Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
General
Why choose Compostable Alternatives?
Stop spending more for compostable packaging with misleading claims of biodegradability. By working with us, you can make sure all our products are 100% certified for home compostability as well as being 17 to 24% cheaper on the market. No misleading information, no greenwashing. As a small South Australian business we have very few intermediaries allowing us to offer great prices and develop a real relationships with our customers. Our products are also the easiest type of compostables on the market as they break down in your customers’ garden or compost in under 24 weeks.Â
How did Compostable Alternatives start?
Since launching Mister RYE that you may have seen on the ABC Landline show, we wanted to further expand our impact and find solutions to other wasteful products. Many compostable packaging are available on the market, yet 99% of them require industrial composting facilities to become compost, facilities that refuses more and more to accept those products. With Compostable Alternatives, our mission is to inspire more Australians to compost at home by recognising products that are certified to break down in soil and create a nutritious compost to grow food. Read more about our story!
Where are your products made?
Exclusively working with new innovations, we manufacture and source our products where they have been invented. Some of our products are made in Australia and others in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Product origins can be find on all our products’ page. Transparency is a core value in our business.
Products
Home compostable cups
Why are they different?Â
Current single use cups are “commercially compostable” on the Australia market. Working in the circular economy space since 2019, we noticed the lack of commercial composting facility accepting commercially compostable packaging. And the truth is, most of them end up in landfill Today.Â
Our cups are designed to disappear in under 6 months anywhere there is micro organisms and oxygen. They don’t need dedicated facilities and your customers can dispose of them in their home compost.
Unlike other “compostable” products on the market, our cups do not have a plastic or bioplastic (PLA) lining. Instead they have an aqueous barrier technology that is embedded as part of the pulp manufacturing process and work exactly the same as any other cups you’ve used in the past.
What is the shelf life?
Officially our cups have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. In reality, if they are stored in dry conditions, away from direct sunlight and below 35°C, they can be stored much longer.
Where are your products made?
We work we different manufacturers based in Indonesia and in China. Our cups are certified to international and local standards for home compostability and respect all the food safety standards. Certifications include TUV Ok Compost HOME and ABA AS5810.
Are they PFAS free?
YES. All our products are PFAS-free. As part of our verification process, we require all our manufacturers to provide their PFAS free certificate.
What make them waterproof?
The pulp used to make the cups has an aqueous barrier technology embedded in the manufacturing process. Unlike 99.9% of cups on the market, ours do not have a PLA or plastic lining.
Home compostable lids
Where are your products made?
We work we different manufacturers based in Indonesia and in China. Our cups are certified to international and local standards for home compostability and respect all the food safety standards. Certifications include TUV Ok Compost HOME and ABA AS5810.
What is the shelf life?
Officially our cups have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. In reality, if they are stored in dry conditions, away from direct sunlight and below 35°C, they can be stored much longer.
Are they PFAS free?
YES. All our products are PFAS-free. As part of our verification process, we require all our manufacturers to provide their PFAS free certificate.
Which lids fit 12oz cups?
Does it give a taste to beverage?
Absolutely not. We are in close contact with our customers, none of them has been disappointed. If you would like to give them a try, we have sample boxes ready to ship here.
Home compostable gloves
Where are your products made?
Gloves are manufactured in China. Our partner is certified to worldwide home compostability standards and respect all the food safety standards.
What is the shelf life?
Our gloves have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. They must be stored out of the direct sun and below 35°C.Â
Are these gloves latex free? Powder free?
Yes our gloves are latex and powder free.
Are they food grade? Medical grade?
Our gloves are food grade. We have not certified them medical grade yet.Â
Can I use them for cleaning?
Our gloves can be used for cleaning and food handling. We do not recommend strong chemical products handling.Â
Grass straws
Where are your products made?
Grass straws are harvested and packed in Vietnam.Â
What is the shelf life?
Our grass straws have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. They must be stored in a dry and cool area.
How long they last in a drink?
Compared to paper straws, they can last for ages. They won’t dissolve in your drink nor become soggy. They are a game changer, we promise!
If you’ve used our Mister RYE straws in the past, the experience is very similar except our grass straws have a larger diameter, something that was very difficult to control with our organic rye straws, growing in drought conditions in South Australia.
Cling wrap
Where are your products made?
We manufacture our cling wrap in China from a plant-based polymer coming from the sugarcane agriculture industry. It breaks down in only 6 weeks to 4 months, depending on its end-of-life disposal.
What is the shelf life?
Our cling wrap have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. They must be stored in a dry and cool area.
Is it microwave safe? Freezer safe?
Yes, it can be use for both.
Bin liners & produce bags
Where are your products made?
Our bin liners and produce bags are made here in Australia. We have tried many home compostable bags coming from overseas over the years and none of them is as resistant as this one.Â
What is the shelf life?
Bags and produce bags have a 12-month shelf life from the date of purchase. They must be stored in a dry and cool area.
Delivery
Where is your warehouse located?
All our stock is held in Adelaide, South Australia. We work with a warehouse employing more than 15 people full-time.Â
How long does it take to dispatch my order?
Orders are dispatched the day after the payment is received.Â
What could delay my order?
Few factors could delay your order:
If you’re paying via bank transfert, we won’t ship your order before we receive the payment. Depending on your bank, please allow 2 to 3 to receive the payment. If the process need to be quicker, please send a remittance notice.
We are using the major carriers and sometime we are subject to delays out of our control.
