Advancing the Standards of Functional Polymers
ASTM D5526
Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation* of Plastic Materials Under Accelerated Landfill Conditions
Significance and Use (There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard)
Decomposition of a plastic within a landfill involves biological processes that will affect the decomposition of other materials enclosed by, or in close proximity to, the plastic. Rapid degradation of the plastic has the ability to increase the economic feasibility of landfill-gas recovery, minimize the duration of after-care of the landfill, and make possible the recovery of the volume reduction of the waste due to biodegradation during the active life of the landfill. This procedure has been developed to permit determination of the anaerobic biodegradability of plastic products when placed in biologically active environments simulating landfill conditions.
As degradation occurs inevitably in a landfill, it is of immediate concern that the plastic materials do not produce toxic metabolites or end products under the various conditions that have the potential to occur in a landfill. The mixtures remaining after completion of the test method, containing fully or partially degraded plastic materials or extracts, can be submitted subsequently to ecotoxicity testing in order to assess the environmental hazards posed by the breakdown of plastics to varying degrees in landfills. This test method has been designed to assess biodegradation under optimum and less-than-optimum conditions.
Limitations
Because a wide variation exists in the construction and operation of landfills, and because regulatory requirements for landfills vary greatly, this procedure is not intended to simulate the environment of all landfills. However, it is expected to closely resemble the environment of a biologically active landfill. More specifically, the procedure is intended to create a standard laboratory environment that permits rapid and reproducible determination of the anaerobic biodegradability under accelerated landfill conditions, while at the same time producing reproducible mixtures of fully and partially decomposed household waste with plastic materials for ecotoxicological assessment.
Claims of performance shall be limited to the numerical result obtained in the test and not be used for unqualified “biodegradable” claims. Reports shall clearly state the percentage of net gaseous carbon generation for both the test and reference samples at the completion of the test. Furthermore, results shall not be extrapolated past the actual duration of the test.
* Disclaimer: Biodegradation metrics for plastic materials enhanced with EcoPure® masterbatches are determined strictly according to standardized laboratory test methods (including applicable ASTM and ISO protocols) specific to controlled, biologically active waste environments. Actual real-world biodegradation outcomes[or behavior] vary significantly based on the structural characteristics characteristics of the finished product, material thickness, mass configuration, and localized environmental variables including microbial population density, solid content, temperature, and moisture levels.
In accordance with international advertising and environmental marketing standards, product performance claims must be confined strictly to the exact numerical results achieved within the specific test duration and shall not be used to substantiate unqualified “biodegradable” or “eco-friendly” claims. Testing documentation must explicitly disclose the net percentage of gaseous carbon evolution achieved by both the test sample and the control reference sample at the formal conclusion of the test. Data shall not be extrapolated, projected, or modeled beyond the actual, completed timeline of the laboratory test.
California: (Public Resources Code § 42357): California completely prohibits selling any plastic product or packaging labeled with the terms “biodegradable,” “degradable,” or “decomposable.” It bars any text, imagery, or scientific references—including specific ASTM or ISO test numbers—that imply the item will break down in a landfill or any other environment when directed at consumers. This applies to all sales within or into the state, including internet sales.
Maryland: (Environmental Code § 9-2101): Maryland completely bans express or implied degradation language on plastic products or packaging sold into the state. Citing laboratory test protocols to consumer audiences is restricted and treated as an illegal implied degradation claim.
Minnesota: (Minnesota Statutes § 325E.94): Minnesota bans the manufacture or sale of any plastic product labeled “biodegradable,” “degradable,” or “decomposable,” or relying on implied breakdown mechanisms, unless it meets an authorized, active state-approved standard for rapid environmental assimilation. Citing standard soil or landfill test protocols on consumer packaging does not bypass this ban.
Washington: (Revised Code of Washington § 70A.455): Washington restricts degradability claims on plastic products strictly to items that meet certified compostability standards (such as ASTM D6400 or D6868). All unqualified “biodegradable” claims and implied laboratory-test marketing on non-compostable plastics are prohibited on commercial consumer goods.