Why
A bag is a small thing.
A trillion of them isn’t.
The problem
Estimates put global plastic-bag production in the trillions of units per year, with recycling rates in the low single digits. Most of that material is used once. We make bags for the jobs that still need a single-use film — and we certify them for composting rather than for recycling, which this format almost never completes.
For decades the first answer to single-use plastic has been to use less of it. We agree. The parallel answer we work on: when a grocery bag, mailer, or food pouch is still required, it should be a material that can be composted in a real facility or home pile, instead of a conventional plastic that persists for decades.
The material
Our compound is built from two main inputs. The first is a plant-derived starch, typically from cassava and/or corn. The second is PBAT, a polyester designed to biodegrade under composting standards. Together they make a film that handles like conventional plastic at the till and is certified to break down in compost — not like a leaf on the forest floor, and not in a dry landfill.
We don’t use polyethylene. We don’t use PVC. We don’t use oxo-degradable additives that fragment conventional plastic into smaller pieces. The list of what isn’t in our bags matters as much as what is.
From blend to compost
The full life of a GroundUp bag.
Designed and certified to close the loop in compost — home or industrial, depending on the product — within the windows those standards require.
- 01 Season
Begins as a blend
Plant starches (typically cassava or corn) are compounded with compostable polymers such as PLA and PBAT. PBAT is usually fossil-derived; it is included for flexibility and is certified under composting standards — not described as plant-based.
- 02 Days
Becomes a bag
The compound is extruded into film and converted into the shape you hold: vest bags, liners, mailers, and the rest of the range.
- 03 Weeks
Carries your day
Use it like any other bag. Stored dry, it stays stable. Composting starts when the film meets heat, moisture, and microbial activity in an active composting environment.
- 04 60–180 days
Goes to compost
In home or industrial compost — whichever the product is certified for — the film is designed to biodegrade to CO₂, water, and biomass under the test conditions of that standard. Landfill, litter, and water are not those conditions.
Proof
Independently certified.
Not just claimed.
Every GroundUp product is tested against recognized third-party standards. The marks below are used across the range; each product page lists the ones that apply to that bag.
-
Biodegradable Products Institute
BPI Certified
Verified by BPI
Independent US certification confirming compostability in industrial composting facilities. A mark many North American municipal organics programs look for; local acceptance still varies.
-
ASTM International
ASTM D6400
Industrial compostability
The North American specification for plastics designed to compost in municipal and industrial facilities. This is the standard BPI certification verifies against.
-
TÜV Austria
OK Compost HOME
Home composting
Tested to break down completely in the cooler, slower conditions of a backyard compost heap, not just industrial facilities.
-
European Standard
EN 13432
European compostability
The European benchmark for compostable packaging: at least 90% disintegration in 12 weeks and 90% biodegradation in 6 months.
Common questions
Honest answers,
no hedging.
01 What does "home compostable" actually mean? +
It means that product is certified to the TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME standard: disintegration and biodegradation thresholds in cooler, less controlled backyard compost, not only in an industrial facility. Only SKUs that list OK Compost HOME carry that mark. You still need an active home compost pile — a sealed bin in a cupboard is not composting.
02 Are these bags biodegradable or compostable? +
Compostable is the claim we make, because it is the stricter, time-bounded standard. “Biodegradable” on its own can mean little. Compostable, as used here, means the product is certified to break down to CO₂, water, and biomass under the named standard’s test conditions, and to meet that standard’s eco-toxicity and heavy-metal limits.
03 Will the bag fall apart on the shelf? +
Composting needs moisture, heat, and microbial activity. Stored dry, a GroundUp bag is designed to stay usable for at least a year. That is a storage expectation, not a guarantee for every climate and warehouse.
04 What materials are inside? +
A blend of plant-derived starch (typically cassava and/or corn) with compostable polyesters such as PBAT and, in some families, PLA. No PE, PVC, or PET. PBAT is generally fossil-derived; we include it for performance and certify the finished film, rather than calling the bag 100% plant-based. Ratios vary by family.
05 Can I put these in my municipal organics bin? +
Only if that program accepts certified compostable bags. Look for BPI in the program rules, then match the SKU. Acceptance varies by municipality and facility, and some programs reject compostable packaging even when it is certified. When in doubt, ask the hauler.