Certification Scheme
Third-party conformity certification schemes for packaging substrates verify complete biodegradability and compostability under unheated domestic garden compost conditions. Administered by TÜV AUSTRIA, the tüv ok compost home mark establishes that paper structures and barrier coatings disintegrate safely at ambient outdoor temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. The standard requires biological assimilation within a 12-month window without generating ecotoxic residues or microplastic fragments.
Achieving this mark enables brand owners to communicate garden compostability to retail consumers.
Biodegradation Requirement
Evaluation criteria require rigorous laboratory testing across four distinct pillars covering chemical composition, biodegradation, disintegration and ecotoxicity. Substrates must demonstrate at least 90 percent absolute or relative biodegradation within twelve months at ambient temperatures. Disintegration trials require that at least 90 percent of the initial material mass disintegrates into particles smaller than 2 millimetres after six months in ambient composting vessels.
Chemical tests enforce strict parts-per-million ceilings on heavy metals, halogens, total sulfur and fluorine to prevent soil contamination. Ecotoxicity assays verify that the resulting compost sustains normal plant growth and earthworm activity without adverse phytotoxic effects.
Compliance Ceiling
Sourcing qualified base materials does not confer automatic certification upon finished converted packaging if uncertified inks or adhesives alter the formulation.
