Transformation by means of organic recycling (composting) requires a material or product to be biodegradable. Biodegradation is a chemical process in which materials are metabolised to CO2, water, and biomass with the help of microorganisms. The process depends on various factors.

Compostability is a characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that allows it to biodegrade under specific conditions (e.g. a certain temperature, timeframe, etc). These specific conditions are described in standards, such as the EN 13432 standard and the Australian Standard on Commercial Composting AS4736. Materials and products complying with these standard can be certified and labelled accordingly.

Although there are current standards globally for compostable plastics, certification is voluntary. To ensure you are purchasing a certified compostable product, always look for the certifying logo or relevant information on the sellers' website or catalogue.

Yes. Custom branding is available for most products. Further information is available at ecoware.co.nz/pages/custom-packaging, including minimum order requirements and our specifications sheet.

Various organisations globally provide certification for compostable packaging products. The main certifiers are BPI (USA), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), the International Organisation For Standardization (ISO) and the European Bioplastics (eV), (the EN 13432 standard).

DIN CERTCO is the certification body of TÜV Rheinland Group, which acts as a neutral third-party certifier to demonstrate quality, safety, and efficacy. TÜV Austria and DIN CERTCO are certification bodies internationally recognised in validating product claims of biodegradability and compostability.

All tests are carried out in accordance with EN 13432 standards and other international standards. Depending on the market in which the products are sold, compostable packaging products can hold one or multiple certifications.

To confirm compliance with these standards and schemes, compostable products are tested according to the conditions found in home composting systems, in particular, lower temperatures and longer dwell times compared to conditions in industrial composting facilities. Materials or products compliant with these standards can be recognised by a conformity mark stating their home compostability.

TÜV Austria and DIN CERTCO are certification bodies internationally recognised for delivering certification of the OK compost HOME programme. OK compost HOME certification details all the technical requirements that a product must meet in order to obtain the certification. Defined in 2003, the requirements of the OK compost HOME programme still today serve as the basis for the drafting of several standards such as:

Australia: AS 5810 (2010) – Biodegradable plastics - Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting

France: NF T 51800 (2015) – Plastics - Specifications for plastics suitable for home composting

Europe: prEN 17427 (2020) - Packaging — Requirements and test scheme for carrier bags suitable for treatment in well-managed home composting installations

TÜV AUSTRIA developed OK compost HOME to guarantee 100% biodegradability in the specific requirements of a garden compost. The programme details all the technical requirements that a product must meet in order to obtain the certification. OK compost HOME certification requires a product to:

1) 100% biodegrade into completely non-toxic by-products, and

2) disintegrate within 180 days. Not more than 10% of the original dry weight may be found in a > 2mm screen fraction

3) ultimate biodegradability (90% absolute biodegradation, or 90% with a suitable reference substrate within 12 months.

The specified requirements for home and commercial composting standards differ in the time frame. Materials break down faster in a commercial compost facility due to the controlled environment, and this is largely a condition of heat.

Our sugarcane paper pulp coffee cup lids, aqueous single-wall coffee cups, and the sugarcane and bamboo food packaging range are certified OK compost HOME with TÜV Austria.

Yes, any product with bioplastic has a 12-month shelf life from date of purchase. Store bioplastics out of direct sunlight and below 35°C. Incorrect storage reduces product stability and shelf life.

If your order is received before 12 pm, it will be dispatched that evening. Any orders received after 12 pm will be dispatched the following working day. Following dispatch, most orders to the North Island will be delivered between 1-2 working days, and most orders to the South Island will be delivered within 2-4 working days.

No, we do not support collections.

Please get in touch by emailing Tori or Jess at hello@ecoware.co.nz.

Please see visit ecoware.co.nz/policies/refund-policy.

No. Delivery is dynamically calculated at checkout relative to our warehousing.

No. Our products are designed for industrial composting, often referred to as organic recycling. Industrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed requirements concerning temperature and timeframe for biodegradable waste to metabolise to stable, sanitised products (biomass) to be used in agriculture (humus/fertiliser).

This process occurs under controlled conditions—temperatures, humidity, aeration, etc.- in industrial or municipal composting plants. The criteria for the industrial compostability of packaging are set out in the European standard EN 13432. EN 13432 requires compostable products to

— disintegrate after 12 weeks

— and completely biodegrade after six months.

That means 90% or more of the plastic material will have been converted to CO2. The remaining share is converted into water and biomass – i.e. valuable compost. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and labelled accordingly.

Studies have shown that there is little risk posed by biodegradation of compostable plastics in landfills (Kolstad, Vink, De Wilde, Debeer: Assessment of anaerobic degradation of Ingeo® polylactides under accelerated landfill conditions, 2012). PLA under anaerobic biological conditions typical of a landfill at moderate temperatures will not lead to significant methane generation. Without significant organism populations available under anaerobic conditions, bioplastic degradation occurs but is slow. Landfills have extremely variable conditions depending on geography, waste type and management style. Researchers concluded PLA would require decades to hydrolyse to the point where microbes begin to consume the oligomers. Still, under anaerobic conditions, methane generation from PLA would still be extremely low.

You can locate a service provider at ecoware.co.nz/pages/collection-partners. If you require further assistance, please email tracey@ecoware.co.nz.

There are seven industrial composters accepting compostable packaging across Aotearoa, New Zealand. You can view the locations at ecoware.co.nz/pages/compost-facilities.

No. You are able to use compostable bin liners that are certified OK compost HOME with TÜV Austria. The Auckland Council bin liners hold this certification.

Our sugarcane paper pulp coffee cup lids, aqueous single-wall coffee cups, and the sugarcane and bamboo food packaging range are certified OK compost HOME with TÜV Austria and suited to home compost environments. Due to variations in home composting environments, the required timeframe for the product to completely biodegrade may differ from those outlined in the standard of 12 months.