Certified Home Compostable is a Big Deal!
To receive Home Compost certification, our products underwent rigorous testing methods to meet specific criteria, including biodegradation†, disintegration†, plant toxicity† and characterization†. Biodegradable certification requires that the material must break down at a chemical level by aerobic bacterial consumption. To pass the disintegration test, 90% of remaining particles must be less than 2 millimeters in diameter at six (6) months. Plant toxicity means that the test compost cannot hinder plant growth versus the control compost‡, while characterization criteria means that the product cannot contain barred or toxic components.
Composting is natural recycling, and compostable products are not designed to go into recycling bins. LifeMade® cutlery is both home and commercially compostable*§, although commercially compostable facilities may not be available in all areas. Commercially compostable facilities can be searched at www.findacomposter.com.
*TUV Austria OK HOME Compostable Certified #2594
§BPI Commercially Compostable Certified #10529271
Test methods include †ASTM D6400 (USA), EN 13432 (EU/International), Ash, FTIR, Heavy Metals & Fluorine analysis, CO2 evolution ‡Plant growth must be within 90% of germination rate and biomass versus control soil. Home composting disintegration test conducted at OWS (Ghent, Belgium) according to NF-T51-800 (2015), AS 5810 (2010) and the OK Compost HOME certification scheme of TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium.