- At least five states now regulate the word "compostable": California, Maryland, Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota. Each ties the claim to recognized ASTM standards, and Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota also require third-party certification.
- The label must look compostable, and other products must not. California and Maryland have long required compostable bags to stand out from regular plastic bags. Washington requires a green, beige, or brown cue, and Colorado requires green markings. Both also bar look-alike colors on products that are not certified.
- Vague terms are being phased out. All five states restrict words such as "biodegradable" and "degradable" on covered plastic products.
- Buyers and distributors serving several states can prepare with one label built to the strictest rules, product-level certificates on file, and a wording check on every bag, case, and spec sheet.
- REGENPLAST supplies compostable bags certified by BPI, helping buyers meet the certification step that these state labeling rules increasingly share.
Each state starts from the same test. A plastic product called "compostable" must meet ASTM D6400, the industrial composting standard for plastics such as bags and films. Paper or other materials with plastic coatings or additives use ASTM D6868.
California and Maryland were the early movers. California has tied "compostable" claims on plastic products to ASTM standards since January 1, 2013. Its compostable-bag identification rules, first adopted for July 2011 and carried into the current law that took effect on January 1, 2013, also call for an ASTM D6400 certification logo on bags certified by a third party. Maryland adopted similar ASTM-based rules on October 1, 2018, including a certification logo requirement for compostable plastic bags.
The newer laws make certification itself the requirement. Washington accepts ASTM D6400 and D6868, as well as other industrial composting standards such as ASTM D8410, ISO 17088, and EN 13432. A product that meets one of them must also show a third-party certification logo, and the state began enforcing its labeling rules in July 2024. Colorado's Compostables Labeling Act took effect on July 1, 2024. It requires covered products labeled "compostable" to be certified to D6400 or D6868 and to carry a logo showing that certification. Minnesota has required certification since January 1, 2026, as our Tuesday post explained. The certifier must be a nonprofit whose main mission is supporting products designed to break down in settings such as industrial composting, and it must be able to test products. California has also added a step. Its newer law, AB 1201, ties the "compostable" label to the USDA National Organic Program and generally took effect on January 1, 2026. CalRecycle extended the deadline to June 30, 2027 for products that contain synthetic substances but otherwise meet California's compostable labeling rules.
Certification alone does not help a shopper or a sorting crew if a certified bag looks just like a regular plastic bag. So states are adding visual rules.
California set the early model for bags. Under its current rules, in effect since January 1, 2013, a compostable bag there must be either fully green with "compostable" printed in letters at least 1 inch tall, or carry that word on both sides in green lettering or inside a green band. Maryland requires compostable plastic bags and compostable food service ware to be labeled so they are easy to tell apart from regular versions. It also bars compostable plastic bags sold or distributed in the state from being labeled recyclable.
Later laws built on that idea. Washington requires certified products to show a green, beige, or brown cue. For film bags, it offers three options, and they closely follow California's design. One is a green, beige, or brown band at least 1 inch high on both sides, with "compostable" printed inside it. Colorado asks certified products to use green symbols, tinting, marks, or patterns, along with the word "compostable" where space allows.
The rule also works in reverse. Washington and Colorado bar products that are not certified from using look-alike colors or designs, such as green leaf motifs, that suggest compostability. Recycling symbols are restricted too. California and Washington bar chasing-arrow recycling symbols on compostable plastic bags, and Colorado applies the same rule to any product marketed as compostable. Minnesota reaches the same goal with words instead of color. It requires a written statement that the product is meant for commercial or industrial composting.
The third shared rule is about words. All five states restrict terms such as "biodegradable," "degradable," and "decomposable" on covered plastic products. Colorado's list goes further. It includes "oxo-degradable," "bioassimilable," and "natural."
The reason is simple. These terms do not say where or how fast a product breaks down. A "compostable" claim backed by an ASTM standard and a certificate does. Washington and Colorado both exempt biodegradable mulch film from these word limits. Washington's exception is narrower: the film must be used in commercial farming and meet set soil biodegradation and certification requirements.
These rules come with real penalties. California law sets civil penalties of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for each one after that. Minnesota counts each noncompliant unit at $100, up to $5,000. In both states, sellers must also hand over proof of compliance when asked.
New York lawmakers introduced a similar bill in 2023 (A3577), with ASTM-based standards, bag labeling rules, and limits on "biodegradable," but it stayed in committee. In October 2023, the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and the U.S. Composting Council released joint guidelines for state lawmakers. They cover certification, color cues, and banned terms, with the stated goal of more uniform rules across states. In Congress, two federal bills are moving at different speeds. The Truth in Labeling Act of 2026 was introduced on August 6, 2026. It would have the EPA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set national criteria for "compostable" and other packaging claims, and it remains in committee. The PACK Act, introduced in December 2025, would amend the FTC Act to set national requirements for "recyclable," "compostable," and "reusable" claims backed by third-party certification. Following it would be voluntary, in the sense that it applies only to companies that choose to make those claims. It would also preempt state and local labeling requirements that are not identical to its federal requirements. A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee advanced the PACK Act on September 1, 2026, and the full committee voted 25 to 18 to report it on September 16, 2026. It has not yet had a House floor vote. Neither bill is law yet, so state rules remain the working standard for now.
Compostable labeling in the U.S. has moved from a single word on a bag to a set of proofs. California and Maryland laid the groundwork with ASTM standards, bag color rules, and limits on vague terms. Washington and Colorado have enforced certification and visual cues since 2024. Minnesota added a certification step in 2026, while California's extension for certain products containing synthetic substances ends on June 30, 2027. Across these five states, the same three elements keep returning: certification, a clear visual signal, and a ban on vague terms. Other states and federal proposals point the same way, though none of the federal bills has become law. For buyers serving several states, one well-built label and product-level records are becoming the practical baseline. REGENPLAST will continue to track state compostable labeling rules as they develop.
Which states regulate "compostable" labels?At least five states have compostable labeling laws in effect: California, Maryland, Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota. Each ties the "compostable" claim to ASTM standards and restricts terms such as "biodegradable." New York has considered a similar bill, but it has not passed.
Which states require third-party certification for "compostable" labels?Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota require third-party certification for products labeled "compostable." Washington and Colorado also require a certification logo on the product. California and Maryland require a certification logo on compostable plastic bags. Its USDA-linked condition under AB 1201 took effect in 2026, with an extension to June 30, 2027 for products containing synthetic substances.
Can a product be labeled "biodegradable" instead of "compostable"?In all five states, terms such as "biodegradable" and "degradable" are restricted on covered plastic products. Washington and Colorado exempt biodegradable mulch film, and Washington limits that exception to farm mulch film that meets set soil biodegradation and certification requirements.
Why do some states require green, beige, or brown colors on compostable products?Color cues help shoppers and sorting crews tell compostable products apart from regular plastic at a glance. California requires a green bag or green band with large lettering, Washington requires a green, beige, or brown cue, and Colorado requires green markings. Washington and Colorado also bar non-certified products from using look-alike colors.
Is there a single national standard for compostable labels?Not yet. The PACK Act was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 16, 2026, but it has not had a House floor vote. The Truth in Labeling Act of 2026 remains in committee. Until a federal law passes, buyers follow the rules of each state they sell into.
[References]
California Legislature, "SB 567 (2011), chaptered text" (Public Resources Code §§ 42357–42358) → Read the Source
California Legislature, "SB 228 (2010), chaptered text" (first version of compostable bag identification rules) → Read the Source
Colorado Revised Statutes, "C.R.S. 25-17-804" (prohibited terms for plastic products) → Read the Source
Office of Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), "Rep. Weber's Bipartisan PACK Act Advances Through E&C Subcommittee as Momentum Builds" (September 2026) → Read the Source
Packaging Dive, "With California's SB 343 stalled, push for federal labeling law continues" (September 3, 2026) → Read the Source
House Committee on Energy and Commerce, "E&C Advances 16 Bills to Enhance American Technological Development and Strengthen Communications Networks" (September 16, 2026) → Read the Source
House Committee on Energy and Commerce, "Roll call vote: H.R. 6832, PACK Act, final passage" (September 16, 2026) → Read the Source
Plastics Today, "Bipartisan Packaging Legislation Moves Closer to Full House Vote" (September 16, 2026) → Read the Source
Maryland General Assembly, "HB 1349 (2017): Compostable, Degradable, and Biodegradable Plastic Products – Labeling" → Read the Source
Maryland Department of General Services, "Food Service Ware Specification" (citing Environment Article §§ 9-2102 to 9-2104) → Read the Source
Revised Code of Washington, "Chapter 70A.455 – Plastic Product Degradability" (mulch film exception and film bag symbol rule) → Read the Source
Resource Recycling, "Maryland approves biodegradable labeling law, composting study" (May 9, 2017) → Read the Source
Washington State Department of Ecology, "Compostable product labeling requirements" → Read the Source
Washington State Legislature, "RCW 70A.455.040 – Requirements for a product labeled 'compostable'" → Read the Source
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, "The Compostables Labeling Act" → Read the Source
Colorado General Assembly, "SB23-253: Standards for Products Represented as Compostable" → Read the Source
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, "325E.046 Compostable and Biodegradable Labeling" → Read the Source
New York State Senate, "Assembly Bill A3577 (2023–2024)" → Read the Source
Biodegradable Products Institute, "United States Legislative Map" → Read the Source
Packaging Dive, "Compostable product labeling legislative guidelines released" (October 5, 2023) → Read the Source
Congress.gov, "H.R. 10048 – Truth in Labeling Act of 2026" → Read the Source
Resource Recycling, "Bicameral Truth in Labeling Act introduced in Congress" (August 10, 2026) → Read the Source
Sustainable Packaging Coalition, "What's New in Packaging Policy? Packaging Policy Roundup" (September 23, 2026) → Read the Source