Compostability Testing for Verified Environmental Performance
What do greenwashing, regulatory compliance, and circular economies have in common? Each of these can be resolved by verifying compostability testing by a trusted laboratory.
When building market value for your product, testing offers a great opportunity to set yourself apart. Compostability testing verifies that materials break down safely and completely in composting environments, acting as a bridge between innovation and environmental responsibility. This endeavor ensures that products labeled as "compostable" fulfill the goal of returning to the earth without harmful residues.
As companies respond to consumer demand and regulatory pressure for sustainable materials, compostability testing plays a critical role in aligning product innovation with circular economies. Testing provides the scientific validation necessary to ensure that compostable claims are accurate, credible, and certifiable.
Product compostability encompasses four key areas:
- Biodegradability – Conversion of organic carbon to CO₂ under aerobic composting conditions.
- Disintegration – Physical breakdown of the product in compost.
- Ecotoxicity – Safety of the resulting compost for plant growth and soil health.
- Chemical Composition – Absence of heavy metals and other harmful substances.
Successful certification through a third party like Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) offers companies the credibility to establish consumer confidence. Certification also verifies that a product meets benchmarks that support environmental goals and safeguard against regulatory noncompliance.
The Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST) can help you achieve your third-party certification through BPI. There are only a handful of laboratories approved by BPI; WIST is proud to be one of the select few. WIST’s compostability testing meets ISO 17025 accreditation using internationally recognized protocols:
- ASTM D6400 / D6868 / D8410 – Compostability of plastic- and fiber-based packaging
- ASTM D5338 – Biodegradation testing under controlled composting conditions
- ISO 20200 – Disintegration in simulated compost environments
- OECD 208 – Ecotoxicological assessment via plant growth trials
We can help you integrate compostability testing throughout the product development process to ensure materials meet end-of-life objectives.
By validating your environmental claims, you can present your product in the best light, allowing consumers’ confidence in their purchasing decisions. As you verify the compostability of your products, you can create opportunities to secure sustainability-oriented procurement contracts. In addition, companies with certified compostable products often find themselves already aligned with emerging requirements, instead of scrambling to comply with new laws.
WIST has served both national and developing brands for over 15 years with dependable turnaround times and full compliance with industry standards. WIST can help you with your compostability testing, as well as any recyclability and repulpability testing you need. We will help you find the answers you need; contact us to discuss your testing parameters.
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