COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING :

A POTENTIAL OR A THREAT FOR COMPOST

EU-DG Environment & JRC Workshop

Biological Treatment of Biodegradable Waste
Brussels 8-10 April 2002

Bruno De Wilde
Organic Waste Systems (OWS)
Gent -Belgium
 TOPICS

* HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

* EN 13432 STANDARD ON ORGANIC RECOVERY

* COMPOSTABILITY LOGO’S

* THE KASSEL PROJECT

* TRENDS FOR THE THE FUTURE

 QUALITY OF COMPOST

MIXED WASTE SOURCE SEPARATION

1 bin green grey

bin bin

‘COMPOST’ HIGH QUALITY • LANDFILL

COMPOST • INCINERATION
• BIO STABILISATION
 ARGUMENTS

* LANDFILLING : NO OPTION FOR FUTURE

* INCINERATION - MBT : 2 * MORE EXPENSIVE

* RECYCLING : TECHNICAL + LOGISTICAL DIFFICULTIES

* RENEWABLE RESOURCES : CLOSED LOOP +

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
COMPONENTS OF COMPOSTABILITY
 EN 13432 COMPOSTABILITY OF PACKAGING
TEST SCHEME AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

1) MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS constituents/

packaging material

2) BIODEGRADABILITY constituents/
packaging material

3) DISINTEGRATION packaging material

COMPOST

4) COMPOST QUALITY packaging material

 EN 13432 :
1) MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS

* ORGANIC MATERIAL : VS > 50% of TS

* HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, e.g. HEAVY METALS :

MAXIMUM 50% OF NORM FOR COMPOST

Zn 150 Cr 50
Cu 50 Mo 1
Ni 25 Se 0.75
Cd 0,5 As 5
Pb 50 F 100
Hg 0.5
 EN 13432 : 2) BIODEGRADABILTY

* TESTS : PREFERABLY ISO 14855 (CONTROLLED

COMPOSTING) ALSO ISO 14851
(RESPIROMETRIC), ISO 14852 STURM) AND
OTHER INTERNATIONAL STANDARD TEST
METHODS

* DURATION : MAXIMUM 6 MONTHS

* PASS LEVEL : 90% (ABSOLUTE OR RELATIVE TO

REFERENCE)
EN 13432 : 2) BIODEGRADABILTY
200

Cellulose
Total CO2 production (g)

100 = net CO2 production

= biodegradation

Blank - Inoculum
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Time (Days)
 EN 13432 : 2) BIODEGRADABILTY

* APPLICABLE TO ALL ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS ABOVE 1%

(<1% = IRRELEVANT, TOTAL MUST BE <5%)

* EXEMPTED : CHEMICALLY UNMODIFIED PACKAGING

MATERIAL OF NATURAL ORIGIN
 EN 13432 : 3) DISINTEGRATION

* TESTS : PREFERABLY PILOT-SCALE COMPOSTING

ALTERNATIVELY FULL-SCALE COMPOSTING

* DURATION : 12 WEEKS

* PASS LEVEL : MAXIMUM OF 10% OF ORIGINAL DRY

WEIGHT IN >2 MM FRACTION
 EN 13432 : 4) COMPOST QUALITY

* FULFILL STANDARD REQUIREMENTS (PHYSICO-CHEMICAL)

* 2 PLANT TESTS (OECD #208 + SUMMER BARLEY) :

GERMINATION + GROWTH

* (POSSIBLY IN FUTURE : ADDITIONAL ECOTOXICOLOGICAL

TESTS, e.g.. DAPHNIA, EARTHWORM)
 EN 13432 : PRACTICAL ASPECTS

*UNANIMOUS DEFINITIVE VOTE IN MAY 2000

* SUPPORT BY COMMISSION : HARMONIZED EU NORM

* EU - EFTA

* PACKAGING
 POTENTIAL BENEFITS

* RENEWABLE RESOURCES : CLOSED LOOP +

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY (LCA)

* SHORT-LIFE, SOILED PRODUCTS

* HIGH ORGANIC CARBON - LOW NITROGEN

* IF BIOGASIFICATION : ENERGY RECUPERATION

BDP: A New Sustainable Material Class

CLOSED LOOP : REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL USE

AND CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
Slide : courtesy of IBAW
PUTTING COMPOSTABLES INTO PRACTICE

Certificate
-
Label
 DIN-CERTCO LOGO
* OWNED BY IBAW

* MANAGED BY DIN-CERTCO

* BASED ON • DIN V 54900

• EN 13432
• ASTM D.6400

* CERTIFICATION SCHEME = BY-LAWS

for ADDITIVES (e.g. colorants)
and PAPER PRODUCTS

* CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

* APPROVED LABORATORIES
 OK COMPOST LOGO

* OWNED + MANAGED BY AVI

* MANDATED BY GOVERNMENT FOR GFT BAGS

* EXPANSION TO OTHER PRODUCTS (e.g. QUICK)

* BASED ON EN 13432
PUTTING COMPOSTABLES INTO PRACTICE

Certificate
- Communication
Label
 THE KASSEL PROJECT : A TEST MARKET

*200.000 INHABITANTS

*100.000 HOUSEHOLDS

*SOURCE SEPARATED COLLECTION OF BIOWASTE SINCE 1994

*SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE EQUIVALENT TO

GERMAN AVERAGE

Slide : courtesy of IBAW

 KASSEL PROJECT: SYSTEM IS TESTED

*TESTING RECOVERY & ACCEPTANCE IN PRACTICE

(SCIENTIFIC WASTE EXAMINATION PROGRAMME)

*ALL PLAYERS INVOLVED:

*GRANULE MANUFACTURERS
*CONVERTERS
*PACKAGING COMPANIES
*RETAILERS / TRADERS
*CONSUMERS
*MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGM.
*COMPOSTING COMPANIES
*FARMERS
Slide : courtesy of IBAW
SOME OF THE PACKAGING PRODUCTS IN KASSEL

Sack for Potatoes Flower Wrapping

Shopping Bags

Trays Trays for

Butter Wrapper Biowaste Bags
for Olives Vegetables

Fruit Bags
Plant Pots Catalogue Wrapper

Slide : courtesy of IBAW

 THE FUTURE
1,000,000 t

today
DEVELOPMENT OF
BDP CAPACITIES Worldscale
550,000

250,000 100,000 t
Upscaling
44,000
10,000 t
small scale production
1,000 t
15,000
technical trials
100 t
500
Inventions <50

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Slide : courtesy of IBAW
 BDP: PRODUCTION CAPACITIES ([T], WORLD)
Manufacturer 1990 1995 2000 2002/3
Cargill-Dow / PLA 8000 140000
Novamont / Starchblends 100 5000 10000 35000
Biotec 100 5000 5000 10000
PHB / PHV 100 3000 500 5000
Rodenburg 2000 40000
Others (based on RRM) 50 200 500 1000
BASF 8000 8000
Eastman 5000 15000
Others (based on petrochem 100 5000 5000 5000
Total 450 18200 44000 259000
RRM based 350 13200 26000 231000
petro-based 100 5000 18000 28000

Slide : courtesy of IBAW

 BDP PRODUCTS:
MARKET INTRODUCTION IN EUROPE (2001)

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Tpe of Product

Packaging
Food + + KS +
LooseFill + + + + + + + + +
Shopping Bags + + + KS/(+) ++ + +
Fruits / Veget. + + KS/(+) + + +
Catering + + + + + +
Others
Bags Biowaste + ++ + + + +
Agro-Films + + + + +
Toys + + +

(selected product groups; KS = Kassel Project)

Slide : courtesy of IBAW
 COSTS: PERSPECTIVES FOR
BDP PACKAGING (GERMANY) -

5 Partial Costs

Today Future BDP Packaging in D

Total Cost [Euro]

4 DSD Fee
ISD Polyolefins
3
Recycling Composting ISD Fee
BAW
2 ISD
DSD DSD

0
Polyolefins BDP Polyolefins BDP

Slide : courtesy of IBAW

 PROSPECT / FUTURE PERSPECTIVE
2010
*Total BDP market EU: 0.5 – 1.0 Million tons
*RRM Share : > 60 % (cost advantage, 90 % starch / shugar)
> 0,2 million hectares
*Product Types: films (50 %), foams (20 %), rest 30 % (fibers,
functional additives etc.)
*Segments: packaging, textiles/nonwovens, horticulture /agricult.
toys, functional elements (incl. non-biodegradable) a.o.
2020
*Total BDP market EU: 3 - 5 Million tons
(50 % compostable, RRM share: 70 - 80 %, > 1 Million ha)
*CO2 Savings (potential): 10 - 30 Millionen Tons (ECCP)

Slide : courtesy of IBAW