It’s no secret that humans have a plastic problem. Single-use water bottles, takeout containers, hygiene products—the stuff is everywhere, and even when we can recycle it, it still ends up clogging our waterways and landfills. In recent years a new vocabulary has come to the world disposable products: compostable packaging. It sounds like a move in the right direction, but the details are… confusing.

The same questions tend to come up around compostable packaging again and again: Is is biodegradable? Can I put it in the recycling? Will it magically turn to dirt in my countertop compost bin alongside my coffee grounds and eggshells?

The good news: Compostable packaging does actually turn to compost just like your food scraps do, which is way gentler on the planet and can get used to help nourish soil.…