ASTM D6868-11
(Specification)Standard Specification for Labeling of End Items that Incorporate Plastics and Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other Substrates Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities
Standard Specification for Labeling of End Items that Incorporate Plastics and Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other Substrates Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities
ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for labelling of materials and products (including packaging), wherein a biodegradable plastic film or coating is attached (either through lamination or extrusion directly onto the paper) to compostable substrates and the entire product or package is designed to be composted in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities. This specification, however, does not describe the contents of the product or their performance with regards to compostability or biodegradability. In order to compost satisfactorily, the product must demonstrate each of the three characteristics as follows: (1) proper disintegration during composting; (2) adequate level of inherent biodegradation; and (3) no adverse impacts on the ability of composts to support plant growth.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers end items that include plastics or polymers where plastic film/ sheet or polymers are incorporated (either through lamination, extrusion or mixing) to substrates and the entire end item is designed to be composted under aerobic conditions in municipal and industrial composting facilities, where thermophilic temperatures are achieved.
1.2 This specification is intended to establish the requirements for labeling of end items which use plastics or polymers as coatings or binders, as “compostable in aerobic municipal and industrial composting facilities.”
1.3 The properties in this specification are those required to determine if end items (including packaging) which use plastics and polymers as coatings or binders will compost satisfactorily, in large scale aerobic municipal or industrial composting where maximum throughput is a high priority and where intermediate stages of plastic biodegradation should not be visible to the end user for aesthetic reasons.
1.4 The following safety hazards caveat pertains to the test methods portion of this standard: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate health and safety practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
Note 1—There is no known ISO equivalent for this standard.
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Designation:D6868 −11
Standard Specification for
Labeling of End Items that Incorporate Plastics and
Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other
Substrates Designed to be Aerobically Composted in
1
Municipal or Industrial Facilities
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6868; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope D3715/D3715M Practice for QualityAssurance of Pressure-
Sensitive Tapes
1.1 This specification covers end items that include plastics
D5338 Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegrada-
or polymers where plastic film/ sheet or polymers are incor-
tion of Plastic Materials Under Controlled Composting
porated (either through lamination, extrusion or mixing) to
Conditions, Incorporating Thermophilic Temperatures
substrates and the entire end item is designed to be composted
D6002 Guide for Assessing the Compostability of Environ-
under aerobic conditions in municipal and industrial compost-
3
mentally Degradable Plastics (Withdrawn 2011)
ing facilities, where thermophilic temperatures are achieved.
D6400 Specification for Labeling of Plastics Designed to be
1.2 This specification is intended to establish the require-
Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facili-
ments for labeling of end items which use plastics or polymers
ties
as coatings or binders, as “compostable in aerobic municipal
D6866 Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content
and industrial composting facilities.”
of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocar-
1.3 The properties in this specification are those required to
bon Analysis
determine if end items (including packaging) which use
2.2 Organization for Economic Development (OECD) Stan-
plastics and polymers as coatings or binders will compost
dard:
4
satisfactorily, in large scale aerobic municipal or industrial
OECD Guideline 208 Terrestrial Plants, Growth Test
composting where maximum throughput is a high priority and
2.3 Comite Europeen de Normalisation (CEN):
where intermediate stages of plastic biodegradation should not
EN 13432 Packaging-Requirements for Packaging Recover-
be visible to the end user for aesthetic reasons.
able through Composting and Biodegradation-Test
Scheme and Evaluation Criteria for the Final Acceptance
1.4 The following safety hazards caveat pertains to the test
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methods portion of this standard: This standard does not of Packaging
5
purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated 2.4 ISO Standards:
with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard ISO 14851 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegrad-
ability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium—
to establish appropriate health and safety practices and to
determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed
respirometer
use.
ISO 14852 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegrad-
NOTE 1—There is no known ISO equivalent for this standard.
ability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium—
2. Referenced Documents
Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
2
ISO 14855 Evaluation of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegrad-
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics ability and Disintegration of Plastics under Controlled
Composting Conditions-Method by Analysis of Evolved
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Carbon Dioxide
Plastics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmen-
tally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products.
3
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2011. Published February 2011. Originally The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
approved in 2003. Last previous edition approved in 2003 as D6868 - 03. DOI: www.astm.org.
4
10.1520/D6868-11. Available from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or (OECD), 2 rue André Pascal, F-75775, Paris Cedex 16, France, http://
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM www.oecd.org.
5
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
the ASTM website. 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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D6868−11
ISO 16929 Determination of the degree of disintegration of biowaste without any additi
...
This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:D6868–03 Designation: D6868 – 11
Standard Specification for
Biodegradable Plastics Used as Coatings on Paper and
Other Compostable SubstratesLabeling of End Items that
Incorporate Plastics and Polymers as Coatings or Additives
with Paper and Other Substrates Designed to be Aerobically
1
Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6868; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1This specification covers biodegradable plastics and products (including packaging), where plastic film or sheet is attached
(either through lamination or extrusion directly onto the paper) to substrates and the entire product or package is designed to be
composted in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities.
1.2This specification is intended to establish the requirements for labeling of materials and products, including packaging, using
coatings of biodegradable plastics, as “compostable in municipal and industrial composting facilities.”
1.3The properties in this specification are those required to determine if products (including packaging) using plastic films or
sheets will compost satisfactorily, including biodegrading at a rate comparable to known compostable materials. Further, the
properties in the specification are required to assure that the degradation of these materials will not diminish the value or utility
of the compost resulting from the composting process.
1.4This standard does not describe contents or their performance with regard to compostability or biodegradability.
1.5
1.1 This specification covers end items that include plastics or polymers where plastic film/ sheet or polymers are incorporated
(either through lamination, extrusion or mixing) to substrates and the entire end item is designed to be composted under aerobic
conditions in municipal and industrial composting facilities, where thermophilic temperatures are achieved.
1.2 This specification is intended to establish the requirements for labeling of end items which use plastics or polymers as
coatings or binders, as “compostable in aerobic municipal and industrial composting facilities.”
1.3 Thepropertiesinthisspecificationarethoserequiredtodetermineifenditems(includingpackaging)whichuseplasticsand
polymers as coatings or binders will compost satisfactorily, in large scale aerobic municipal or industrial composting where
maximum throughput is a high priority and where intermediate stages of plastic biodegradation should not be visible to the end
user for aesthetic reasons.
1.4 The following safety hazards caveat pertains to the test methods portion of this standard: This standard does not purport
to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish
appropriate health and safety practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
NOTE1—No equivalent ISO specifications exist for this standard. 1—There is no known ISO equivalent for this standard.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
D3715/D3715M Practice for Quality Assurance of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes
D5338 Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under Controlled Composting Conditions
D6002 Guide for Assessing the Compostability of Environmentally Degradable Plastics
D6400 Specification for Compostable Plastics Specification for Compostable Plastics
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D20 on Plastics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmentally Degradable
Plastics.
Current edition approved June 10, 2003. Published August 2003. DOI: 10.1520/D6868-03.on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products.
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2011. Published February 2011. Originally approved in 2003. Last previous edition approved in 2003 as D6868 - 03. DOI:
10.1520/D6868-11.
2
For referencedASTM standards, visit theASTM website, www.astm.org, or contactASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West C
...
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