EN 13432 Requirements for Packaging Recoverable by Composting and Biodegradation - Test Chart and Evaluation Criteria for Final Acceptance of Packaging

In the EN 13432 standard, which is a European standard, the requirements for determining the compostability and anaerobic treatability of packaging and packaging materials are explained and test methods are defined. This standard mainly addresses the following features:

• Biodegradable
• Degradation during biological treatment
• Impact on the biological treatment process
• Impact on the quality of the resulting compost

Typical examples of compostable plastics are cellulose films, starch blends, polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate. This last one is a key ingredient in compostable packaging. Biodegradability does not depend on the origin of the material, but only on its chemical structure. The term bioplastic therefore includes plastics that are biobased, biodegradable, or both.

Packages and bags with EN 13432 certification positively contribute to the greater collection of organic waste, which leads to the redirection of organic waste from landfills to biological treatment, thus reducing methane emissions from landfills.

This standard focuses only on the performance of EN 13432 certified plastics in industrial composting and does not consider their suitability for home composting or other disposal methods.

The requirements for certification of bioplastics as compostable, described in standard EN 13432, have been proven in different field tests. This standard defines the minimum requirements that packaging must meet for processing with industrial composting. Similar requirements are contained in another European standard for unpackaged plastic products, EN 14995.

The EN 13432 standard requires the following features to be tested:

• Fragmentation, ie fragmentation and loss of visibility in the final compost.
• Biodegradability, that is, the ability of compostable material to be converted into carbon dioxide under the influence of microorganisms.
• No negative effects on the composting process.
• The amount of heavy metal is below the maximum values ​​given and the final compost is not adversely affected.

In many European countries today, industrial composting is a well-established and widely accepted part of waste recovery infrastructure.

Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services for the final acceptance of packaging that can be recovered through composting and biodegradation within the scope of EN 13432 standard, with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.