Washington State Compostable Color Requirements: Green, Beige, or Brown Only

Washington sets identification requirements for covered plastic food-service products and food-contact film products that make a compostable claim, but “green, beige, or brown only” is an incomplete buying rule. For a covered product, color is one part of requirements that can also include the applicable composting standard, a third-party certifier logo, the word “compostable,” and a producer declaration. Buyers should approve the exact SKU and its on-product markings—not a color description or a supplier’s general claim. Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Not exactly. The green, beige, or brown signal is not a rule for every compostable product. It applies to a plastic food-service product or food-contact film product where RCW 70A.455.060 applies. A covered product may be fully or partly tinted in one of those colors, or use a green, beige, or brown stripe or band at least 0.25 inch wide.

For a covered product, “no white or black” is a useful warning against selecting a plain, lookalike item with no identifying signal. It is not the legal test by itself. Film bags, nonfood-contact film, and qualifying wood or fiber products have separate category treatment, so the covered-product color rule is not their complete compliance test.

For a plastic food-service product or food-contact film product that makes a compostable claim, where RCW 70A.455.060 applies, the checklist is more than a color choice. The buyer should ask the producer to confirm the following for the exact SKU:

• Composting standard: certification to ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868 for industrial composting.
• Third-party certifier logo: a logo on the product from a certifier that supports the required standard.
• Written claim: the word compostable on the item where possible.
• Color signal: green, beige, or brown tinting, or a stripe or band at least 0.25 inch wide.
• Producer declaration: the item listed in the producer’s declaration for Washington.

These covered-product markings matter on the item itself, not just on the master carton or retail sleeve. Composting facilities receive loose items after the outer packaging has been removed, so an off-product claim does not solve the identification problem.

Do not approve a plain white or black covered product merely because it is described as compostable. If a plastic food-service product or food-contact film product subject to RCW 70A.455.060 has no qualifying green, beige, or brown signal, it does not meet the identification rule described above.

For a covered product, a base color alone does not tell you whether an item is compliant. It can use a compliant tint, stripe, or band rather than being solid green, beige, or brown, but its certification, wording, declaration, and on-product presentation still need to be checked. This is why a catalog photo or an unverified material name is not enough for a Washington purchase decision.

No. Color and material name should not be used as shortcuts. Washington separately exempts wood and products made from more than 98% fiber only when they contain no plastic additives, coatings, or waxes. A coated or otherwise modified fiber container may not qualify for that exception and must be evaluated under the requirements for its category.

For wood and paper food-service products, the state guidance also says there must be no intentionally added PFAS. Ask for construction details and the evidence for the exact item rather than assuming that a natural beige appearance establishes either exemption or compliance.

Use an SKU-level document review. Washington does not maintain a complete list of “approved” compostable products. A producer declaration is the producer’s statement that the item meets the law; it is not the same as a state pre-approval of every product. Check the product’s certification directly and keep the documentation with the purchasing record.

1. Identify the statutory category: covered plastic food-service product or food-contact film product, film bag, nonfood-contact film, qualifying wood or fiber product, or another component. Requirements differ by category.
2. For a covered plastic food-service product or food-contact film product, request a current photo or physical sample. Confirm the certifier logo, the word compostable, and the color signal are on the item.
3. Request certification evidence tied to the exact SKU, its category, and the applicable ASTM standard.
4. Where required, check that the producer has included the SKU in its Washington declaration.
5. Confirm the item’s material construction, including coatings, waxes, and additives, before treating it as a fiber exemption.
6. Keep the approved artwork, SKU code, certification evidence, declaration confirmation, and supplier correspondence together so a reorder does not drift to a different version.

No. The Washington labeling rule and local collection acceptance are separate questions. Some compost facilities and service providers do not accept compostable packaging, or accept only particular items. Products sent to a facility that does not accept them may be removed and discarded rather than composted.

Before switching a program, check the local hauler and receiving facility. Ask which food-service items are accepted, whether the required certifier matters, and how contamination is handled. Industrial-composting certification should not be presented as a home-composting claim, and a compostable item does not compost in a landfill.

Legal marking is not a performance test. For a stadium, venue, or other high-volume food-service program, specify the menu, serving temperature, fill level, lid, transport time, stacking pattern, and local end-of-life route. Then test filled samples under the conditions the item will actually experience.

For foods with sauces, broth, or oil, evaluate base depth, rim and lid fit, closure consistency, movement in delivery or carrying conditions, and stacking. A correctly marked compostable product can still be the wrong operational choice if the container and closure do not suit the food. Keep that functional review separate from the Washington documentation review.

TakeawayPack’s public RFQ workflow can collect the product category, material, size or capacity, estimated quantity, printing or color requirements, and destination country. For a Washington order, send the exact product type and SKU target, the applicable on-product marks, the requested certification standard, the proposed end-of-life route, and the food-use conditions.

Start the specification discussion at TakeawayPack, and require the compliance evidence for the exact item before release of a Washington-bound order.