Recently, nova's team of experts updated its poster on biodegradable plastics, which also includes current standards and certifications as well as the latest scientific findings.
In order to improve the understanding of biodegradability and biodegradability and their certification, a group of experts got together a few years ago to produce a poster showing which polymers are biodegradable in which environments, according to established standards and certification schemes. The group included experts from the nova institute (Germany), as well as a number of leading experts from Normec OWS (Belgium), Hydra Marine Science (Italy/Germany), IKT Stuttgart (Germany), the University and Research Institute of Wageningen (the Netherlands) and in cooperation with DIN CERTCO (Germany) and tüV AUSTRIA (Austria/Belgium). The Expert Group met again this year to discuss the latest scientific evidence in the field of biodegradable polymers in order to make meaningful changes to the poster. The generic categorization on the poster is supported only by tests performed in certified environments. Therefore, the group decided to include the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) in other environments: soil, freshwater, marine and anaerobic conditions. In addition, Din Certo published a new certification for marine biodegradability in 2023, based on ISO 22403, the standard that defines the requirements for marine biodegradability, which is now also mentioned in the poster. A new poster design and more precise definitions of biodegradability and biodegradability complete this year's update.
