AFTER THE EVENT · WHERE USED PLATES GO
Can used palm leaf plates go in the food waste bin?
Usually not in a council food waste bin. Most council food and organic collections we checked in Europe and Australia keep compostable tableware out. The NSW EPA names fibre plates and bowls outright. Send used plates to a commercial composter that accepts them, or put them in general waste.
What the rules say market by market, and what we tell caterers who ask.
The short version
- Our plates are EN 13432 tested and passed for industrial composting. That is a plant run at about 58 °C, not a council food waste caddy.
- Most food waste collections take food and nothing else apart from a certified liner or a paper bag. Tableware is not on their lists.
- England tells workplaces to treat compostable packaging as non-recyclable or arrange a dedicated collection.
- Germany’s biowaste ordinance lists bags and tea and coffee pouches as the only bioplastic items allowed; tableware is not listed.
- We hold no certificate for composting at home and we do not give a garden composting time.
What do the rules say in each market?
The wording differs, but the answer is close to the same everywhere we checked. Most sources talk about compostable packaging in general; NSW is the one that names plates.
| Market | Food or organic bin | Source |
|---|---|---|
| England, workplaces | Compostable or biodegradable packaging cannot go with food waste; treat it as non-recyclable or arrange a dedicated collection. In force since 31 March 2025, micro-firms from 31 March 2027. | gov.uk |
| England, households | Weekly food waste collection from 31 March 2026; councils do not have to collect plastic items labelled compostable. | gov.uk |
| Germany | Amended BioAbfV from 1 May 2025 caps plastic in household biowaste at 1%. Annex 1 lists only certified bags and tea and coffee pouches among bioplastic items. | BioAbfV Annex 1 |
| Netherlands | Compostable plastic packaging goes in residual waste, not the GFT bin; only a compostable GFT bag is allowed. | Milieu Centraal |
| France | Biowaste sorting applies to everyone since 1 January 2024. A closed list of packaging items may go in with it, and plates are not on it. | Arrêté of 15 March 2022 |
| Western Australia | Compostable packaging such as cups and trays goes in general waste. FOGO takes food and garden organics plus certified caddy liners. | Waste Authority |
| New South Wales | Fibre-based plates and bowls do not go in FO or FOGO bins. | NSW EPA |
Local councils and waste contractors set the final list, so a caterer should always check theirs. The pattern above is still the safe starting point.
Why do composting plants refuse plates they could break down?
Because a sorting line cannot tell a leaf plate from a plastic-lined paper plate that looks the same. In Germany the amended BioAbfV § 2a sets a check value of 1% plastic for household biowaste and lets the plant send back loads with more than 3% contaminants. A plant that risks a rejected load would rather keep every plate out.
We understand that. A plate with a plastic film still sells in some markets, and from the bin it looks like ours. A clean rule is easier for a council to enforce than a material test at the kerb.
Can palm leaf plates go on a garden compost heap?
We do not make that claim. EN 13432 tests breakdown in an industrial plant at about 58 °C, with 90% biodegradation within six months, according to TÜV Austria’s comparison sheet. Composting at home is a separate test at 20 to 30 °C over up to 12 months under OK compost HOME. Australia and France also set their own standards for it. We have not been tested to any of them, so we give no garden composting time and we ask our buyers not to print one.
What should a caterer do with the plates after an event?
Plan it before the event, not after. Ask your waste contractor for a dedicated organics collection that accepts compostable tableware; England’s guidance names this route for workplaces.
Keep that stream clean. Use one bin for plates and food and keep plastic cups and film out of it. That gives a composter a reason to say yes.
If no composter will take it, use general waste. It is not the ending anyone wants, but it is what most councils ask for.
Does this change what an importer should print?
Yes, if the carton or the retail pack tells people where to put the plate. A line such as “EN 13432 tested and passed (industrial composting only). Check your local collection rules.” is accurate. A drawing of a food waste caddy is not. We explain the claim rules in more detail in our article on EN 13432 test reports.
The plates themselves are pressed from fallen areca leaves with water and heat. They have no coating or plastic layer. You can see the range on our palm leaf plates page, and order terms on the wholesale page.
Questions people ask
Can palm leaf plates go in the brown or green food waste bin?
Usually not. In most of the European and Australian council collections we checked, the food or organic bin takes food and a certified liner but not tableware. The NSW EPA names fibre plates outright. Check your own council’s list. If plates are not on it, use a commercial composter that accepts them or general waste.
Are palm leaf plates suitable for composting at home?
We do not claim it. Our plates are EN 13432 tested and passed, which covers industrial composting at about 58 °C. Composting at home is tested separately, for example under TÜV Austria OK compost HOME at 20 to 30 °C over up to 12 months. We have not been tested to a home scheme, so we give no garden composting time.
Do palm leaf plates need commercial or industrial composting?
That is the route our test covers. EN 13432 sets the conditions of an industrial plant at about 58 °C. It asks for 90% biodegradation within six months and no more than 10% left on a 2 mm sieve after 12 weeks. Ask the composter first, because many plants only take food and garden waste.
What should we do with used plates after a festival or catered event?
Arrange it before the event. Ask your waste contractor for a dedicated organics collection that accepts compostable tableware. Keep plates and food in one bin with plastic kept out. If no composter will take the load, use general waste. England’s workplace guidance names a dedicated collection as the route.
Can compostable plates go in the Biotonne in Germany?
Not as a rule. The amended biowaste ordinance has applied since 1 May 2025. Among bioplastic items it lists only certified collection bags and tea and coffee pouches. It also caps plastic in household biowaste at 1%. Tableware is not on the list. Your local waste authority has the final word.
Sources (opened 9 November 2026): gov.uk, Simpler Recycling for workplaces; gov.uk, household recycling; BioAbfV § 2a and Annex 1; Milieu Centraal factsheet; Arrêté du 15 mars 2022 (AIDA, INERIS); WA Waste Authority; NSW EPA; TÜV Austria standards comparison; TÜV Austria OK compost HOME. Rules are set locally and change; this page is an exporter’s reading, not legal advice.