Why there isn’t a single “Compostable” icon, What can be done? 

By Duncan Jones, Senior Marketing Manager, Sinclair 

If you work in fresh produce, packaging, or retail, you’ve likely been asked some version of

“Why isn’t there just one simple icon to show something is compostable?”

It’s a good question and one I am asked internally and at tradeshows and events. It speaks to a broader challenge we’re all navigating as an industry globally, regionally and locally.

At first glance, it feels like a gap we should have solved already. After all, recycling has the universally recognised Mobius loop. Why not composting?

The reality, however, is more complex and importantly, it shifts where we should focus our efforts. For a fruit label it becomes even more challenging due the size and need to carry functional and brand information for consumers.

So, while a certified compostable fruit sticker is a minimal compostable packaging solution that can replace traditional single-use fruit stickers saving material cost and potentially EPR fees it is still a major challenge.

The challenge: Compostability is not one thing 

Unlike recycling, compostability is not governed by a single global standard. Instead, it varies by, geography, testing procedures and end-of-life conditions (industrial vs home composting).

Different standards such as EN 13432 in Europe and ASTM D6400 in North America define compostability in different ways, with their own criteria for biodegradation, disintegration, and environmental safety.

This means there is no single, globally agreed definition of “compostable,” which makes a universal symbol difficult to implement without oversimplifying or misleading. ‘Compostable’ means different things to different people, there is still confusion on the difference between biodegradable products vs compostable products, so a symbol would add confusion and noise to consumer understanding.

The reality: Clarity is what matters 

As a marketer of 25+ years, I can get wrapped up in creating a composting symbol and system and lobbying industry to get on board. But, as a consumer the reality for me is that I just want to understand where and how I can dispose of packaging to prevent/minimise my impact on the environment and communicate this to my family; it’s an emotional and logical need.

For all consumers, the nuance behind compostability standards is mostly invisible. What they see instead is:

• multiple logos whose meaning is confusing
• inconsistent messaging, which erodes confidence
• uncertainty about what to do at end-of-life due to lack of clarity

Even recognised certification symbols confirm that something ‘can’ compost under certain conditions not ‘how’ or ‘where’ packaging should be disposed of.

And that’s the critical gap.

Consumers don’t need to understand standards; they need to know what action to take. Simple instructions like ‘dispose in home compost’ would work well.

Why a single icon won’t solve the challenge

A single “compostable” icon sounds appealing, but it doesn’t solve the real problem. It can’t easily communicate:

• whether something is home or industrially compostable
• whether local systems will accept it
• whether the claim is certified

At best, it simplifies, at worst, it risks confusion. What’s needed is not just recognition but clear, actionable instruction.

A more effective approach: Communicating the action

At Sinclair, we believe the focus needs to shift from classification to communication.

Not, ‘What symbol do we use?’ but ‘What does the consumer need to do next?’. The main desire, and objective, for our customers is to clearly communicate the end-of-life disposal method to the consumer succinctly and efficiently. Ultimately, the consumer is the one who must take the action.

On our Sinclair – T55 show labels, we include a clear instruction ‘Dispose in compost’. This is intentional, but it should be noted we didn’t arrive at this point overnight. The marketing team has been through iterations using:

• ‘Sustainable’ – Too vague
• OKH-S0728 or OKI-S0728 – this a company specific licence code to validate Sinclair’s certification claim and is meaningless to a consumer not close to certification

• Compostable – better but unclear

Like many brands we have been, and still are, on a journey to sharpen messaging to provide information and data for clarity to avoid misleading or greenwashing customers and consumers.

So ‘Dispose in compost’ is an intentional instruction, its:

• it’s direct
• it’s easy to understand
• it removes ambiguity
• work because the label has home and industrial compostable certification

‘Dispose in compost’ avoids asking consumers to interpret standards or logos and instead gives a clear call to action.

Making it work in practice

We recognise that label space is always tight, and there may be varying design constraints depending on the need for labeling and customer goals. This said Sinclair print quality allows T55 labels to accommodate text as small as to 4pt, allowing some flexibility to incorporate messaging within existing designs.

Our customer support team includes a team of graphic designers who work with our customers to ensure quality, brand protection and guidance to adapt label requirements.

This is an approach we have always actively provided as part of our broader value offer.

A shared opportunity: Growers, packers, brand owners, retailers and packaging professionals

This isn’t something that can be solved alone and importantly, it’s not about placing responsibility in one place as collaboration along the entire supply chain with focused communication, B2B and B2C is required.

We’ve already seen what works in practice. Trials across retail and foodservice environments in the UK showed that correct disposal of compostable packaging improved significantly when clear on-pack instructions were supported by consistent messaging in the surrounding environment. Similarly, U.S. retail studies demonstrate that simple shelf-edge communication materially increases shopper engagement with disposal guidance at the point of purchase.

In more controlled retail environments, such as food courts and stadiums, where packaging, bins and signage all carry the same instruction, correct disposal rates are consistently high.

The success cases aren’t driven by better icons they’re driven by better messaging alignment.

Moving forward, together

As an industry, we’re making strong progress on sustainable material and reuse solutions. The next step is making sure those innovations translate into correct real-world behaviour.

A single icon won’t achieve that.

Clear communication will.

At Sinclair, our approach is focused on helping customers and retailers bridge that gap with practical, actionable solutions that make it easier for consumers to do the right thing.

Sources & Evidence 

Behaviour change trials (UK)
Research by Hubbub and the University of Sheffield found that clear front-of-pack instructions and consistent messaging significantly improved correct disposal of compostable packaging. [biocycle.net] 

Behavioural science insight (UCL)
Studies show that direct instructions such as “compost with food waste” outperform generic compostable labels, leading to higher rates of correct disposal. [solinatra.com] 

Retail environment study (U.S.)
In-store trials demonstrate that shelf-edge messaging increases shopper engagement with disposal guidance at the point of decision. [purecompostables.com] 

Retail transformation case (Europe)
Leading retailers have shown that aligning strategy, operations, and consumer communication is critical to delivering consistent sustainability outcomes. [terrabiochem.in] 

Consumer behaviour insight (global)
Evidence consistently shows that the success of compostable packaging depends on clear labelling, consumer understanding, and accessible systems for disposal. [ecology.wa.gov]