Degradable Materials: Industrial Compostable and Home Compostable

With the continuous escalation of the plastic restriction order, more and more disposable packaging products made of compostable and degradable materials appear around us. Compostable and degradable materials Under natural conditions, materials that can be completely degraded by microorganisms into the water, carbon dioxide/methane, and new substances and minerals are called compostable biodegradable materials. Composting is divided into industrial composting and household composting. Compostable biodegradable materials come from two certification methods, home composting certification and industrial composting certification.

Industrial Compostable of Degradable Materials

Industrial composting refers to a process in which microorganisms degrade solid and semi-solid organic substances at aerobic mesophilic or high temperatures under controlled conditions (the temperature should be controlled at about 55°C) to produce stable humus.

The general cycle of industrial composting is 180 days, but with the change in aerobic composting technology, the degradation time is also 60 days or even shorter. Taking some disposable products of Fujian Luge New Materials as an example, the degradation rate in 60 days can reach 90%. The industrial composting test standard is based on the DIN EN 13432 standard and is certified to receive both the "DIN-Geprüft Industrial Compostable" mark and the European Bioplastics Association's Seedling compostability mark. After passing the corresponding test of industrial compost, you can also apply for certification from BPI (applicable to the North American market) and ABA (applicable to the Australian market).

Home Compostable of Degradable Materials

Household composting refers to a composting process that mainly uses household kitchen waste or garden waste as the main raw material to carry out aerobic composting for production and living for home use. In foreign countries, many families have the ability to compost independently. If there is a package certified for home composting, they can be put into the compost bucket. But compared to industrial composting, home composting is less efficient without heating, so the composting time is longer than industrial composting, but generally no more than a year.