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About

A packaging company.
Not a slogan on a bag.

GroundUp Bags designs and supplies certified compostable bags for homes, retailers, foodservice, and brands. We are based in Maryland, and we sell into the US market.

Who we are

We make a small range of bags and films from plant starches blended with compostable polymers such as PLA and PBAT. The starch is plant-derived. PBAT is typically fossil-derived and biodegradable under composting standards. We do not describe the blend as 100% plant-based, because that would not be true.

Each product is certified to recognized compostability standards. Industrial composting (BPI / ASTM D6400) applies across the range. Home composting (OK Compost HOME) applies only where a product listing says so. Compostable does not mean the bag disappears in a landfill, in the ocean, on a roadside, or in a cupboard.

Where to find us

Company
GroundUp Bags
Studio
June Flowers Way, North Laurel, MD 20723, USA
Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
This website
Informational. We do not take consumer checkout payments here. Orders start with a quote.

What we will not claim

The rules we write against.

Advertising platforms, and US green-marketing law, treat compostable packaging claims strictly. These are the lines we keep so a reviewer — or a customer — is not misled.

  • Not landfill-biodegradable

    A compostable bag in a landfill is still largely a bag. We do not claim that GroundUp products vanish, degrade, or become soil in landfill, litter, or open environment.

  • Not plastic-free, not 100% plant-based

    Our films are compostable bioplastics. They include plant starch and, in most families, PBAT and/or PLA. Calling that “plastic-free” or “100% plant-based” would be false.

  • Not every bag is home-compostable

    OK Compost HOME is listed only on the products that hold it. Mailers, yard bags, can liners, roll film, and several specialty SKUs are certified for industrial composting.

  • Not a health product

    We talk about packaging waste. We do not claim that using our bags treats, prevents, or reduces disease, or that they remove microplastics from food, water, or the body.

  • Not accepted in every city bin

    BPI certification is what many US programs look for. Acceptance is still set by the municipality and the facility. Check local rules before you promise a customer an organics bin.

  • Not a miracle unboxing

    We do not use “toxin-free,” “chemical-free,” “earth-safe,” “guaranteed to disappear,” or “the only” / “the first true” claims. Superlatives we cannot prove stay off the site.

Next

Read the standards, or write to us.

Certifications, test thresholds, and product-by-product marks are on the site. Privacy and terms are in the footer of every page.

Contact Certifications Privacy