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Compostable Sustain­able Packa­ging

Rootree™ is serious about sustainability.

That’s why we are pushing the limits and leading the industry towards a more environmentally conscious future.

Made from renewable, non-GMO, & bio-based materials.

We use various combinations of these layers to create a package that is specifically suited to your brand and your product.

Compostable pouches

Cellulose “Clear Paper”

This is made from renewable forestry wood pulp cellulose.

We know that’s a mouthful, it’s basically just wood chips ground to a pulp to create a “clear paper” material.

Kraft Paper

Available in both brown and white, this paper comes with certifications like FSC and PEFC – a sustainably sourced option with a natural look and feel.

Metalized Barriers

This layer is created with a vacuum process to adhere a thin layer of aluminium to our “Clear Paper” to create a superior barrier. This layer is inert and returns to the earth in the same way.

Food Contact

This is a starch-based polymer layer made primarily of GMO-free corn.

Yup – corn – like what you ate for dinner last night.

Compostable vs. Biodegradable

Compos­table vs. Bio­degradable

“Biodegradable” is a catch-all term and does not have the same meaning as “compostable”. The term “biodegradable” is misleading to consumers and falsifies the belief the item is made from organic matter and therefore compostable. This is not the case.

No Microplastics

No Micro­plastics

This isn’t your typical “biodegradable” pouch. Our competitors’ bio pouches are made from petroleum-based plastics with enzyme additives to accelerate degradation. While these may degrade faster than traditional plastics, they are not decomposing; they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastics polluting our water and food.

No Microplastics

Verified

We’ve developed packaging that can compost in ~ 8-12 months. Our compostable materials are verified by a third party to be home compostable, industrial compostable, or both.

Compost­ability

All of the films and inks in the compostable lineup are certified home compostable, and the zippers are certified industrial compostable.

For now, this product is only allowed in your home or backyard composts or specialty private facilities.

Unfortunately, you can’t place this product in your green bin as it will be sorted into landfill – that’s right, this pouch looks so much like traditional flexible pouches that recycling centres can’t tell the difference! However, recent legislative activity shows promise in the future of compostable packaging thanks to the implementation of standard practices.

No Home Com­­poster?

Don’t fret! This product is still miles ahead of conventional flexible packaging, which is made of various plastic materials and not recyclable in most municipalities. Want to know more? We’re currently working on a time-lapse video of our pouches degrading. Join our newsletter mailing list below to see it the moment it’s finished.

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REMEMBER: If you don’t see our compostable logo, it’s not an RT | Compostable™ product.

What else should I know before choosing RT | Compostable™?

The business of compostable packaging is constantly changing.

Whether it’s from our own research and development initiatives, regulatory changes, supplier changes, demand changes – this space is ever-changing. While we wish that we had a perfect product and perfect answers, the truth is that there is a lot of grey area within the subject of compostable packaging.

We may not have all of the answers, but we certainly have a lot of them. In fact, we’ve developed a whole page dedicated to clarifying a lot of questions you may have about this product.

What to Expect

Considering Compostable?

“What happens if I put this in my municipal green bin?”

“Why does this material feel different than my conventional packaging?”

“Will this package still compost if it goes to the landfill?”

“Will this product perform as well as I need it to?”

Still have questions about our compostable packaging?
We’ve got the answers. 

Compostable FAQ

Ready to buy?

Contact Sales

Looking for other sustainable options? Check out RT | Recyclable™.

Wondering if flexible packaging is right for you?

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A message from our CEO

Dear Customers,

I have an exciting update regarding our endeavour to make the most sustainable products available! Right now, we are on the edge of a fantastic new product line in our compostable material stream that will replace all compostable products we currently make. With our dedicated team, many years of research and development, as well as the environmental stewardship that we are so committed to, a lot of progress is underway!

As we continuously develop this line, there are many upgrades we’re making along the way, especially as the demand to make “e-commerce ready” packaging grows alongside the rapidly expanding e-commerce market.

However, with this progress comes a need to temporarily halt commercial production on our line of home compostable pouches. Transitioning our home compostable films to adapt to this new e-commerce workflow has certainly been a challenge. During this pause, we will be busy altering some of the materials and processes we use in making the compostable packaging for the benefit of a better, stronger (and therefore even more sustainable), product.

To say that Rootree is committed to sustainability would be an under-statement, just as you wouldn’t say a tree is committed to producing oxygen – as it’s a force of nature, it just does it. In the same fashion, sustainability is deeply ingrained into Rootree’s DNA, and one doesn’t come without the other.

Stay tuned while we refresh, reinvent, and complete the Phase 3 development of our compostable product line. You’ll be back to using a better, stronger version of the compostable packaging you love in the new year, we promise! In the meantime, we thank you for your continued support and hope we can continue to serve all of your packaging needs with our conventional and recyclable product streams.

Phil St-Cyr
President & CEO