As more states look for ways to reduce contamination in organics recycling, one question keeps coming up: How do we make it easier for consumers to know which products are actually compostable?
Minnesota offers a compelling answer.
As of January 1, 2026, Minnesota requires covered products—including bags, packaging, and food-service items—that are labeled “compostable” to meet recognized compostability standards and be certified by a qualifying third-party certifier. The law also requires clear labeling indicating that these products are intended for industrial or commercial composting.
Minnesota joins Washington, Colorado, California, and Maryland, which have also adopted requirements around third-party certification, recognized compostability standards, and/or clear labeling for compostable products.
Together, these policies point toward a clearer path forward: use science-based standards and third-party certification to help consumers distinguish legitimate compostable products from lookalikes.
At BPI, we believe consumers, composters, and businesses should be able to trust the word “compostable.” Minnesota’s approach recognizes that a compostable claim should be backed by science and independent certification, rather than marketing language alone.
Under the law, covered products labeled “compostable” must meet ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868, standards developed specifically for the North American market, unless they fall within specific exemptions for uncoated, additive-free paper or wood products. They must also be certified by an entity that meets Minnesota’s requirements for technical capability and nonprofit status. BPI is a nonprofit organization that provides certification under these ASTM standards, and its alignment with this framework underscores BPI’s longstanding role as a trusted third-party certifier of compostable products in North America.
For consumers, this creates a much simpler message: look for certification, not just a claim.
Minnesota’s law goes beyond certification. Products labeled “compostable” must also clearly communicate that they are intended for a commercial composting facility. The law also restricts the use of terms such as “biodegradable,” “degradable,” and “decomposable” unless or until they are supported by an applicable ASTM standard specification and certification. Those claims have led to "green-washing" and do not clearly identify the end-of-life capabilities of a product.
Composters need to know what they are receiving. Consumers need to know what belongs in their organics bin. And product manufacturers need clear rules for communicating what their products can—and cannot—do.
Minnesota’s approach combines best practices to give consumers, businesses, and other stakeholders a clear way to flag potentially non-compliant products. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), which enforces the law, allowing anyone who encounters a product being sold that they believe violates the requirements to submit a complaint through the agency’s online environmental complaint form.
This creates an important layer of accountability: the law establishes clear requirements for what can be called compostable, and there is a defined pathway for bringing potential violations to the attention of regulators.
Minnesota’s approach demonstrates that compostable labeling laws don't have to create more confusion. Done well, they can actually reduce confusion and compost contamination.
By connecting compostable claims to recognized standards, independent certification, and clear end-of-life information, Minnesota is helping create a marketplace where “compostable” is a word of integrity and where consumers and composters have better information to make decisions, ultimately resulting in a cleaner, more usable compost product used throughout the state.
For other states considering compostable labeling legislation, Minnesota offers a strong example of policy that supports consumers, gives composters confidence, and helps certified compostable products play their intended role in a functioning organics recycling system.
At BPI, we believe that's a direction worth following. You can find BPI’s model principles for labeling compostable products here.
