Compostable Packaging FAQ — Pricing, MOQs, Materials & Food Safety

For orders of 10,000 pouches or less, packages are typically produced and ready to ship within 10 business days of artwork approval. For orders of more than 10,000 pouches, that's typically 20 business days.

Lead times may occasionally be affected by film availability — we maintain safety stock to minimize disruptions and will reach out proactively if your order is impacted. Delivery time on top of that is determined separately by the shipping option you choose at checkout.

Only a few selections actually change the price of your order:

• Size
• Quantity
• Adding a zipper
• Adding a degassing valve

Everything else is free / included — material or substrate selection, finish or coating option, and whether you include a hang hole (and which type). See the Pricing Page for full detail.

For standard pouch sizes, the minimum is 500 pouches per design (SKU). Each design has to hit that 500-piece minimum on its own — you can't combine smaller quantities across different designs to get there.

For custom-sized pouches, the minimum is 5,000 total pieces, but you can split that across multiple designs as long as each design has at least 500 units and all designs share the same size, film type, finish, and features.

Yes — as long as all the SKUs are the same size and use identical specs (film type, finish, and any add-ons). Our system automatically calculates and applies the correct price break based on the combined quantity.

All of our biofilm materials are biodegradable with either a certified home or industrial compostability rating. Shelf life is comparable to other alternative flexible packaging offerings.

Compostable materials

White — a durable option that protects against moisture, light, and oxygen, with strong puncture resistance. The solid white outer layer makes designs pop with bright, bold color.

• Thickness: 4.0 mil
• Moisture Vapor Transfer Rate (MVTR): 0.565 g/100in²/day
• Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR): 0.019 cc/100in²/day
• Home Compostable Certified material

Technical Data Sheet

   

Clear — a transparent option that offers good protection against moisture and oxygen. Perfect for showcasing your product with window designs. See design instructions here.

• Thickness: 3.9 mil
• Moisture Vapor Transfer Rate (MVTR): 1.3 g/100in²/day
• Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR): 0.065 cc/100in²/day
• Home Compostable Certified material

Technical Data Sheet

   

Metallized — provides solid protection from moisture, light, and oxygen, with strong puncture resistance. The metallic finish gives packaging a sleek, high-impact look.

• Thickness: 3.4 mil
• Moisture Vapor Transfer Rate (MVTR): 0.65 g/100in²/day
• Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR): 0.03 cc/100in²/day
• Home Compostable Certified material

Technical Data Sheet

   

White (Kraft) Paper — our thickest, highest-barrier film. Resistant to oils, greases, and alcohols, with excellent gas barrier properties — ideal for dry and fatty products. The bright white paper finish delivers a clean, premium look while staying fully compostable.

• Thickness: 4.5 mil
• Moisture Vapor Transfer Rate (MVTR): 0.199 g/100in²/day
• Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR): 0.050 cc/100in²/day
• Home Compostable Certified material

Technical Data Sheet

   

Post-consumer recycled materials — great for all liquid, cream, or gel products.

Metallized PCR — delivers excellent moisture, light, and oxygen barrier performance with strong puncture resistance. This structure incorporates 77% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content while maintaining the high-barrier protection required for demanding liquid and semi-liquid applications. The film can be printed in white for vibrant designs or set up to create metallized special effects for premium visual impact.

• Thickness: 4.5 mil
• Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR): 0.06 g/100in²/day
• Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR): 0.07 cc/100in²/day
• 77% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content

Technical Data Sheet

   

Zippers — our standard press-to-close zipper is biodegradable and home compostable; the child-resistant zipper carries an industrial compostability rating and is typically made from bio-based resin sourced from dent corn (with soybean oil, sugarcane, beetroot, or algae used as renewable sources elsewhere).

These get used interchangeably, but they're not the same claim. "Biodegradable" just means microbes can eventually break the material down — no timeframe, no required conditions. That vagueness is exactly why regulators are skeptical of it as a standalone marketing claim.

"Compostable" is the stricter standard: the material has to break down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass within a defined timeframe under composting conditions, leaving nothing toxic behind. In the U.S., that bar is ASTM D6400 — which our films meet.

If you only remember one thing: compostable is biodegradable with a deadline and a destination.

Industrial (commercial) composting facilities run hot — sustained temperatures well above what a backyard pile reaches, with managed moisture and regular turning. Materials rated "industrially compostable" need those conditions to fully break down.

Home compostable is the tougher certification: the material has to break down in an ordinary backyard pile, at lower and less consistent temperatures, without any special equipment. Our films are Home Compostable Certified — which matters, because most U.S. households don’t have access to an industrial composting facility. Our standard press-to-close zipper is home compostable too; the child-resistant zipper carries an industrial rating.

Short answer: it depends on where you sell — and we'd rather help you get this right than hand you a claim that gets you in trouble.

Here's what's true about the materials: our films meet ASTM D6400, carry home or industrial compostability ratings, and every component — film, ink, zipper — is individually certified compostable. That's the material reality, and we stand behind it.

Labeling is a different question. What you can print on your package is governed state by state, and some states — California is the strictest — require independent third-party certification of your finished package (not just the film it's made from) before a compostable claim can appear on the label. Even a change in size, ink coverage, or design can trigger the need for re-certification.

Our honest guidance:

• Don’t label your packaging "certified compostable" unless you hold that certification for your finished package.
• Before making any compostable claim, check the labeling rules in the states where you sell. California, Washington, and Colorado are the ones to watch most closely right now.
• When in doubt, talk to a regulatory attorney or a recognized certification body — they can tell you exactly what your package needs.

We're actively working with partners to secure additional third-party certifications that would let our customers use industry-recognized compostable marks, and we'll update this answer as that progresses. Have a specific state question? Reach out — we track this closely, and we'd rather talk it through than leave you guessing.

Degradation needs four things present: moisture, sunlight/air, heat, and microbes. The moisture, light, and heat create the conditions for the microbes to do the actual work of breaking the material down into progressively smaller pieces. For more on the process itself, see this composting how-to guide.

Honest answer: it depends on the compost environment, and anyone who gives you a precise number of weeks is guessing about your compost pile.

Here's what the standards say: under ASTM D6400, materials must fully biodegrade within 90 days in industrial composting conditions, with physical disintegration much sooner. Home composting is slower at 180 days because it's more variable — think months up to a year, depending on how active your pile is. Heat, moisture, air, and healthy microbes all speed things up; a cold, dry, neglected pile slows everything down.

And on your shelf? None of this happens. Our films need moisture, air, heat, and microbes together to begin breaking down — so pouches stay stable in normal dry storage.

No. "Marine degradable" is a specific certification for breaking down in ocean environments, and our materials are certified for land-composting, not that. The microbes that break our materials down on land (corn, beetroot, cassava, wood pulp) haven't adapted to do the same job in the ocean. We're looking at future options here, including seaweed-derived materials, but those aren't yet ready for food-grade applications.

Short answer: no — compostables generally aren't worse than conventional plastic if landfilled, but landfill isn't their intended or best end-of-life.

Compostable packaging is designed to break down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass in a composting environment — that's where it delivers its full benefit. In a landfill, it doesn't behave like plastic (which persists and fragments into microplastics) and doesn't introduce long-lived synthetic polymers, but it also doesn't deliver its intended upside of capturing food waste or returning nutrients to soil. The distinction is opportunity cost, not added harm — compostables reach their best use when paired with composting access, clear labeling, and policies that fund composting infrastructure.

Our standard compostable films are not — they'll begin breaking down with prolonged exposure to liquid. If you need packaging for a liquid, cream, or gel product, our Metallized PCR film (see the materials question above) is built specifically for that.

Yes — coffee works well in our pouches, with one thing to know: freshly roasted beans release carbon dioxide for days after roasting. That’s what a degassing valve is for — it lets CO₂ out without letting oxygen in, so the pouch doesn’t balloon and the beans stay fresh. You can add a compostable degassing valve to any pouch at checkout (it’s one of the few options that affects price).

For barrier performance, our White and Metallized films offer the strongest protection against the oxygen, light, and moisture that degrade aroma and oils.

Yes to both. All of our materials are FDA compliant, and our bags are certified for food storage at room temperature, refrigerated, and frozen temperatures — as long as there's no thermal treatment (i.e. cooking) happening inside the container. They're not certified for cooking food in.

For the exact regulatory language: the contact layer film is compliant with 21 CFR 177.1520(c)2.1 and 3.2, 21 CFR 177.1350 and 178.3297, and may be used in contact with all food types defined in Table 1 of 21 CFR 176.170(c) at conditions of use E–G as defined in Table 2 of the same section.

Yes. Our materials are FDA compliant and certified for food storage at room temperature, refrigerated, and frozen — so freeze away. The one line we draw: no thermal treatment inside the pouch. They’re not certified for cooking or microwaving. Full regulatory detail is in the food safety answer above.

No — our pouches are not certified to be microwave safe.

Comparable to other alternative flexible packaging, as long as pouches are stored in a dry, room-temperature environment. Our compostable materials need oxygen, moisture, and microorganisms together to begin breaking down — so on the shelf (outside a compost environment) they stay stable. If you're unsure whether a material fits your product's shelf-life needs, we recommend testing before committing to a full run.

Yes — dieline templates (PDF and Adobe Illustrator) are available for every standard size, for both flat and stand-up pouches. A few best practices to avoid delays or artwork fees:

• Design on the WildKind dieline provided for your size
• Remove all password/security protection and watermarks
• Embed links for any images or graphics
• Convert all text to outlines
• Design in CMYK color space (RGB, Pantone, or other spot colors get converted to CMYK before production)
• Keep the dieline and artwork on separate layers

See the full Illustrator setup guide for step-by-step detail, or reach out for the current dieline download links by size.

Yes, but you'll need to choose clear material for your pouch. A window is simply an unprinted area within your design, so it's important your print file is set up correctly — see step 6 of the Illustrator setup guide linked above.

Yes, though there's a bit to know first. Custom sizes need special machine setups, so the minimum order is 5,000 units — but there's never a setup fee. Custom sizes are also less sustainable than our standard ones: they create more material waste, both during setup and every time that size runs again, so we recommend sticking with standard sizes when you can.

Size limits (always subject to change based on current film supply):

• Web width max: 27.5" (metallized film) / 29.5" (clear or white film)
• Stand-up pouch width: 3.14"–13.7"; gusset: 2"–5"; height (with gusset) up to ~12.75"–13.75" depending on film, minimum 3.14" (4.5"+ with a zipper)
• Flat pouch height & width: 3.14"–13.75" (minimum 4.5"+ with a zipper)

Yes — for $250 our in-house design team will turn around a custom design for you. A project manager reaches out within 24 business hours, and turnaround generally runs 5–7 business days once we have everything needed to start. That includes project management from start to finish, a dedicated designer, 1–2 revisions, and a final print-ready file added straight to your account. Multiple SKUs get a custom estimate based on the initial design, and a physical tear sheet is available for an additional $250 plus shipping.

Start here to answer a few basic questions and get going.

Generally, no — it's costly and usually unnecessary given our printing standards. We're G7-certified, meaning we already calibrate our CMYK printing against Pantone swatches for accuracy, which covers most of what people worry about with Pantone-to-CMYK conversion. The more common issue is a mismatch between your current packaging and the digital file you send us — often because a brand's colors were updated without updating the design file, or a past printer made press-side tweaks that never made it back into the file. True color matching means printing physical samples and recalibrating machines against them, which adds real time and cost to production, especially when the "target" itself doesn't match the digital file either.

Not usually. Double-cutting used to be common to avoid design "bleed" where one pouch's design overlaps the next, but our pouching machine is precise enough that it isn't needed anymore. Double-cutting also slows the machine down, which means extra setup time and cost — so if you'd still like it for peace of mind, reach out to customer support and they can get you a quote.

Not automatically. Our compostable, child-resistant zippers (made by Fresh-Lock®) help your packaging meet child-resistance standards, but the finished pouch design as a whole still needs its own research and lab testing to be certified child-resistant by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission before you make that claim on packaging. Worth budgeting for, since that testing can be costly. The zipper itself can also take a little getting used to to open — ask us for the how-to guide if needed.

Yes — all routine quality testing happens in-house with calibrated equipment, which lets us monitor performance in real time and address issues immediately during production.

We run in-process testing during production to verify seal integrity and functional performance, including burst testing, vacuum seal testing, and visual seal inspections.

There isn't a single industry-wide standard that covers all flexible packaging formats and materials. Instead, we use validated internal benchmarks built from testing, experience, and consultation with packaging testing experts, adjusted for material type and pouch configuration.

It depends on pouch size, film structure, added features like zippers or valves, and order quantity — larger or more complex orders get increased sampling.

If a test result falls outside our target range, production pauses while we investigate, and we make adjustments before the run continues — so finished product meets performance expectations.

No — packaging performance also depends on proper filling, handling, and distribution on your end. Our testing confirms performance under normal conditions and reasonable distribution treatment. If you have a unique application, we're happy to talk through it directly.

Let us know within 30 days of your order arriving. Some defects are expected — up to 5–10% of an order — and we include extra pouches to help account for that possibility.

If something's off, we'll ask you to send back the defective pouches so they can be composted or recycled properly. From there you can choose a credit toward your next order for the value of the defective pouches, or a reprint of the affected quantity (reprints go into our normal production schedule, so there may be a short wait). If an entire order is defective, we'll give a full credit or a complete reprint, whichever works better for you. The most we're able to assist with is the full value of the order.

Phone: (866) 914-4566
Email: [email protected]
Call center hours: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm CT
Pickup address: 8702 Cross Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754