Is it certified, yes or no?
BioBag World Australia director Scott Morton presented at the annual Keep South Australia Beautiful (KESAB) Breakfast with the Minister for Environment and Water Hon. David Speirs MP in Adelaide on Wednesday 13th November to 150 waste and recycling industry professionals.
The theme was “The ‘New’ Circular Economy” and “Single Use Plastics; Compostable or Biodegradable?”
Scott showed that visually there’s no difference between compostable and non compostable. He explained how plastic bags labelled ‘Green and Degradable’ or ‘Naturally Degradable’ contain an additive that makes them break down faster into smaller fragments of microplastics. But these bags are made from normal plastic (polyethylene), so they aren’t in fact ‘green’ at all.
It can be tricky to know what products are truly biodegradable because in Australia the term ‘biodegradable’ doesn’t mean anything and can be used without proof.
When a product is certified compostable, you can be sure it will completely biodegrade in the presence of oxygen and microorganisms, leaving no microplastics or toxic residues behind.
BioBag bags and films are certified compostable and biodegradable according to a number of international standards. BioBag holds compostable and biodegradable certificates issued by several certification institutions like The Australasian Bioplastics Association , AIB Vincotte (OK Compost), DIN Certco, BPI (USA) as well as other specialised certifications such as the GMO-free certificate.
To avoid being misled, check for certifications that show authenticity and independent verification of claims and compliance. For compostability, these could include:
✔ Seedling logo for compliance to the Australian Standard AS4736-2006
✔ Home compostable logo for compliance to the Australian Standard AS5810-2010
✔ OK compost industrial for compliance to the European Standard EN 13432-2000
✔ Seedling logo for compliance to the European Standard EN 13432-2000
✔ OK compost home for compliance to the European Standard EN 13432-2000
