Becoming a Member is easy

Let your company stand for the betterment of this planet. Small changes bring large improvements. How2Compost membership demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, leadership in your field, and helps you connect with your consumers in a new and meaningful way.

Benefits of Joining

There are many advantages to joining this coalition of forward-thinking brands.

Displaying How2Compost and show commitment
Help combat food waste
Divert materials to become valuable instead of sending to landfill
Help educate consumers on ways to compost
Consumers think highly of brands using transparent labels
Be a part of a pre-competitve labeling system that follows FTC Green Guides
Promote consumer engagement on composting
Demonstrate leadership

Help Pave the Way in Composting

How2Compost is designed with the Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides in mind, and together with its sister label How2Recycle, is a comprehensive on-package recovery labeling system. How2Recycle launched in 2012, and How2Compost began in 2016. Join us as we become the next and best generation recovery labels in the United States.

Become a Leader on Green

Becoming a member of How2Compost means that you're taking a real step towards leadership and transparency in composting and sustainability. By making an authentic commitment to better composting information on your packaging and products, you're showing that you walk the walk. Consumers will likely agree: 77% tell us their impression of a company becomes more positive when they learn the company is a member of How2Recycle.

What Consumers are Saying About the Labels

I never clearly understood how to deal with plastic bags/wrap/film and now I do. Any company that cares to do their best for the environment matters to me, and I will support them.

Placing How2Recycle on a product tells consumers that the said company is socially responsible and is concerned about the health of the environment.

These companies want you to recycle. This shows that they care.

More products should have this! It takes away the guessing game of recycling.

Thank you for helping to keep garbage out of the ocean and landfills!

I hope more companies will take the necessary steps to ensure their packaging can be and is recycled. The label is a great aid to accomplishing this.

I do find it challenging to reduce waste and find the information needed to recycle... I appreciate your making more information available through this program and website... Thanks!

How to Become a Member

Just contact the How2Compost team to let us know you’re interested, and we will reach out to share membership information with you and answer any questions you may have. As a benefit to you, we have structured How2Compost membership to also include How2Recycle membership (so that there is one easy fee that covers both programs). This means you will receive How2Recycle labels for packaging that is recyclable (such as corrugate boxes you ship your compostable cups in), in addition to your How2Compost labels! Examples of how our labels work in harmony can be seen below. Note that you must have BPI certification in order to qualify for a How2Compost label, and so if you haven't received certification yet, you should reach out to BPI to get that process started. Additional certification fees through BPI will apply.

To use the How2Compost label, companies must become a member of the program.

Membership

Annual Fee for Joint How2Compost & How2Recycle Membership

Annual Fee by Company’s Annual Gross Revenue (will be pro-rated if needed)	Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) Members	Non-SPC Members	One Time Setup Fee*
Small	$0	$3,000	$1,500
Medium	$0	$4,500	$1,500
Large	$0	$6,000	$1,500

Here's how our process works. First, share your goals. We like learn more about your brand and your goals so we can ensure that How2Compost gives you all the resources you need. You’ll speak directly with our team to discuss how our program and label process works.
Next, we go to work. Our team creates How2Compost labels based on your packaging specifications, and reviews the label through an easy proof process. Then, off the packaging goes for the world to know How2Compost it! Note that all packaging featuring How2Compost must be BPI certified.

Then, enhance and expand. Once How2Compost is launched on your packaging, we serve as a resource to answer any questions about designing your packaging for recovery for the future.

Each member gets access to unlimited labels, used on an unlimited volume of packaging, for an unlimited variety of packaging formats. Our label must be used without modification. But our Guidelines for Use, that address details like color and placement, do allow you to make How2Recycle work for your brand.

*This one time setup fee is waived if the license agreement is signed without negotiation.

Note that How2Compost membership without How2Recycle membership is not available. Companies must become members of both.

BPI Partnership

The authority in compostability certified products

BPI is a formal partner of How2Compost, and the leader in compostability certification. Up to this point, BPI has led an effective composting label program you may already be familiar with. We’re thrilled to work together on How2Compost.
Learn More About Our Partnership

List of Current Members

Our Goal

The How2Compost and How2Recycle® labels combine to form a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicate recovery instructions to the public. The goals of the How2Recycle Label were developed through open discussion with numerous stakeholders, and relate to the ultimate vision of a system where valuable packaging materials are beneficially recovered. Our goals are to:

Reduce confusion by creating a clear, well-understood, and nationally harmonized label that enables industry to convey to consumers how to recycle and/or compost a package.
Improve the reliability, completeness, and transparency of recycling and composting claims.
Provide a labeling system that follows Federal Trade Commission Green Guides.
Increase the quantity and quality of recycled and composted material.