Issue 06/2018
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1806
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1806
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From Science & Research<br />
At a mesophilic temperature of 25 ºC , the materials did not<br />
achieve degradation in any of the environments studied.<br />
In this study, the ecotoxicological effects were evaluated in a<br />
fast-growing plant species (Ray Grass) from the media where<br />
disintegration had occurred. None of the media in which the<br />
polymeric material had disintegrated produced a toxic effect<br />
on the species in question and the vegetal biomass reached a<br />
germination and growth rate of over 90 % with respect to the<br />
reference substrate.<br />
A limitation in the use of bioplastics is the existing confusion<br />
about the behaviour of materials in different conditions. An<br />
industrially compostable material is not necessarily able to<br />
biodegrade under other temperature conditions or in other<br />
environmental conditions. Currently, there are international<br />
schemes for the certification of biodegradable materials in<br />
different environments that may cause confusion in this sector.<br />
These schemes guarantee to customers the biodegradability<br />
of a material in certain conditions according to international<br />
standards.<br />
In order to enable the correct communication of<br />
biodegradable polymers through product ecolabelling, there<br />
are different standards of biodegradation determination<br />
in different environments (compost, soil, etc.), which have<br />
been used to create certification schemes that specify the<br />
requirements to be met in order to attain the corresponding<br />
certificate and product labelling.<br />
Manufacturers and suppliers in Europe have relied on<br />
the neutral and independent certifications by DIN CERTCO<br />
and TÜV Austria for many years. Certifications from these<br />
agencies send a message to consumers about the quality<br />
of the products and can serve as guidance when making<br />
purchasing decisions.<br />
These independent bodies are able to specify the correct<br />
biodegradation environment for final products thanks to<br />
verification marks.<br />
The most common ecolabel assigned is that of compostability<br />
in industrial facilities (at a temperature of approximately 60 ºC).<br />
The aforementioned bodies grant their own compostability<br />
ecolabels together with European Bioplastics association’s<br />
Seedling compostability mark. Both marks, can be used<br />
individually, alternatively or simultaneously, and document the<br />
biodegradability, among other aspects, of a final product or<br />
material in industrial composting facilities.<br />
A material that is compostable in industrial composting<br />
facilities will not necessarily compost in home composting<br />
conditions, where, among other things, the temperature<br />
is considerably lower (approximately 25 ºC). Different certificates<br />
are obtainable for different conditions and<br />
environments: biodegradable materials and products can<br />
be certified as degradable in soil, saltwater or fresh water.<br />
Any supplier who invests in adding this functionality to their<br />
product or packaging should have the opportunity to have<br />
this information verified according to international standards,<br />
obviously without encouraging consumers to litter.<br />
Biodegradability in the soil offers huge benefits for<br />
agricultural and horticultural products, as they can be left<br />
to break down in situ after being used. In <strong>2018</strong>, standard<br />
EN 17033 [1] was developed, which outlines the requirements<br />
to be met by agricultural mulch films, an application in which<br />
biodegradability in soil entails the end of life of materials, thus<br />
reducing soil contamination due to mismanagement on the<br />
part of humans.<br />
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, based in Spain,<br />
is now in the process of becoming a laboratory recognized by<br />
TÜV Austria, after which it will support the manufacturers in<br />
the verification process required for the different ecolabels,<br />
evaluating the requirements necessary to fulfil each point<br />
of the certification schemes according to international<br />
regulations.<br />
Furthermore, as a quality aspect, Aimplas has a testing<br />
laboratory accredited by ENAC with accreditation no 56/LE156<br />
in conformity with the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Moreover,<br />
Aimplas has the highest number of ENAC accreditations for<br />
plastics according to the ISO 17025 standard at national level.<br />
ENAC accreditations are recognized in over 50 countries,<br />
since it is a signatory of the Mutual Recognition Agreements<br />
arranged at an international level among accreditation bodies<br />
all over the world. These agreements include practically the<br />
whole of the EU, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Australia,<br />
among others.<br />
[1] EN 17033: <strong>2018</strong>. Plastics - Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture<br />
and horticulture - Requirements and test methods.<br />
www.aimplas.es<br />
Figure 4. AIMPLAS’ equipment for simulation of<br />
conditions of biodegradation or disintegration<br />
tests.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/18] Vol. 13 31