The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Standards Board on Tuesday voted unanimously against adding synthetic compostable materials as compost feedstocks to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. That list in part stipulates which substances can be used in organic crops or processed organic products. The board determined that the broad classes of materials it was evaluating did not meet necessity, environmental and human health, and sustainable agriculture criteria for the National List. But going forward, the group said it’s open to evaluating individual substances, as some showed potential to meet those criteria. It would also consider allowing broader classes of substances with more restricted use patterns, such as for fruit stickers or collection bags. Many composters are screening out compostable polymers altogether, Lewis said, to avoid contamination from other plastic lookalikes diverted by confused consumers. “We are not hearing them asking for more compostable polymers. We are hearing them ask for less contamination in the food waste they accept,” said Lewis, the vice chair of NOSB’s crops subcommittee. NOSB’s decisions on what’s allowed in organic compost hold particular weight in California. Under a 2021 law aimed at tightening “compostable” labeling, the item would have to be an allowable agricultural organic input, as defined by NOP. That requirement was set to take effect Jan. 1 of this year, but CalRecycle granted an extension to June 30, 2027.

Ahlstrom is extending its product range of pressure-sensitive adhesive packaging tape applications. MasterTape® Pack supplements the fiber-based product offering supporting megatrends like e-commerce and the global need for more sustainable packaging solutions. There are approximately 30 billion square meters of packaging tape worldwide, and the numbers are growing with the expansion of e-commerce. Ahlstrom's MasterTape® WAT and MasterTape® Pack offer a high-quality product range for packaging tape applications. They address the need for high-quality performance packaging tape backings while providing customers with a sustainability-driven tape solution that protects and secures packages with the utmost care.

Ahlstrom further broadens its range of release papers by introducing new products that support the design of more sustainable double-sided Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) tapes. With many everyday uses, double-sided PSA tapes are hidden components inside many common products. They join different parts or materials with strength, durability, and versatility. While they often directly perform a sustainable function by replacing heavier and more impactful elements, they can also be manufactured with increasingly sustainable materials. An extension of Ahlstrom’s Acti-V® Industrial dedicated range of high-performance release liners, the new products offer novel options to support environmentally conscious tape producers, thanks to the use of post-consumer recycled fiber, and unbleached cellulose fibers: *Acti-V® Industrial RF Brown is a supercalendered release paper including 30% post-consumer recycled fiber, and featuring the typical brown color used in double-sided adhesive tape liners; *Acti-V® Industrial RF Natural is a supercalendered release paper featuring a natural kraft color, based on a combination of post-consumer recycled cellulose fiber (at least 15%) and unbleached cellulose fibers