research Fellow, Bill Grant, has found that the use of certified compostable products – notably caddy liners – significantly improves household participation in food organics and garden organics (FOGO) services.
The findings have key implications for the packaging industry, as compostable materials play an increasingly important role in advancing Australia’s circular economy goals.
Commissioned by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), the review explored the risks and benefits of incorporating certified compostable packaging into FOGO recovery systems. The conclusion: certified compostable products not only encourage greater uptake of FOGO services, but also contribute to better food organics recovery and lower contamination rates.
“From my research and experience helping councils develop kerbside FOGO services, nearly all of those with the highest ongoing household participation and food recovery rates use certified compostable caddy liners,” said Grant.
“They reduce the ‘yuck’ factor, making food waste less messy to handle, which means more people engage with and stick to using FOGO bins.”
Certified compostable caddy liners – compliant with Australian Standards AS4736 (for commercial composting) and AS5810 (for home composting) – fully biodegrade within four to six weeks in well-managed composting systems. According to Grant, councils that regularly provide compostable liners and education materials achieve higher diversion rates and improved community engagement.
The review addresses growing concern around inconsistency across jurisdictions, where certified compostable packaging is sometimes excluded from kerbside collections due to misinformation. It also counters common myths surrounding bioplastics, confirming that certified compostable products pose no risk to human health, soil or the broader environment.
“Misinformation about compostable packaging is slowing our shift to a circular economy,” said Grant. “When certified compostables are restricted, we remain stuck with low recycling rates and high contamination of organics. The main aim of FOGO is to keep food waste out of landfill – and certified compostables help achieve that.”
Importantly for the packaging sector, Grant highlighted that the key issue lies not in compostable packaging per se, but in non-certified products that claim to be compostable but do not meet Australian Standards.
“We need to phase out uncertified packaging. Using only certified compostable formats eliminates the risk of microplastics in compost and supports successful food waste diversion,” he said.
With New South Wales mandating FOGO services for all households by 1 July 2030 – and food waste separation for supermarkets, hospitality and institutions rolling out from July 2026 – Grant’s findings underscore the opportunity for certified compostable packaging to support national food waste reduction targets.
