Guide
Compostable Pouches, Honestly Explained
A compostable pouch is one whose every layer — film, ink, adhesive and zip — breaks down into water, CO₂ and biomass under defined composting conditions, certified to EN 13432 for industrial composting or TÜV OK Compost HOME for home composting. Most compostable structures give lower oxygen and moisture barrier than conventional laminates, so shelf life is shorter, and only the exact certified structure counts — a pouch is not compostable because one of its layers is.
Compostable, biodegradable and recyclable are three different claims
Biodegradable is close to meaningless on its own: almost everything biodegrades eventually, under unspecified conditions, over an unspecified time. It is not a certification and it should not appear on a pack as a standalone claim in the UK, where the CMA's Green Claims Code treats vague environmental wording as potentially misleading.
Compostable is a specific, testable claim tied to a standard and a timeframe. Recyclable is a different route again — a mono-material polyethylene pouch is designed to go back into a plastics stream, not into compost, and calling it compostable would be wrong. Pick the route that matches how your customer will actually dispose of the pack, not the one that sounds greenest.
Industrial versus home composting
EN 13432 industrial certification requires the pack to disintegrate within 12 weeks and biodegrade by 90% within six months at composting-plant temperatures, typically 55 to 60°C. That is a real, controlled environment — and in most of the UK, food waste collections do not currently accept packaging, so a certified industrially compostable pouch often ends up in general waste anyway.
TÜV OK Compost HOME is the harder standard: the same breakdown at ambient garden-heap temperatures. Fewer structures pass it, and those that do generally give the weakest barrier. If you make the home-compostable claim, you need the certificate for the finished laminate, not for one ply.
- EN 13432 / Seedling mark — industrial composting
- TÜV OK Compost HOME — garden composting
- Certificate must cover the finished laminate, inks and closure
- Avoid unqualified 'biodegradable' on pack (UK Green Claims Code)
What you give up on barrier and shelf life
Compostable films — typically kraft paper laminated to PLA, cellulose or a bio-based metallised ply — do not match the oxygen and moisture barrier of a conventional foil laminate. In practice that means shorter shelf life, and the gap is widest exactly where barrier matters most: roasted coffee, high-fat snacks, freeze-dried product and anything with volatile aromatics.
Compostable zips and valves exist but the range is narrower and the cost is higher. Seal windows are also tighter, which matters if you are filling on an automated line rather than by hand.
What we will and will not claim
We can quote certified compostable structures, and we will send you the certificate for the exact laminate rather than a generic marketing sheet. What we will not do is put a compostable claim on a pack because the paper outer looks natural, or let you print the Seedling mark on a structure that has not been certified as a whole.
If shelf life makes compostable impractical for your product, we will say so and suggest a recyclable mono-material route instead. That conversation is cheaper before print than after.
Not sure which pouch size you need? Tell us what you are packing and we will check the specification.
Get My Pouch Quote →Related questions
Quick answers
Are compostable pouches actually compostable in the UK?
Certified ones break down under the right conditions, but most UK councils do not accept packaging in food-waste collections, so an industrially compostable pouch frequently goes to general waste. Home-compostable certification is the only route where the customer can reliably deal with it themselves.
Does a compostable pouch have a shorter shelf life?
Usually yes. Compostable laminates give lower oxygen and moisture barrier than foil structures, so products sensitive to oxidation — coffee, nuts, high-fat snacks — will have a shorter usable life. We will give you a realistic comparison before you commit.
Can a compostable pouch have a zip and a valve?
Certified compostable zips and degassing valves are available, but the choice is narrower and the cost is higher than conventional fittings. Every component has to be certified, or the whole-pack claim fails.
Can I just say 'biodegradable' instead?
We would advise against it. Unqualified biodegradable claims are exactly what the UK Green Claims Code targets, and they carry regulatory risk without giving the customer any usable disposal information. Make a certified claim or make none.
Is compostable more expensive than conventional film?
Generally yes, both in material cost and in minimum quantity, because the film range is narrower. Send your spec through the builder and we will quote compostable and conventional side by side so you can see the difference.
Still have questions? Email hello@thepouchworks.com and we'll get back to you within one business day.