European Standard
EN 13432 conforming polymer must fulfil the following criteria:
Biodegradability
A polymer is considered biodegradable if more than 90% of its mass converts to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) within 6 months of testing, using testing methods ISO 14851, 14852 or 14855.
Disintegration
More than 90% of the polymer must disintegrate to less than 2mm pieces within 3 months of industrial composting
Heavy metal content
Strict heavy metal limits apply
| Metal |
CEN norm ppm (on TS) |
Zn
Cu
Ni
Cd
Pb
Hg
Cr
Mo
Se
As
F |
< 150
< 50
< 25
< 0.5
< 50
< 0.5
< 50
< 1
< 0.75
< 5
< 100 |
Plant Ecotoxicity Tests
The compost residue must not exert any toxic effect on plant germination and growth using BOTH summer barley and water cress.
Australian Biodegradable Standard
This standard encompasses the above EN13432 criteria and in addition has the following test:
Earthworm Toxicity Test
The compost residue must not exert any toxic effect on earthworms.
OK Compost Mark
The OK Compost mark guarantees that the product conforms to EN 13432 Standard. In addition, they guarantee that the product is regularly monitored. (https://www.vincotte.com)
Mushroom Bag Shelf Life Study
SGS Australia performed a shelf life study of mushrooms comparing Biostarch Bio-Fresh Degradable Bags with Cling wrap, Supermarket Bags and Paper Bags. The sensory data was collected and analysed using Friedman’s Equation and Least Significant Ranked Difference (LSRD). The tests were carried out over a period of 14 days. Biostarch Bags were considered preferable over the other storage materials studied.
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