Standards

Finished products containing Masterbatches  are independently 3rd-party tested per the applicable ASTM standard for biodegradation*  in which products containing the masterbatch may end up upon their end-of -life.

Anaerobic Biodegradation Enhancing Masterbatches are tested using ASTM D5511 and/or ASTM D5526.  These standards should be used if your product is most likely to end up in Anaerobic Digester and/or Landfill environment.

Aerobic Biodegradation Enhancing Masterbatches are tested using ASTM D5338, ASTM D5988 and/or ASTM D6691. These standards should be used if your products is most likely to end up in Compost, Soil and/or Marine environments.

Submitting products to independent laboratories for a combination of tests is recommended to cover products for a range of primary and secondary environments where they may end up. We can assist you with this process and offer guidance on package and/ or product labeling to meet applicable Green Guideline claim requirements.  Making unqualified claims are not considered credible and can lead to fines and restrictions imposed by agencies responsible for enforcing Green Guidelines.

* 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.