Overview

• The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) officially banned Lavazza and Dualit ads for suggesting their coffee pods and bags could be composted at home.
• Both companies’ products are certified under European Standard EN13432, meaning they require industrial composting and are unsuitable for domestic compost settings.
• The ASA highlighted environmental risks, including potential toxic residue from improper disposal in home compost and contamination of recycling streams.
• Lavazza and Dualit argued that consumers would interpret 'compostable' as referring to material composition rather than home compostability, but the ASA deemed the ads misleading.
• The adverts have been offline since June 2024, with both companies amending their messaging to provide clearer disposal guidance.