The development of national and international standards for biodegradable plastics

6 The development of national and international standards for biodegradable plastics 

In practice the end of the induction period is the point at which biodegradation begins and this in turn is determined by the post treatment the 

Identification of packaging constituents, dry solid content, ignition residues, and hazardous metal residues. 

Biodegradability 90% of the total theoretical CO2 evolution in compost or simulated compost in six months. 

These criteria were arrived at pragmatically in association with the composting industries in order to cause minimal interference with the commercial operations of the industiy. Criteria 2, 3 and 5 are subjective assessments associated with compost quality and have little to do with ecological behaviour. For example, criterion 2 is concerned with biological burning of the plastic to carbon dioxide in order to improve the visual appearance of the compost. This has nothing to do with the agronomic 

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