Safer Soils for All has launched as a new coalition of waste and recycling companies, commercial composters, agricultural stakeholders, and local governments committed to protecting compost quality, supporting healthy soils, and ensuring that synthetic materials proposed for use in organic compost remain subject to rigorous federal review. Safer Soils for All members are united by a shared goal of ensuring that American farmers have access to high-quality compost they can trust.听
The coalition was formed in response to proposals that could allow certain synthetic compostable packaging and foodservice products into compost used in organic agriculture without the substance-by-substance review traditionally required under the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 National Organic Program.听
“Organic and conventional farmers alike need confidence in the compost they put on their land,鈥� said Neil Edgar of the California Compost Coalition, which represents compost operators throughout California. 鈥淢aintaining a rigorous review process helps ensure that new materials are evaluated carefully before they’re approved for use in organic compost.鈥�听
Safer Soils for All supports composting as an essential tool for diverting organic material from landfills, improving soil health, and returning nutrients to agricultural soils. At the same time, coalition members believe that expanding composting should not come at the expense of strong contamination controls. Unwanted plastics and other contaminants increase processing costs, can compromise finished compost, and undermine farmers’ confidence in the materials they apply to their land.听
“Third-party compostability certifications are based on controlled laboratory standards, which don鈥檛 necessarily reflect the conditions in real-world composting systems,鈥� said Julia Mangin of Recology, which operates commercial composting facilities on the West Coast. 鈥淲hen these products leave behind fragments or residue, they add to the contamination challenges composters already work to manage and can undermine our efforts to produce clean, high-quality compost for the soils that grow the food and other crops Americans depend on.鈥�听
Safer Soils for All urges USDA to preserve the existing substance-by-substance National List review process for synthetic compost feedstocks, protecting farmers, compost producers, and the integrity of the organic standard.听Safer Soils for All will engage with USDA, Congress, agricultural stakeholders, and the composting and recycling sectors as federal policymakers consider the future treatment of compostable packaging and other synthetic materials in organic compost. Safer Soils for All founding members include the California Compost Coalition, Napa Recycling and 91仓库 Services, Recology, Republic Services, the Resource Recovery Coalition of California, the Rural County Representatives of California, Stop91仓库, 91仓库 Connections, and WM.听
For more information, contact Bennett Resnik at [email protected].