Compostable Claims

FTC guides state that A marketer claiming that an item is compostable should have competent and reliable scientific evidence that all the materials in the item will breakdown into, or otherwise become part of, usable compost (e.g., soil-conditioning material, mulch) in a safe and timely manner (i.e., in approximately the same time frame as the materials with which it is composted) in an appropriate composting facility, or in a home compost pile or device . 

In the USA, an independent, qualified third party, NSF International, certifies products as compostable in commercial and municipal facilities based on ASTM standard D6400 - as discussed earlier this is in compliance with the FTC Green Guides - the independent certifier uses the voluntary consensus standards from ASTM. However, third-party certification does not eliminate a marketer s obligation to ensure that it has substantiation for all claims reasonably commimicated by the certification. 

There is a provision in the FTC Green Guides to make an unqualified general compostability claim if the product can be converted safely to usable compost in a timely manner in a home compost pile or device. However, there are no standards or guidance on what constitutes a home compost pile - it could be a rotting pile in the garden or a poorly managed home compost pile that turns anaerobic. So it is unclear as to how one can provide substantiation for a compostability claim in a home compost pile or device. 

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Although very good rates of biodegradation have been claimed in composting tests it is stated that biodegradation will only occur where there is sufficient moisture and concentration of soil bacteria and fungi and somewhat elevated temperatures. 

The developer claims that one advantage of composting is that it is more effective than other solid-phase treatment systems for soils and slndges contaminated with viscons snbstances snch as coal tar, creosote, or petroleum production facility slndges and still bottoms. 

Copolymers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with nonaromatic acids, poly(ethylene ethers) or hydroxy acids have been blended with starch to produce compostable products such as fibers and films.60 Starch contents up to 80% by weight are claimed. 

Page 8 Organic food prevents cancer claims leading compost distributor. 

Plastic Suppliers Inc., a US extruder of blown film for labels and envelopes, has produced the world s first blown film from NatureWorks PLA. It was hitherto thought that PLA was unsuitable for blown film extrusion. Plastic Supplies claims that its EarthFirst film is 100% compostable, has high gloss, optimum clarity and transparency, high moisture vapour transmission rate, flavour retention, odour barrier, is breathable and is US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant. Areas of application for EarthFirst include window carton film for food packaging, label film, floral wrap film, shrink film and envelope film. 

The company claims easy processing results from the high compatibility of the blend components. The formulation consists of more than 10% PLA (purchased from NatureWorks LLC) plus a biodegradable co-polyester and special additives. FKuR says a special combination of compatibilisers permits coupling between the PLA and the co-polyester. The compound is homogeneous, which allows the film to be drawn down to 8 microns. Film up to 110 microns thick is 90% degraded after twelve weeks in composting conditions. 

Biodynamic gardening methods involve keeping the soil full of vitality by adding compost and manure and special therapeutic preparations made from plant, mineral, and animal material. Crops grown this way, it is claimed, are more vigorous and taste better. 

Novamont makes Mater-Bi, another starch-based biodegradable polymer. This material is widely used for bags for collection of organic wastes for composting. Novamont claims programs serving over 15 million people use Mater-Bi bags and carriers for collection of... 

The temperature had to be kept below 230°C to prevent decomposition of the starch, and exposure of the master batch to air had to be minimized to avoid water absorption. Direct addition of starch and autoxidant withont the master batch step can also be used as this requires some specific equipment, it is only practical for large volumes (42). It was claimed that under appropriate conditions, the disintegration time of a buried carrier bag, containing an Ecostar additive to reach 6% starch, will be reduced from himdreds of years to 3-6 years (38). However there is no evidence of a compliance of such materials with the norms of biodegradability and compostability already in place at the international level. Moreover, the destabilization of polyethylene indneed by the pro-oxidants may significantly affect its in-use performance as a function of time. 

A number of papers studied polyethylenes in PLA as deliberately phase-separated areas to provide better toughness [24], But without compatibility with the PLA, these are likely to be sources of weakness rather than strength. Hence, there is a trend to use block copolymer compatibiUzers such as PLA/PE. As long as the PE is at a low level [25], although if the PE is above 1% the polymer cannot claim to be to composting standards, merely that it is bio-based. ... 

The situation confused consumers and government regulators, and put into question the biodegradable plastics maiket for some years. Since then the confusion or misunderstanding appeared about what was and what was not biodegradable and/or compostable. Additionally, no scientifically based test methods or standards existed to support claims made by plastics manufacturers for the biodegradabiUty or compostability of their products. 

For a plastic to be claimed biodegradable imder composting conditions or compostable, it has to meet the Specifications Standards ASTM D 6400. This specification is intended to estabUsh the requirements for labelling of materials and products, including packaging made from plastics, as compostable in municipal and industrial composting faciUties . 

EN 13432 defines the characteristics a material must own in order to be claimed as compostable and, therefore, recycled through composting of organic solid waste. According to EN 13432, the compostability criteria include ... 

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