Standards, biodegradable plastics

The world biodegradable plastics industry has agreed a set of standards and certification procedures for biodegradable packaging materials, which will continue to encourage growth and possibly deter imitation. 

Biodegradable plastic products must meet stringent quality criteria if they are to be composted. Dedicated standards and certification schemes/tests have been established for verifying the compostability of plastic products. 

In addition, a number of standard authorities have sought to produce definitions for biodegradable plastics. 

ASTM D7081-05 Standard Specification for Non-Floating Biodegradable Plastics in the Marine Environment... 

Standard specification for non-floating biodegradable plastics in the marine environment, ASTM Standard D7081-05, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2005. 

D6868-03 Standard specification for biodegradable plastics used as coatings on paper and other compostable substrates... 

Seal KJ. Test methods and standards for biodegradable plastics. In Griffin GJL, editor. Chemistry and Technology of Biodegradable Polymers. London Blackie Academic Professional 1994. p 116. 

It is not possible to provide a specific timescale in a general standard for oxo-biodegradable polymers, (as distinct from a standard for industrial composting) because the conditions found in industrial composting are specific and the conditions foimd in the open environment are variable. Also, the time taken for oxo-biodegradable plastic to commence and complete the processes of degradation and biodegradation can be varied. 

Many biodegradable plastics were not very well labelled due to some misapprehension about the difference between a degradable and a biodegradable plastic. Due to this fact, many international standards were developed in order to clarify this misconception. Among the associations dealing with these products are the American Society for Testing and... 

New Standard for Biodegradable Plastic, available online at www.british-dgtip.de/technology / 98i5052.htm. 

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. 

Narayan R., Doi Y, Fukada K. Impact of Government Policies, Regulations, and Standards Activities on an Emerging Biodegradable Plastics Industry. Biodegradable Plastics and Polymers. Elsevier, New York, 1994, p. 261. 

A number of standards authorities have sought to establish definitions for biodegradable plastics and some of these are provided below ... 

Table 8.3 List of eight standards by CEN TC261 committee related to testing of biodegradable plastics...

M. Avella, E. Bonadies, and E. Martuscelli, European current standardization for plastic packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation, Polym. Test, 20,517-521,2001. T.R. Van, P. Fowler, M. Lawther, and C.J. Weber, Properties of Biobased Packaging Materiak, Biobased Packaging Materials for the Food Industry Status and Perspectives, KVL,... 

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