Episode #61: Will your products actually compost? Find out with open-source data from the Compostable Field Testing Program.

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Episode #61: Podcast Show Notes

Introduction

Ready to rethink compostable packaging?

In this episode, Emily McGill from BSI Bio dives into the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), an initiative that open-sources field trial data to drive progress in the industry. Curious about what they've uncovered? In addition to several key takeaways, you'll learn

  • the key differences between field and lab testing,

  • how methodologies are evolving,

  • and which materials have been put to the test.

Plus, there's a big update! Since recording, the program is forging ahead — actively seeking collaboration on strategy and fundraising for its next research phase. The focus? Building a game-changing matrix comparing disintegration rates with composting conditions. This is crucial intel for both composters and the packaging industry.

I loved how Emily takes a step back to explain things, making even the process of "playing" with open-source data and graphs fascinating—whether you're a composter, product designer, manufacturer, policymaker, or brand.

And don't miss the final minute, where Emily shares her vision for the future—it's worth sticking around for!

Resources mentioned and recommended in this episode

Where to find Emily and the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP)?

About Emily McGill from BSIbio Packaging Solutions

Emily McGill is the Program Director of the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), an international research project gathering real-world disintegration data for compostable items from composting facilities across North America, cofounded by the Compost Research and Education Foundation and BSIbio. With a bachelor in Bioresource Engineering, Emily has conducted and remotely coordinated field tests since 2014, and helped lead the development of standardized methods for field testing within ASTM. 

Her consulting experience includes solid waste management planning at corporate and municipal levels as well as policy development and product design for zero waste and single-use plastic reduction. Since 2015 she has fostered community-based projects in urban sustainability, circular economy and regenerative systems design. She is a micro-composter, feeding the soil in her collaborative community garden in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is the co-founder of Master Recycler Vancouver, a zero waste education program for adults.

Podcast music

Special thanks to Joachim Regout who made the jingle. Have a look at his work here.

I am happy to bring a sample of our strong bonds on these sound waves. Since I was a child, he made me discover a wide range of music of all kinds. I am also delighted he is a nature lover and shares the Look4Loops 'out of the box philosophy'. He is an inspiring source of creativity for me.

Colienne Regout