BSIbio’s research is rooted in the belief that scientific data is essential for making informed decisions about compostable packaging and sustainable materials.

Compostable packaging made perfect sense to our biologist CEO when she started the company in 2010. By 2012, it dawned on her that the infrastructure and circular resource recovery systems didn’t match the potential for compostable packaging. We began to understand both the problems and promises of compostable packaging, and set out to realize the potential of a working circular bio-economy.

Since 2013, BSIbio has brought together stakeholders from across the composting ecosystem—composters, haulers, municipalities, brands, and academics—to uncover how certified compostable products actually behave in practice.

With a commitment to transparency and scientific integrity, BSIbio’s research emphasizes open-access results, shared methodologies, and stakeholder-informed study design. The Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), co-founded by BSIbio, is the best example of our collaborative approach. The CFTP helps composters evaluate materials for their specific sites, supports informed policy, guides purchasing decisions, and advances the overall understanding of compostables in the circular economy.

The benefit of BSIbio’s research approach is its focus on actionable outcomes. Whether helping a composter decide what to accept, supporting organizations in waste diversion and circular systems planning, or guiding a brand in packaging design, BSIbio turns research into real-world solutions.

Press Releases

McGill, E. (2024). Do compostable products really break down? Compostable field testing program launches interactive website. Compostabletesting.org; Compostable Field Testing Program. [Link]

Minana, B. (2024, October 24). Composting consortium releases new data to compostable field testing program, enabling launch of database on compostable packaging disintegration (E. McGill, Ed.). Closed Loop Partners. [Link]

Composting Consortium. (2023, January). Closed Loop Partners joins forces with U.S. composters and composting industry to launch large-scale in-field disintegration tests for compostable packaging. Closed Loop Partners. [Link]

Online Articles

Composting Consortium. (2024, October 31). Does compostable packaging actually turn into compost? Industry experts share insights. Closed Loop Partners. [Link]

University of Chicago Data Sciences Institute. (2024, May). Data science clinic students’ work visualizing compostable packaging disintegration data from the compostable field testing program presented at COMPOST2024. Uchicago.edu; University of Chicago Data Science Institute. [Link]

Composting Consortium. (2024, April 16). Does compostable packaging actually break down? Composting consortium reveals groundbreaking findings from largest field test in North America. Closed Loop Partners. [Link]

Karidis, A. (2023, August 31). Are bioplastics compostable? Part 2. Waste360.com; Waste360. [Link: Part 2]

Karidis, A. (2023, August 30). Are bioplastics compostable? Part 1. Waste360.com; Waste360. [Link: Part 1]

Academic Publication

Zhang, H., McGill, E., Gomez, C. O., Carson, S., Neufeld, K., Hawthorne, I., & Smukler, S. M. (2017). Disintegration of compostable foodware and packaging and its effect on microbial activity and community composition in municipal composting. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 125, 157–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2017.09.011 [Link]

Magazine Articles

Giaimo, C. (2025, June). Breaking down compostable bags: What you should know about these increasingly popular products. Environment Explained. Sierraclub.org; Sierra Club. [Link]

McGill, E. (2025, January 14). Field test methods for compostable products | BioCycle. BioCycle. [Link]

McGill, E. (2024, November 19). Compostable product field testing public dataset | BioCycle. BioCycle. [Link]

McGill, E., & Oshins, C. (2018, January 11). Open source field testing for certified compostable packaging| BioCycle. BioCycle. [Link]

Strand, C., & McGill, E. (2017, September 7). Field testing protocol for compostable packaging | BioCycle. BioCycle. [Link]

Podcast

Scott Breen & Jay Siegel. (2021, April 7). Biodegradable Products with Susanna Carson (BSIbio Solutions) [Episode 34]. In Sustainability Defined. [Link]