Are Disposable Biodegradable Plates Compostable at Home?

With the improvement of environmental awareness, disposable plates that claim to be "biodegradable" have become the new favorite in the market. But consumers are often confused: Can these products really be composted at home as advertised?
I. Analysis of key concepts: Biodegradation ≠ home composting
The American ASTM standard divides compostability into two categories:
Industrial composting (ASTM D6400) requires a high temperature environment of 50-60℃, professional equipment to maintain humidity, ventilation and microbial activity, and the decomposition cycle is completed within 180 days.
Home composting (ASTM D6868) decomposes at room temperature (20-30℃), allows 12 months to complete degradation, and has more stringent requirements on materials.
Laboratory data show that 78% of the PLA (polylactic acid) plates marked "compostable" on the market require industrial composting conditions, and the success rate of home composting is less than 35%.
2. Three real challenges of home composting
Temperature bottleneck
It is difficult to maintain a continuous high temperature in a home compost bin, and the breakage rate of PLA molecular chains is reduced by 90% in a low temperature environment. A study by the British Composting Association found that the degradation time of PLA in a 25°C environment is 8-12 times that of a 55°C environment.
Microbial differences
Industrial composting is inoculated with professional strains, while home composting relies on natural microbial communities. Experiments at the University of Tokyo have confirmed that in the absence of specific thermophilic strains, the degradation cycle of PLA may be extended to more than 3 years.
Pollution risk
Incompletely degraded microplastics may contaminate compost products. The 2023 EU JRC report pointed out that the probability of residual microplastics in PLA products in home composting is 47% higher than that in industrial composting.
3. Consumer Action Guide
Look for dual certification
Check whether the product has:
Industrial composting mark (such as Seedling mark)
Home composting certification (such as OK compost HOME)
Alternative solutions
Sugar bagasse products: natural degradation cycle is about 45 days
Uncoated bamboo fiber: home composting success rate is 82%
Palm leaf tableware: 100% degradable at room temperature
Disposal suggestions
If there is no home composting condition, it is recommended to send "compostable" tableware to a professional treatment plant. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, professional treatment can increase the degradation efficiency by 300%.