Can You Compost Popcorn?

Honestly, what is a movie without popcorn? Popcorn is probably the most popular snack food at sporting events and in movie theatres. It is also a breakfast cereal, consumed by Americans since the 1800s, serves as a traditional Halloween treat, and has also been used as a wall or Christmas tree decoration in some parts of North America as well as on the Balkan peninsula.

However, despite the popularity of popcorn all over the world, some issues have arisen as to their health risks. Some other issues have arisen as to their impact on the environment, vis-à-vis composting and biodegradability. Well, this article will focus on these and more environmental concerns, with regards to popcorns.

 

Microwave Paper Popcorn Bag

 

Can You Put Popcorn in Compost?

Yes, you can put popcorn in compost. In itself, popcorn is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The popcorn kernel’s strong hull contains the seed’s hard, starchy shell endosperm with moisture, which turns to steam as the kernel is heated.

 

Pressure from the steam continues to build until the hull ruptures, allowing the kernel to forcefully expand, from 20 to 50 times its original size, and then cool. Some strains of corn are cultivated specifically as popping corn. It, therefore, means the grain itself, like any other foods, can be added to the compost pile.

 

When you pop your corn into popcorn, not all the corn pops. There can be a bit of waste leftover when you pop a bag of popcorn where some kernels may not pop at all while others getting just get a little bit too burnt to be tasty.

 

Rather than sending them into landfills as they are not edible and neither are they going to help in any other way, you can use them in the compost heap. Both the unpopped and popped popcorn can be added onto the compost heap, even if they are covered in salt or butter.

 

However, you should know that the added sugar or butter in the popcorn being composted, will attract ants and other pests into the heap. Also, try and bury your popcorn, whether popped or not, while in the heap.

 

This is because they can be a treat for the birds, chipmunks and squirrels, and they could feed on them and eventually not help your or your composting business. Huafeng calls the kernels that do not pop ‘old maids’.

 

Can You Compost Popcorn Bags?

Unfortunately, you cannot compost popcorn bags.

 

Popcorn bags are lined with chemicals that prevent grease from soaking through. Some are lined with perfluorinated grease-proofing agents, or C8 compounds, which are potentially toxic chemicals, that prevent grease from soaking through. Other sources argue that microwave popcorn bags are coated with a material that does not break down during the composting process, and will eventually contaminate the finished compost.

 

As such, these popcorn bags must be tossed in the black cart for trash or garbage. It should also be understood that not all microwave bags are made the same. Those made of only paper can be placed in the green bin, meaning they are both recyclable and compostable.

However, those made or those that contain plastic, are not compostable and neither are they recyclable, because of the plastic element. They should be placed in the trash and not composted