Compostable plastics definitions

This report uses the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) definitions of biodegradable and compostable plastics. 

Definitions. Standardization of definitions, test methods, and performance criteria are required for degradable, biodegradable, and compostable plastics (as for other plastics), to allow product stewardship, to enable regulatory programs, and to support consumer confidence. In the United States these responsibilities lie with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). 

The definition of compostable plastic proposed in ISO/DIS 17088 is iderrtical to that given in the ASTM D 6400 standard. 

Sustainability has many definitions. One way to think of it is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development held by the United Nations in 1983). The concept of sustainability is that we should synchronize our consumption of natural resources with the Earth s production - in other words, using up natural resources at the same rate at which they are produced. Compared to traditional polymers typically made from petroleum and other fossil resources such as natural gas, sustainable polymers are fuUy or partially biobased and/or biodegradable or compostable. They are bioplastics made from renewable resources (biomass) and can be broken down faster than traditional plastics. Sustainable polymers could also protect our Earth by offering a reduced carbon footprint, a reduced use of fossil resources, and improved end-of-life options. 

More recently, international and national standards bodies, i.e. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Japanese Standards Association (JIS) and European Organization for Standardization (EN), have developed definitions related to the degradation of plastics. Nowad s, ISO and ASTM standards exist describing in detail the pmposes of biodegradable and compostable . 

Environmental impacts of sustainable plastic containers can be determined with the LCA information and the definitions of sustainable plastics. The sustainable plastic containers can be made of recycled plastic or biobased plastics. The end-of-life for the plastic is either recycled or composted. Thus, polystyrene is not considered because sufficient recycled plastic is not available. As a comparison, virgin PET is evaluated for LCA. Recycled PET and biobased PLA can be compared for clear sustainable plastic containers. The LCA information from Madival et al. 2009 is used as a starting point. Then, WARM model from ERA is... 

Several products made with biodegradable polymers are not made to be disposed of via composting at the end of their commercial life but rather to end up directly in soil. The biodegradable plastics used in agriculture are intended to biodegrade in soil. Since the agricultural soil is the medium for the production of food for humans and farm animals, the absence of negative effects linked to the in situ disposal of plastics and the absence of residue build-up are matters of concern. The definition of standard test methods and... 

The success of such highly innovative products is linked to the achievement of high quality standards. In the field of bioplastics, quality mainly means environmental quality. Standardisation Committees at national and international level have been working for many years in the definition of standard test methods to assure the biodegradability and full environmental compatibility of the new bio-plastics. Standards such as the European EN 13432 on the compostability of packaging (CEN TC261SC4WG2) and other related norms at international level are now in place, whereas standards on biodegradation of bioplastics in soil are still under discussion. 

Compostability is a neologism indicating an additional property of plastic materials, never taken into accoimt before the overall compatibility of a material with composting, the biological system of treatment of organic solid waste. The definition of compostability given by CEN (European Committee of Standardisation) is ... 

The maximum material gauge of a plastic is determined by its compostability in standard practice composting operations. AU tests must be passed. Success in individual tests will not be sufficient The EN standard test methods are based on the scientific definitions of the ISO standards 14851 [26], 14852 [24] (aerobic degradability in water), 14853 [27] (anaerobic degradability in water), and 14855 [5] (aerobic composting). The tests must be conducted by recognized test laboratories. 

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