Compostability

• NatureFlex™

• Create your own Space Receive Newsletters
• Register for Newsletters

Compostability

Industrial Compostability

In order to be certified to the European and American norms for Compostability (EN13432 & ASTM D6400 respectively) materials must undergo a stringent test regime, carried out by independent accredited laboratories only, in order to confirm that their inclusion will have no negative effect on soil or compost quality.

The key elements of this test programme include:

• Biodegradation

             Minimum 90% versus the control sample in a maximum of 6 months

• Disintegration

              A pilot composting test to ensure a complete physical breakdown of the material.

• Heavy Metal testing

• Ecotoxicity

              Including plant growing and compost quality checks

Home Compostability

The test programmes for EN13432 and ASTM D6400 confirm the suitability of a material for composting in an Industrial setting (e.g. via Municipal collection). In an industrial composting situation the conditions can be optimised for rapid biodegradation and a high temperature is reached (typically circa 60ºC)

In many countries, however, consumers actively compost their garden waste at home, either in Compost Bins or Compost Heaps. These processes are more variable, less optimised and the temperature achieved is rarely more than 2 or 3ºC above the ambient temperature. Under such conditions certain compostable materials will not biodegrade sufficiently. NatureFlex films however have been tested and approved to the ’OK Compost Home’ standard, which repeats the EN13432 test protocol at ambient temperature. They can therefore be successfully composted in a Home Composting environment and will typically break down in just a few weeks.