“There is a difference between [being] laboratory-certified compostable and what municipal composting systems can achieve,” Jim McKay, general manager of solid waste management services for the City of Toronto, tells The Canadian Press.
Ottawa and Hamilton also do not currently accept compostable coffee pods. “Hamilton’s [compost] facility is designed to process material for approximately 42 days. The pods do not decompose within this time frame and may present as contamination in the final product,” says Hamilton spokeswoman Clorinda Pagliari explained.
If passed, the bill would give retailers four years to take the insufficiently compostable pods off the market. Compostable pod maker Club Coffee defended its products, however, saying they have been tested in real-world compost facilities.