As a coffee drinker, waste bags accumulate in my kitchen daily. I wondered about this when a bag of beans from Noble Coffee Roasting in Ashland, Oregon, arrived as part of my MistoBox membership. At the bottom, I saw a tiny label that said, "This bag is biodegradable and compostable." Before composting, please remove the tin tie and valve."

Is it possible for me to compost this bag? What if I threw it away instead? I quickly discovered that exploring a subject is not always as…