This week on stage at SPC Advance, SPC Director Olga Kachook shared the results of our research on national access to composting programs, which shows that 35.9% of the sampled U.S. population has access to composting programs. This new data marks significant growth, with access increasing by 8.9 percentage points since 2020, when 27% of the U.S. population had composting access.
To find this data, SPC reviewed a representative sample covering 60% of the U.S. population based on 2020 Census data, and segmented access to composting into two distinct categories: cities with access to curbside or drop-off programs that accept food waste only, and cities with access to curbside or drop-off programs that accept both compostable packaging and food waste. Both segments count access to municipally run composting programs, privately run composting programs, or both, and include both curbside collection as well as drop-off programs.
The results of our research show that:
- 17.8% of the sampled U.S. population have access to curbside or drop-off programs that only accept food waste
- 18.1% of the sampled population have access to curbside or drop-off programs that accept food waste and some forms of compostable packaging
- The total growth across the representative population sample shows an increase in composting access up from 27% in 2020 to 35.9% today.
Compared to the SPC’s 2020 research on composting access, this research includes an expanded dataset, moving from covering just 1,000 of the largest U.S. cities in 2020 to 6,233 of the nation’s largest cities in 2025.
Composting access can be instrumental in addressing climate change, with food waste accounting for 58% of landfills’ methane emissions, despite making up only 28% of landfill content.
“Food waste in landfills is producing the greenhouse gas equivalent of 50 million passenger vehicles, which means composting programs are a critical tool for combating climate change,” said SPC Director Olga Kachook. “This increase in access to composting programs means more companies and consumers have options for diverting their food waste — and certified compostable packaging — from landfills.”
While the growth in access is promising, SPC emphasizes that substantial work remains to increase support from municipalities, private haulers, and businesses in an effort to expand composting infrastructure, accessibility, and acceptance of compostable packaging.
“We’re seeing a quiet revolution in waste management,” said SPC Director Olga Kachook. “More cities and companies are offering composting programs because we’re realizing that we need more than just traditional recycling programs — we’re going to need all the tools in the circular economy toolbox. Composting programs are key for strengthening local economies and building healthier landscapes.”
About The Sustainable Packaging Coalition
Launched in 2004, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to create a sustainable, regenerative, and just packaging economy. As the leading authority on sustainable packaging, SPC drives industry action through industry-leading events, data-backed resources, expert-led education, and strategic collaboration opportunities. In these efforts, SPC has built a pre-competitive community that prioritizes sustainable packaging progress over any one organization’s agenda. Learn more at https://sustainablepackaging.org/
About GreenBlue
GreenBlue is an environmental nonprofit on a mission to accelerate the transition to a regenerative, just, and sustainable materials economy. GreenBlue is the parent nonprofit of seven projects, including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, How2Recycle, and the Recycled Material Standard. Through these projects and their hundreds of members, GreenBlue strives to be the most reliable and accurate source of truth compelling the packaging value chain to construct environmentally regenerative, socially responsible systems. Learn more at https://greenblue.org/.
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