The Center for the Circular Economy, the research and innovation arm of the New York-based investment firm Closed Loop Partners, has officially released a comprehensive impact report summarizing the first half-decade of its Composting Consortium. The newly published document details how the organization, in collaboration with more than 50 stakeholders across the value chain, has significantly advanced composting access, infrastructure, and the understanding of compostable packaging across the United States. Over the past five years, the Consortium has driven the circularity of organic materials through unprecedented real-world field testing, the publication of 11 industry-shaping research reports, and the expansion of organics recycling access to hundreds of thousands of new households.
Results from the Largest North American Field Test
Over the last five years, the Composting Consortium has strategically focused its efforts on research, policy analysis, strategic partnerships, and grantmaking. A major milestone in this endeavor was the launch of an 18-month quantitative study in 2022. This massive undertaking stands as the largest known field test of certified, food-contact compostable packaging in North America.
During the rigorous testing phase, researchers evaluated more than 23,000 units of compostable packaging. To thoroughly understand the variability of disintegration in real-world scenarios, the measurements were conducted across 10 diverse U.S. composting environments utilizing six different composting technologies. In 2023, the Consortium donated this massive dataset to the Compostable Field Testing Program. Supported by BSIbio Packaging Solutions and The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF), this contribution helped establish the industry’s first open-source disintegration database. Furthermore, the consortium’s field tests evaluated ASTM standards D8618 and D8619, successfully bridging the significant gap between controlled laboratory testing and practical, real-world composting conditions.
Degradation Rates and the Financial Burden of Contamination
As more states mandate the diversion of food and organic materials from landfills, the demand for processing infrastructure has surged. However, this growth has raised complex questions regarding best practices, particularly concerning compostable materials and contamination. The Consortium’s findings, released in February 2024, quantified this issue with striking accuracy: 85% of the contamination found in finished compost consists of conventional plastic. Managing and removing this contamination places a massive financial burden on facilities, accounting for approximately 21% of composters’ total operating costs.
Despite these challenges, the impact report confirmed highly positive quantitative data regarding degradation. The research found that 98% of compostable plastics and 83% of compostable fibers successfully degrade during the composting process. Recognizing the critical importance of clean waste streams, the Consortium also partnered with the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to conduct a national labeling study. This research directly informed NGO briefings and supported Colorado’s landmark labeling law, which was designed to protect composters from contamination and reduce consumer confusion.
Financial Grants and Infrastructural Expansion
Beyond education and research, the Composting Consortium has actively engaged as a financial catalyst. Launched in 2025 in collaboration with BPI and the U.S. Composting Council (USCC), the Composting Consortium Grant Program funded eight distinct projects led by municipalities and composters. This grant program primarily focused on advancing the acceptance of compostable packaging, supporting educational outreach campaigns, and improving organic waste drop-off sites.
The Consortium invested a total of $200,000 into these selected initiatives. As a direct result of this financial backing, the organics recycling network was expanded to include nearly 240,000 additional U.S. households. Through the coordinated efforts of the past five years, organized collection of food waste and compostable packaging has now been brought within reach for at least half a million more Americans.
Regulatory Frameworks and the Power of Industry Collaboration
Over the years, Closed Loop Partners’ research arm has successfully built a powerful national collaboration platform uniting over 50 organizations. At the corporate level, the Consortium is backed by major conglomerates including Mars, Pepsico, KraftHeinz, retailer Target, packaging producer Eastman, and the Nextgen Consortium. Crucial industry partners actively participating in the initiative include the USCC, BPI, and various composting facility operators such as Atlas Organics, Black Earth Compost, CompostNow, Napa Recycling, and Veteran Compost.
The balance of the last five years includes not only infrastructural expansion but also the publication of 11 comprehensive research reports. The organization has also provided highly practical tools for municipalities and policymakers. In 2024, they launched the Composter Innovator Program and the Municipal Partner Platform, creating a knowledge-sharing blueprint to help city officials scale their organics recycling programs. Another critical step was the December release of a comprehensive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reimbursement framework, developed alongside composters, to guide states and Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) in funding composting infrastructure.
Caroline Barry, the project lead of the Composting Consortium at Closed Loop Partners, highlighted the significance of these achievements in an official statement: “Over the last five years, the Composting Consortium helped bring greater clarity to a complex and often fragmented part of the organics landscape. Together, we helped build a practical understanding of what it takes for compostable packaging and food scrap recovery to work in practice.”
References and Official Sources:
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Center for the Circular Economy (Closed Loop Partners): Reporting on half a decade of composting industry impact
