EN13432
It’s easy to say “compostable”. To avoid using such a crucial term improperly, given its pivotal role in transitioning to a lower environmental impact system, in 2002 the European Committee for Standardisation introduced the EN 13432 standard.
The goal is pretty clear from the very title: “Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation”.
EN 13432 was also introduced to bridge some gaps from its predecessor, namely Directive 94/62/CE, which caused misunderstanding and improper use of the terms “compostable” and “biodegradable”.
According to the new standard, a material may be defined “compostable” only if it fulfils the following characteristics:
- At least 90% biodegradable within six months in a carbon dioxide rich environment. The value must be assessed using the ISO 14855 method.
- If in contact with organic material for three months, the mass of the material must be made of at least 90% of fragments lower than 2 mm, to be assessed by means of the ISO 14045 standard.
- The material must not have any negative effects on the composting process
- Low concentration of heavy metals as additives to the material
- pH, salt, volatile solid, nitrogen, phosphate, magnesium and potassium levels must fall below the prescribed thresholds.
share on