FAQ

"Biodegradable" refers to the potential for degradation by living organisms. Importantly, the term "biodegradable" cannot be used in isolation, but must be directly linked to the context (environment, parameters, etc.) in which degradation can occur. After all, a different environment with different parameters can initiate a completely different degradation process, resulting in a different manifestation of the degradation potential, for example, being significantly slowed down, or not occurring at all. A good example is the difference between industrial composting and home composting. Although the term "composting" is used for both, they involve different environments and parameters, resulting in different degradation processes and different results.

"Biodegradable" is an "end-of-life" aspect of a material. It has no connection whatsoever with "biobased" or "renewable," which indicate the origin of a material.

"Bio-based" literally means "based on life". This indicates that a material originates from living plants, as opposed to fossil-based materials. Because these living plants can be grown and harvested again and again, the term "renewable" is sometimes used synonymously. The degree of renewability can be demonstrated according to the EN16620 standard, which determines the amount of the carbon isotope C14 present in the material relative to the total carbon content. C14 indicates "recent" carbon, i.e., from living plants.

"Bio-based" or "renewable" indicates the origin of a material. They are not related to "biodegradable", which indicates the "end-of-life" of a material.

"Compostable" refers to the potential for decomposition by living organisms in the context of a composting process. The harmonized European standard EN13432 describes the requirements a product must meet to be considered "compostable" (in industrial composting).

While the term "composting" is used for both, industrial composting and home composting involve different environments and parameters, resulting in different decomposition processes and varying results. Currently, there is no European standard for home composting.

Composting is the natural, relatively slow process by which organic waste (such as vegetable, fruit, and garden waste, food waste, agricultural, horticultural, and food processing residues, prunings, and similar materials) is broken down by microorganisms (such as yeasts, fungi, bacteria, and small insects) and converted into a humus-rich substance called compost. Composting is a way to produce a valuable soil amendment from waste , which improves soil structure, retains water, and releases nutrients to plants.

For the proper composting process, the following are important: the composition of the organic/biological waste, the temperature, the humidity and the presence of oxygen (aerobic process).

Composting organic waste is a form of (organic) recycling: it reduces the amount of waste ending up in incinerators or landfills. It's a sustainable way to manage waste in a circular manner and reuse valuable raw materials.

Anaerobic digestion tion is a process in which bacteria (other than those used in composting) break down organic/biological waste in an oxygen-free environment, resulting in biogas and digestate. Biogas, primarily methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), can be used for energy generation. Digestate is biochemically active and contains important nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It can be used as a sustainable fertilizer, reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.

However, digestate has a high ammonium content, which can lead to loss of ammonia (NH3) to the air.   Sometimes digestate has a high salt content, which can be detrimental to soil life and crops. Digestate can cause a mineral imbalance, which can affect soil fertility. And the nitrogen in digestate can leach out unintentionally, especially in the autumn.

Composting digestate is a way to further mineralize and stabilize the organic matter in the digestate, resulting in a product with improved structure and better nutritional properties for the soil.

Greenwashing, the unfounded claim of ecological benefits, undermines the trust of citizens and the government. Certification offers an answer.

To begin with, the certification body must be accredited by the government. Such accreditation is only granted after it has been demonstrated that the certification program and its working methods lead to reliable results regarding conformity with relevant international standards.

The certification body will then conduct (or commission) all useful studies and necessary tests included in the certification program. The results of these studies and tests together form the certification dossier and are validated by a scientific committee, which ultimately decides whether or not to award the certificate.

A certificate grants permission to display the certification body's logo on certified products. The certification body holds all intellectual property rights to this logo and enforces that its use is only permitted under certification.

After awarding the certificate, the certification body systematically examines random samples of marketed products for conformity with the certificate.

This objectively substantiates the accuracy of the claims made by manufacturers and distributors.