Compostable Standards Guide
As compostable packaging becomes more widely used worldwide, certification standards play an important role in ensuring environmental safety and product performance.
Compostable standards define the technical requirements that materials must meet in order to properly break down in composting environments.
These standards evaluate factors such as biodegradation rate, disintegration during composting, ecotoxicity, and heavy metal content.
Understanding compostable standards helps businesses choose reliable materials and ensures that environmental claims are supported by scientific testing.
What Are Compostable Standards?
Compostable standards are technical specifications that verify whether a material can safely break down in composting environments.
To qualify as compostable, materials must meet strict testing requirements that typically include:
• biodegradation testing
• disintegration during composting
• ecotoxicity testing
• heavy metal limits
These requirements ensure that compostable plastics break down into natural elements without harming the environment.
Many compostable materials are used in products such as garbage bags, food packaging, and organic waste liners.
Learn more about what compostable bags are made of: what are compostable bags made of
Major Compostable Standards
Several international standards define compostability requirements for packaging materials.
These standards are used by manufacturers, certification bodies, and regulators to verify environmental performance.
ASTM D6400
ASTM D6400 is one of the most widely recognized compostable plastic standards in the United States.
This standard specifies requirements for plastics designed to be composted in industrial composting facilities.
It evaluates biodegradation rate, disintegration, and environmental safety.
Learn more about this certification: What Is ASTM D6400
EN 13432
EN 13432 is the primary compostable packaging standard used in the European Union.
This standard defines requirements for packaging materials that can be recovered through composting and biodegradation.
EN 13432 testing includes:
• biodegradation performance
• disintegration in compost
• ecotoxicity testing
• heavy metal limits
BPI Certification
BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certification verifies that compostable products meet ASTM compostability standards.
Products certified by BPI can be accepted in many industrial composting programs in North America.
BPI certification is commonly used for compostable packaging products such as compostable bags and food service packaging.
Australian Compostable Standards
Australia uses two main compostable standards:
• AS4736 – industrial compostable plastics
• AS5810 – home compostable plastics
These standards verify whether materials can break down in commercial composting systems or home compost environments.
Learn more about these standards inAS4736 vs AS5810.
Certification Bodies
Several international organizations provide certification services for compostable products.
Common certification bodies include:
• TÜV Austria
• BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute)
• DIN CERTCO
• ABA (Australian Bioplastics Association)
These organizations verify compliance with compostable standards and allow certified products to display certification labels.
Why Compostable Standards Matter
Certification standards are important for preventing misleading environmental claims.
Without proper testing and certification, products labeled as “biodegradable” or “eco-friendly” may not actually break down as expected.
Compostable standards provide:
• scientific verification of environmental claims
• compatibility with composting systems
• regulatory compliance in many markets
• increased consumer and buyer trust
Compostable Standards and Sustainable Packaging
As governments introduce stricter environmental regulations, certification standards are becoming increasingly important for sustainable packaging.
Businesses that adopt certified compostable materials can improve environmental performance while complying with global packaging regulations.
For example, many compostable bags used in waste management systems must meet recognized standards such as ASTM D6400 or EN 13432.
Learn how these materials are manufactured: compostable bag production process
Conclusion
Compostable standards play a crucial role in verifying the environmental performance of biodegradable materials and compostable packaging.
By defining clear technical requirements for biodegradation, disintegration, and ecological safety, these standards help ensure that compostable materials truly support sustainable waste management systems.
Understanding global compostable standards allows businesses to make more responsible packaging decisions and helps consumers identify genuinely sustainable products.
FAQ
Compostable standards are technical specifications that define whether a material can safely break down in composting environments.
ASTM D6400 in the United States and EN 13432 in Europe are among the most widely used compostable standards.
They verify that products can biodegrade properly and do not harm composting systems or the environment.
In many markets, compostable bags must meet recognized standards such as ASTM D6400 or EN 13432 to be labeled as compostable.
