Selling compostable packaging to foodservice buyers is a different kind of sale.
Your customers aren’t all moving away from plastic for the same reason.
Some are reacting to state regulations. Some have environmental sustainability goals to hit. Some just want to know the product won’t fall apart in their kitchen. And some are focused purely on cost.
If you walk into every conversation with the same pitch, you’ll win some and lose most. The ones who get it right match their talking points to what the customer actually cares about.
Know Your Customer’s Primary Driver Before You Say Anything
Every packaging decision gets made through one of 4 lenses. Knowing which lens your customer is looking through tells you what to say first and what to save for later.
Here’s a quick intro to the 4 customer types you’ll run into most often:
- Compliance-Driven Customers: Buyers in states with active plastic bans. They’re after a compliant product and proof of certification.
- Brand/Sustainability-Driven Customers: These buyers have publicly committed to sustainability. The packaging they use needs to match what they’ve already promised guests and stakeholders.
- Performance-Driven Customers: Soggy straws and leaky trays are what keep these buyers up at night. They won’t consider switching until they see proof that the product actually holds up.
- Cost-Driven Customers: Every line item is under scrutiny here. Unit price is usually where the conversation starts, and they won’t move until the full picture makes sense.
How to Figure Out Which Type You’re Dealing With
You won’t always know which type you’re dealing with from the first thing they say. But a few simple questions early on will usually tell you everything you need to know.
Try these:
- “Which states or cities are your locations in?”
- “Do you have any sustainability or environmental reporting requirements you need to meet?”
- “Has your current packaging caused any complaints or issues in actual use?”
- “When you check out a new product, does the purchasing decision go through procurement first or operations?”
The answers will usually tell you what matters most to them.
Opening Conversation Starters by Customer Type
Use these to open the conversation with each customer type. The goal is to get them talking.
Each line starts with what’s already happening in their world, not with what you’re selling.
Benefits Positioning by Customer Priority
Every customer type needs a different angle. If you walk in talking compliance to someone who only cares about cost, you’ll lose them fast. The same goes the other way.
The sections below break down exactly what to lead with for each customer type, what proof to bring, and how to frame the conversation so it lands.
For Compliance-Driven Customers
Lead with the regulatory risk, then give them the documentation to act on it.
At least 19 U.S. states now have active bans or restrictions on single-use plastics.
- California’s SB 54 requires all single-use packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032, with EPR fees already being applied to non-compliant packaging.
- Oregon banned PFAS-added food-contact packaging effective January 1, 2025.
- Rhode Island banned foam foodservice and plastic stirrers the same day.
If your customer operates across multiple states, this gets complicated fast. A certified compostable product line, backed by BPI certification and ASTM D6868 compliance letters, gives them one SKU that clears every jurisdiction.
What to bring to the conversation:
- Active state ban list with effective dates
- BPI certification documents
- PFAS test reports (especially for accounts in Maine, California, Oregon, Maryland)
- CMA-approved certification documents (which mean composters have independently tested the packaging and confirmed it doesn’t damage their compost)
- An audit-ready compliance summary they can hand straight to their legal team
For Brand/Sustainability-Driven Customers
Lead with what their own customers already expect from them.
PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey, covering 20,000+ respondents across 31 countries, found that 80% of consumers say they’d pay more for sustainably produced goods, with an average premium of 9.7%.
Shorr Packaging’s 2025 report found that 90% of U.S. consumers are more likely to buy from brands that use sustainable packaging, and 39% have already switched brands over packaging choices.
What to bring to the conversation:
- Third-party certification logos that they can use in their own marketing (BPI mark, OK Compost INDUSTRIAL, CMA Approved, USDA Biobased).
- An ISO 14067:2018-aligned carbon footprint summary that they can drop into sustainability reporting.
- Competitor examples, if they’re relevant and factual.
For Performance-Driven Customers
Lead with specs, then offer samples.
Here’s how the materials break down by use case:
- Ocean Calcium Sand (Aragonite) Straws and Tableware: Carbon-negative, PFAS-free, CMA-approved, and certified compostable. Strong enough for everyday foodservice use and returns to the soil at the end of life.
- Cellulose Diacetate Straws: Made from wood pulp. Holds up well in cold drinks without going soggy, and breaks down in industrial composting.
- PLA Straws and Tableware: Feels like plastic, no sogginess in cold or ambient drinks. It is heat-sensitive above about 55°C (130°F), so keep it for cold applications.
Match the material to the application, and the performance objection goes away.
What to bring to the conversation:
- Performance spec sheets for each product category.
- FDA food-contact compliance documentation.
- Physical samples for kitchen testing.
For Cost-Driven Customers
Don’t just talk about unit price. That’s only part of the story. You have to bring the angle of the total cost of ownership (TCO).
Yes, compostable packaging costs more upfront. Somewhere between 10 and 40% more, depending on what you’re buying. Acknowledge that early.
But EPR fees are now being assessed on non-recyclable, non-compostable packaging in California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. Those fees make plastic more expensive over time, which closes the gap.
If your customer runs locations across multiple states, think about what it costs them to manage different SKUs per jurisdiction. One compliant product line across all their locations removes the need for it.
Come prepared with:
- A total cost comparison, they can actually make a decision from
- Data on fines and fees in your customer’s state
- Bulk order options you can offer them
If you want help putting those numbers together, NantBioRenewables works directly with distributors to build solutions around your specific accounts.
Products are tariff-free, ship faster than overseas alternatives, and can be tailored to your customers’ branding and volume needs. Request a sample to get started.
Positioning Compostable Against Plastic and Paper
When a customer pushes back on compostables, they’re usually comparing it to something they already use.
Either they’re happy with plastic and don’t see a reason to switch, or they’ve tried paper straws and had a bad experience. Either way, you need a different angle for each.
Here’s how to handle both.
Compostable vs Traditional Plastic
If your customer is dealing with state bans or has sustainability goals to hit, the pitch is straightforward. Compostable products work just as well as plastic in the right applications.
On top of that, your customer gets:
- PFAS-free products across the full material range
- No risk of fines or penalties in states with active bans
- A sustainability story they can actually prove with real documentation
- One product that works across all their locations, regardless of state
State-level plastic bans have only moved in one direction. Every state that passed a ban has kept it. No ban has been reversed.
A June 2025 study published in Science found no evidence of rebound effects within 5 years of a ban’s enactment. Even the Trump administration’s Executive Order 14208, signed February 10, 2025, didn’t touch a single state law.
Every state and local ban cited above remains in effect.
If your customer is in a regulated state now, they need a compliant product. If they’re not yet, more states are moving in that direction.
Compostable vs Paper Alternatives
For performance-driven customers worried about paper straws or containers, the answer is easy. Paper straws fail in use.
A 2019 study published in BioResources found that paper straws lose up to 90% of their compressive strength within 30 minutes of contact with liquid.
But performance is only part of it. Most paper plates and containers have a plastic film lining inside. That means they can’t actually be composted and aren’t as eco-friendly as they’re marketed to be.
Compostable straws made from Ocean Calcium Sand, Cellulose diacetate, PLA, and PHA don’t have that problem.
Cost Justification Frameworks
Here’s how to handle the price conversation without getting stuck on unit price.
Don’t Open with Price
If you lead with unit cost, you’ve already made it a commodity comparison. Lead with value instead. Come back to cost once your customer understands what they’re actually buying.
Cost Angles That Work
Each angle below ties the price back to something your customer is already worried about.
- Compliance Cost Avoidance: Getting caught using banned packaging is costly. California fines alone can hit $50,000 per day. That’s before any recalls or legal fees are factored in.
- Operational Simplification: If your customer has locations in multiple states, they’re already dealing with different packaging rules in each one. One compostable product line across all locations solves that problem.
- Brand Risk: If your customer gets caught using banned materials, the fine or press story will cost far more than switching to a compliant product now.
- Customer Retention: Consumers today pay attention to what brands put their food in. Getting ahead of that is easier than winning those accounts back after the fact.
When the Customer Says It’s Too Expensive
Move them from unit price to cost per transaction.
A compostable straw at 2 cents more per unit, across 500 meals a day, adds about $10 a day or $3,650 a year. Put that next to a $50,000/day fine or a lost account.
The math looks different, doesn’t it?
You can also:
- Compare against other operational costs they don’t question (food waste, labor, rent per square foot per day)
- Discuss volume purchasing options
- Offer a pilot order at one location before full conversion
And here’s one more angle worth bringing up. When customers use paper straws, they often need 2 or 3 just to finish a single drink. A Frappuccino-style drink at Starbucks, for example, will chew through paper straws fast.
That’s 2 or 3 straws per customer instead of one. The hidden cost of paper adds up quicker than most buyers realize.
Positioning Against Competitor Distributors and Other Options
Here’s how to handle the 3 main competitive situations you’ll encounter.
If They’re Currently Using Plastic
Acknowledge that plastic works for them right now. The conversation is about what changes when their footprint crosses into a regulated state or when a major customer adds sustainability documentation requirements.
Frame it as getting ahead of something that’s already coming. The ones who plan now won’t have to rush later.
If Competitor Distributors Also Offer Compostable Products
Don’t comment on competitors. Focus on what you can actually deliver:
- U.S.-based manufacturing
- Documented lead times
- 3rd-party certification quality
- Audit-ready compliance documentation
Those are the things procurement teams and sustainability directors actually need to sign off internally.
If They’re Considering Paper Instead of Compostable
Compostable straws made from Ocean Calcium Sand, cellulose diacetate, PLA, and polypropylene hold their shape for 2 or more hours in cold liquids. Paper straws don’t make it through a single drink.
And it goes beyond performance. Most paper plates and containers have a plastic film lining inside, which means they can’t actually be composted. The eco-friendly marketing doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Compostable plates and trays are PFAS-free and handle grease and moisture without any plastic coating. Your customer gets the sustainability outcome they’re actually looking for.
Objection Handling Scripts
Here are the 10 objections you’ll hear most often, and what to say when you do.
1. “It’s too expensive.”
“You’re right, it costs a bit more per unit. But when you add up the risk of fines, managing different packaging rules across states, and the cost of a potential PR issue, the premium starts to look pretty small. Want me to put together a quick cost comparison for your volume?”
Follow up with a side-by-side TCO (total cost of ownership) comparison, as discussed above.
2. “My customers haven’t asked for this.”
“That’s normal. Most buyers don’t bring it up until a new law affects them or a big customer starts asking questions. Are any of your accounts in California, New York, or Oregon? Those are the states where this is coming up most right now.”
3. “I’m not in a state with a ban.”
“That’s true today. But more states are passing these laws every year. The distributors who wait until it’s mandatory usually have a harder time making the transition. Getting familiar with the options now just puts you in a better position.”
4. “I heard compostable straws get soggy.”
“That’s actually a paper straw problem. A 2019 study found paper straws lose up to 90% of their strength in 30 minutes. Compostable straws made from PLA or cellulose diacetate hold up for 2 or more hours in cold drinks. Let us send you samples to test in your own kitchen.”
5. “Plastic works fine. Why change?”
“It does work well, you’re right. The question is whether the states your customers operate in will still allow it in the next couple of years. Want to take a look at where your accounts are and what rules apply to them?”
6. “My contract doesn’t allow me to raise prices.”
“Got it. Have you looked at whether buying in bulk brings the cost down enough to fit your current pricing? Worth checking before you rule it out.”
7. “We don’t have composting infrastructure.”
“Fair point. But composting facilities are more available than you’d think. About 36% of U.S. residents already have access to one, and that number keeps growing. And even without composting, your customer still cuts out the chemicals and legal risks that come with plastic.”
8. “Isn’t this just greenwashing?”
“Totally understand the concern. The difference here is that these products are independently tested and certified by third parties like BPI, CMA, TÜV Austria, and USDA. A lot of ‘eco-friendly’ claims out there have nothing backing them up. These ones do. We can hand you the paperwork for every single product.”
9. “Can I test samples first?”
“Absolutely. What are you most worried about performance-wise? Tell us, and we’ll put together a sample set for your team to test in real conditions.”
10. “What if the regulations change back?”
“No U.S. state has reversed a plastic ban once it has passed. Even the Trump administration’s 2025 executive order only affected federal buildings. It did not affect a single state law. Everything that’s in place today is still in place.”
Closing Techniques
At some point, you need to move the conversation from talking to doing. These 5 closers help your buyer take the next step without putting pressure on them.
- Trial Close: “Would you be open to testing it out at just 1 location first?”
- Compliance Urgency Close: “If your state’s ban kicks in by [month], when do you need to place an order to have stock ready in time?”
- Risk Avoidance Close: “It’s usually a lot easier to make a change like this when you’re not up against a deadline. Is there a good time to start looking at options?”
- Sample Close: “How about we send you a sample kit? You test it in your own kitchen and see how it holds up.”
- ROI Close: “If the extra cost works out to just a couple of cents per meal, does that change how you’re looking at it?”
What to Do After the Conversation
Most buyers don’t say yes on the first call. That’s normal. What separates a closed deal from a dead lead is usually what you do after the conversation ends.
Here’s how to handle each stage:
- After the First Conversation: Send a short follow-up email within 24 hours. Reference the specific concern they raised, attach the relevant certification documentation (BPI, ASTM, PFAS test reports), offer samples, and set a clear next step date. Keep it short and specific to what you talked about.
- After Sample Testing: Ask directly: “What did your team think?” Address anything that didn’t land and move toward a pilot order. Specific feedback from kitchen testing is the most useful thing you can ask for.
- After an Objection or a “Not Yet”: Don’t push. Stay in the conversation by sharing relevant updates: new state bans, EPR fee schedules, new certifications, industry awards, or news about major chain switches. A customer who said no in Q1 because of cost may come back in Q3 when an EPR fee hits their invoice.
Your Customers Need a Product You Can Stand Behind
The strongest sales conversations happen when the product does the talking for you.
Certifications, performance specs, and compliance documentation get you in the door. But customers who test the product and find it actually works are the ones who convert and stay.
NantBioRenewables makes that part easy.
Our Wave Ware™ line, built from carbon-negative ocean calcium sand, is manufactured in the U.S. with shorter lead times and hands-on quality control. Every product is BPI-certified,
CMA-approved, TÜV AUSTRIA-certified, and USDA Biobased-certified.
They’re also PFAS-free and engineered to match or exceed the strength and usability of conventional plastic.
See the full product line and find the right fit for your accounts.