Standards and labels

• EN 13432:2000

  EN 13432 is a European standard that sets out the requirements for the collection, transport and treatment of animal by-products not intended for human consumption. It covers the hygiene and safety requirements for these materials. The standard includes requirements for things like storage, transportation, and treatment of the by-products, as well as the equipment used in these processes. Possible test results would include measurements of things like temperature and pH to ensure that the by-products are being handled and treated properly.

  Test results

  Compostability Passed

  In the standard EN 13432:2000, when a product receives a pass for compostability, it indicates that the product meets specific criteria for biodegradability, disintegration during composting, and the absence of negative effects on the composting process, including low levels of heavy metals and no adverse effects on plant growth. This standard outlines a rigorous test procedure where the biodegradation process of a material is quantified through measurements of CO2 evolution, with the requirement that at least 90% of the material must biodegrade within a specified time frame (usually six months). The disintegration is tested by composting the material and then screening the remaining fragments to ensure that no more than 10% of the original mass remains undecomposed on a dry matter basis after 12 weeks. The impact on compost quality is assessed through practical composting trials and ecotoxicity tests, ensuring that the compost can support plant growth without transmitting toxic substances. Consequently, products achieving a pass under this standard are considered environmentally benign at their end-of-life stage, contributing positively to the sustainability goals of waste management by returning biodegradable material to the natural ecological cycle effectively.