What does "OK compost Home" mean?

NaKu explains the compost seal

Again and again we get asked what “OK compost home” means. Many may have already seen the “OK compost” seal on organic bags. In this article we explain what the different “OK Compost” seals of approval actually mean.

The seal is awarded by TÜV Austria. There are two variants. The "OK compost INDUSTRIAL" seal is awarded if the product is biodegradable in an industrial composting facility. This applies to the entire product, including additives such as printing inks. Bearers of this seal must meet the EN 13432 standard.

INDUSTRIAL WORK

The EN 13432 is a European standard that defines the requirements for compostability according to OK compost INDUSTRIAL. Products that want to bear this seal must pass the following tests:

• Chemical testing: limit values ​​for pollutants such as heavy metals must be observed
• Biodegradable in aqueous medium: 90% of the organic material must be completely degraded to CO2 after six months.
• Composting: after three months of composting, no more than 10% of the original mass may remain.
• Influences on composting: There must be no negative effects on the entire composting process.
• Ecotoxicity Test: The composted material is tested for its effect on plant growth.

In fact, this seal guarantees that at least 90% of the material has decomposed within 90 days in an industrial composting plant and that it has no negative effects on the compost.

OK compost HOME

The OK compost HOME seal is also based on the standard EN 13432. The same requirements must therefore be met as for INDUSTRIAL. Composting is more difficult due to the lower and less constant temperature compared to an industrial composting facility. Home composting therefore takes a lot longer. The OK compost HOME seal is therefore intended to guarantee compostability at home in your own garden. All technical requirements are therefore checked to determine whether the product also biodegrades on home compost or not.

In fact, this seal, in contrast to INDUSTRIAL, guarantees that at least 90% of the material has been decomposed in home compost within six months. The composting process understandably takes longer at room temperature.