‘Compostable’ cups end up in... landfill

ECO-FRIENDLY ‘compostable’ cups and cutlery can take years to break down and mainly end up in landfill, experts have warned.

Compostable and biodegradable food boxes, nappies, wipes, cups and cutlery are rising in popularity, amid claims they are better than plastic because they disintegrate naturally.

But on a normal garden compost heap, they can take years to disappear because the temperature and mix of micro-organisms is not right, Cheltenham Science Festival heard.

They have to be put in an industrial composter to break down quickly and there are only about 170 of these in Britain. Professor Mark Miodownik, a materials scientist at University College London, accused the companies that make the products of ‘greenwashing’ – making people believe they are doing more to protect the environment than is the case.

After his talk at the festival, Professor Miodownik said: ‘Most people put them in the bin, where they do not look any different from regular plastic so are not separated out and end up burned or in landfill. Or they put them in with the food waste, which can contaminate the process.’