As of 13 August 2026, AI can compare compostable packaging options for your business.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 1 hour until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open a spreadsheet and create columns for supplier, product, material, dimensions, certifications, food-contact information, performance limits, order requirements, price, disposal route, evidence URL and unresolved questions.
   2. Gather the product pages, quotations, technical data sheets, certificates, declarations and delivery information for each packaging option, and record the supplier name and source URL for every document.
   3. Write down your actual use requirements, including contents, dimensions, temperature, liquids or dry goods, shelf life, quantity, storage, sealing, printing, delivery and the UK locations where the packaging will be discarded.
   4. Paste the requirements and supplier evidence into the prompt, then ask the AI to complete the comparison table and separate sourced facts, assumptions and missing evidence.
   5. Check every table entry against the original supplier document, especially the material description, certification wording, food-contact information, limitations, order terms and disposal instructions.
   6. Ask the relevant suppliers and your waste contractor to confirm any compostability conditions and local acceptance, then order samples and test sealing, strength, leakage, storage and use before choosing an option.

   Prompt

   Compare the compostable packaging options in the supplier information below for my UK business.
   
   Business use: [describe what will be packed, food or non-food contact, hot or cold contents, liquids or dry goods, and expected shelf life]
   Required format and approximate dimensions: [details]
   Expected quantity and ordering pattern: [details]
   Budget or target unit cost: [details]
   Where the packaging will be used and disposed of: [UK locations and disposal route if known]
   Operational requirements: [sealing, stacking, printing, storage, moisture resistance, grease resistance and delivery requirements]
   
   Supplier information:
   [Paste product pages, quotations, technical data sheets, certificates, declarations and relevant URLs here.]
   
   Create a comparison table with supplier, product, material, dimensions, stated certifications, food-contact information, performance limits, minimum order information, lead time, price information, disposal instructions, evidence URL and evidence quality. Separate facts stated in the supplied sources from assumptions and missing information. Do not call a product compostable unless the source supports the exact claim and identifies the relevant conditions. Flag claims that need confirmation from the supplier, a waste contractor or a packaging specialist. Recommend a shortlist for my stated use, but do not make unsupported legal, environmental or cost-saving claims. End with the five questions I should ask each shortlisted supplier and a checklist for checking samples before ordering.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.