A proposed ASTM International standard will help environmentally conscious consumers who are interested in purchasing and composting biodegradable materials in their homes and backyards.
The standard (WK35342, Specification for Home Composting of Biodegradable Plastics) is being driven by the growing interest in home composting as a low-cost option for waste management requiring no public infrastructure or transportation costs. Anyone interested in helping develop the proposed standard is encouraged to participate.
The proposed standard will contain performance requirements for “home compostability,” requiring that products biodegrade within a certain time frame. After a material is tested by an independent laboratory and approved as “home compostable,” a logo could be printed on the package for consumers. This could also encourage restaurants, stores, parks, municipalities and other institutions to adopt and market these green products, which would result in reducing waste management costs overall.
“The proposed standard is very important,” says ASTM member Robert Whitehouse, an independent consultant with expertise in biobased and biodegradable polymer formulation and processing. “Home composting is not a process well-known by most consumers. This standard will help change that.”
Whitehouse notes that many towns, cities and colleges already have active home composting groups where composting knowledge is shared. The standard under development could lead to even broader homeowner awareness and adoption of composting procedures.
ASTM’s Subcommittee on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products (D20.96), part of Committee D20 on Plastics, is developing WK35342.
ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member at www.astm.org/JOIN.
For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-environment or follow us on Twitter @ASTMEnvironment.
ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics Next Meeting: April 27-29, 2015, April committee week, Anaheim, Calif.
Technical Contact: Robert S. Whitehouse, Whitehouse Consulting, Lexington, Mass., tel +1.781.674.0435; rswhitehouse@rcn.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Alyson Fick, tel +1.610.832.9710; afick@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Nathan Osburn, tel +1.610.832.9603; nosburn@astm.org
Release #9771