Bioplastics compostability, Green Claims and PPWR compliance— answered in 3 seconds.

EN 13432:2000 (Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation) and EN 14995:2006 (Plastics — Evaluation of compostability) are two EU harmonised standards that cover compostability but differ in scope and application. EN 13432 is specifically scoped to packaging materials and is the standard referenced in EU packaging legislation (Directive 94/62/EC Annex II, and PPWR) for demonstrating compostability as a recovery route. It specifies four test requirements: (1) biodegradability — minimum 90% conversion to CO2 within 6 months (ISO 14855); (2) disintegration — maximum 10% by mass remaining on a 2mm sieve after 12 weeks of composting; (3) no negative effects on the composting process; (4) acceptable heavy metal content below threshold limits and no negative ecotoxicity effects on plant growth. EN 14995 covers plastics materials more broadly (not limited to packaging) and applies the same four test criteria. The key practical distinction is that EN 13432 certification is the standard required for packaging to be eligible for organic waste collection and industrial composting in EU member states under packaging legislation. EN 14995 is used for non-packaging plastic items (bags, cutlery, serviceware) where the compostability claim needs to be substantiated. For both standards, certification is based on industrial composting conditions (55–60°C, controlled humidity) — not home composting, which has different test requirements (EN 17427 for home compostable packaging). IgeraIndustria retrieves the specific test requirements and threshold values under both standards.

ASTM D6868 (Standard Specification for Labeling of End Items that Incorporate Plastics and Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other Substrates) covers compostability requirements for composite items. However, the C14 (radiocarbon) method for measuring bio-based content is primarily addressed in ASTM D6866 (Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis). The methodology is based on the principle that bio-based carbon (derived from recently grown biomass) contains the radioactive isotope C14 in the same proportion as atmospheric CO2, while fossil-based carbon contains no measurable C14 (because the half-life of C14 is 5,730 years and petroleum-derived carbon is millions of years old). By measuring the ratio of C14 to C12 in the material, the percentage of bio-based carbon content can be determined with high precision. The result is reported as a percentage of bio-based carbon relative to total carbon content (not total mass). ASTM D6866 Method B (accelerator mass spectrometry, AMS) provides the highest precision and is the preferred method for regulatory submissions. The EU equivalent standard for bio-based content measurement is EN 16640 (using the same C14 radiocarbon principle). For Green Claims Directive purposes, claims about bio-based content must be substantiated with recognised test methodology — C14 measurement under EN 16640 or ASTM D6866 is the recognised scientific method. IgeraIndustria maps bio-based content measurement standards and their acceptability for EU regulatory and claims substantiation purposes.

The Green Claims Directive (Directive 2024/825/EU) introduces substantiation requirements for explicit environmental claims and a list of prohibited commercial practices in B2C communications. For bioplastics specifically, the Directive creates significant challenges for existing marketing claims. Prohibited or severely restricted practices particularly relevant to bioplastics include: (1) Generic claims — “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, “environmentally friendly”, “green” without specific substantiation; (2) Biodegradability claims “in water” or “in soil” for packaging that only meets EN 13432 industrial composting conditions — these are prohibited as the claim is technically correct only in specific industrial conditions that most consumers cannot access; (3) Claims that a product is “bio-based” without disclosing the percentage of bio-based content or the full lifecycle impact (a bio-based plastic with a higher carbon footprint than its fossil equivalent would be misleading); (4) Claims that a product is “compostable” without qualifying whether industrial or home composting is required; (5) Implied claims through imagery (green packaging graphics, leaves, earth symbols) that suggest environmental benefits not substantiated by the product. The Directive also addresses future performance claims — stating a product will be “100% bio-based by 2030” requires a verified and published transition plan. IgeraIndustria retrieves the Green Claims Directive prohibited practices and substantiation requirements for bioplastics marketing and compliance teams.

The prohibition on oxo-degradable plastics (also called oxo-fragmentable plastics) in the EU was introduced by the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD, Directive 2019/904/EU), which prohibited the placing on the market of single-use plastic products made from oxo-degradable plastic from 3 July 2021 in all EU member states. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation 2025/40) extends this prohibition to packaging beyond single-use plastic items, applying to all plastic packaging containing oxo-degradable additives. The PPWR prohibition on oxo-degradable packaging applies from the date the Regulation becomes applicable (progressively from 2025). Oxo-degradable plastics are conventional petroleum-based polymers (typically polyethylene or polypropylene) that contain pro-oxidant additives designed to fragment the plastic into small pieces under UV light and/or heat — but these fragments do not biodegrade; they simply become microplastics. This is why they are prohibited: the fragmentation process does not result in genuine biodegradation. They should not be confused with genuinely biodegradable plastics certified under EN 13432 (which achieve biological degradation to CO2, water and biomass). The UK retained the SUPD oxo-degradable prohibition through the UK Plastics Packaging Tax and the Environment Act 2021 framework. IgeraIndustria retrieves PPWR and SUPD oxo-degradable prohibition scope and dates for packaging compliance teams.

TUV Austria (formerly Vinzenz Austria) operates the OK Compost certification scheme, which is one of the most widely recognised third-party compostability certification programmes in Europe. The scheme offers two main product certifications for bioplastics and bio-based packaging: (1) OK Compost INDUSTRIAL — certifies that the product meets EN 13432 (packaging) or EN 14995 (non-packaging plastic) requirements under industrial composting conditions: temperature 55–60°C, controlled moisture, forced aeration, processing time 12 weeks. This is the certification required for packaging to access organic waste collection streams and industrial composting facilities. (2) OK Compost HOME — certifies compostability under home composting conditions: lower temperature (ambient, minimum 20°C), no forced aeration, longer timeframes. The applicable test standard is EN 17427 (packaging) or CEN/TS 16995 (non-packaging items). Home compost conditions are significantly less favourable ῷ many EN 13432-certified products do not meet home composting criteria because they require higher temperatures to trigger biodegradation. The certification process involves: submission of the product formulation and composition to TUV Austria; testing at an accredited laboratory; TUV Austria review of test results against the applicable standard; and licence agreement for use of the OK Compost logo. Annual renewal and continued conformity testing is required. The OK Compost HOME certification is particularly valuable for products intended for collection-challenged markets where industrial composting access is limited. IgeraIndustria retrieves TUV Austria certification requirements and applicable standards by product category.

REACH Annex XVII restrictions on plasticisers (primarily phthalate restrictions under entries 51–55) apply based on the chemical identity of the plasticiser substance, not on whether the polymer matrix in which it is used is bio-based or fossil-based. Entry 51 (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP — phthalates restricted in toys, childcare articles, and consumer products above 0.1% concentration each) and entries 52–55 apply regardless of whether the PVC or other polymer being plasticised is derived from bio-based or fossil sources. There are no exemptions in Annex XVII for bio-based polymer matrices. The practical implication for bioplastics manufacturers is that: (1) bio-based PVC (polyvinyl chloride produced from bio-based ethylene) plasticised with phthalates restricted under Annex XVII is equally restricted as fossil PVC; (2) bio-based plasticisers (such as citrate esters, epoxidised soya bean oil, adipates derived from bio-based feedstocks) do not carry the same Annex XVII restrictions because they are different chemical substances from the restricted phthalates — however, they may be subject to their own REACH obligations if classified as hazardous; (3) for bioplastics marketed with sustainability claims, the use of bio-based plasticisers is increasingly expected as part of lifecycle-consistent claims assessment under the Green Claims Directive. IgeraIndustria maps REACH Annex XVII plasticiser restrictions by substance and their application to bio-based and conventional polymer matrices.