UVM no longer using compostable cutlery

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The University of Vermont is no longer using compostable cutlery in its dining halls because the vegetable-starch-based utensils don't break down like they were supposed to.

Instead, the cutlery comes out of compost heaps after years looking pretty much like it did when it was plowed under.

After Intervale Compost in Burlington learned the utensils didn't break down like they were supposed to they were banned from their compost piles.

Intervale Compost still allows biodegradable plates and cup, which do break down as advertised.

The Burlington Free Press says the reason most vegetable-based cutlery doesn't break down is because its made with non-biodegradable petroleum-based compounds needed to make them rigid and heat-resistant.

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com