CertificationInformation valid as of October 2011 Certification of degradability, biodegradability and compostability.
Degradable plastic products
This term generally describes polyolefin based plastic products that degrade into small fragments. This may be achieved by additives. Such products cannot be certified as compostable to EN 13432.
Biodegradable plastic products
There are no clear rules about biodegradable plastic products and therefore no certification exists:
The term 'biodegradable' is used for all plastic products that eventually degrade (end up as very small pieces so that microbes can eat them), typically within one to two years depending on product used and percentage of additive. Biodegradable plastic products are generally cheaper than compostable plastic products.
There is therefore a market tendency to offer biodegradable products as a 'good intermediate solution' until the cost of compostable materials comes down.
Biodegradable products cannot usually be certified as compostable to EN 13432.
Compostable plastic products
There exist very clear rules about compostable plastic products:
They have to fulfil clear compostability criteria and a Europe-wide certification scheme to standard EN 13432 is in place with the American equivalent ASTM 6400. Products made from certified compostable resins fulfil the compostability criteria within certain dimensional limits unless other, non-certified additives are used. We now have OK compost certification for PHA resins issued by Vincotte 11-727A.
To obtain compostability or biodegradability use PLA or starch based bio resins for clear or milky films to replace PE or PP based and clear or milky sheet based products to replace PP, PET or PVC. Use injection moulding clear or milky bio resins for flexible or rigid products where currently PP or PS is used.
Bio content (October 2009)
Recently the Belgian test and certification company AIB Vinçotte International has proposed a 'bio content' certification scheme that allows the grading of mixed plastics (also those with crude oil based content) to obtain certification. The plastics are tested and then awarded a one to four star certificate. It is expected that resin and plastics manufacturers will engage with this scheme.
