Evaluation Framework
European standardization protocols define strict criteria for packaging recovered through industrial composting systems. Conformance with en 13432 compostability requires paper and board packaging to undergo four distinct testing phases including chemical characterization, biodegradation, disintegration and ecotoxicity assessment. The standard governs paperboards and bio-based plastic laminates applied to compostable substrates.
Material combinations exceeding one percent weight concentration of heavy metals fail certification requirements regardless of fibre origin.
Disintegration Threshold
Physical breakdown of packaging materials must occur within twelve weeks during controlled aerobic composting trials. Compliance with en 13432 compostability demands that ninety percent of the initial dry mass passes through a two-millimeter sieve. Thick paperboards require longer processing times than thin flexible papers.
Ecotoxicity Limit
Ultimate biodegradation requires conversion of ninety percent of organic carbon into carbon dioxide within six months under thermophilic conditions. Laboratories testing en 13432 compostability measure metabolic gas evolution relative to a reference cellulose control sample. Plant growth assays evaluate resultant compost quality by monitoring germination rates and biomass yield of selected plant species in enriched soil media.
Failure occurs if phytotoxic compounds or chemical residues reduce plant growth by more than ten percent compared to clean control compost. Substrates intended exclusively for home composting fall outside this industrial standard.
