EN 16202:2026

Compost and digestate - Determination of the content of macroscopic impurities and stones

This document specifies a method to determine the visible macroscopic impurities > 2 mm and stones > 5 mm in compost and digestate. Macroscopic impurities are contaminants that are not naturally occurring in soil such as pieces of glass, metal, plastic. This method is not able to make a distinction between compostable and non-compostable plastics.
Fragments of wood or bark are acceptable constituents of the sample and not classified as macroscopic impurities.

Kompost und Gärrückstand - Bestimmung des Gehalts an makroskopischen Verunreinigungen und Steinen

Dieses Dokument legt ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung der sichtbaren makroskopischen Verunreinigungen > 2 mm sowie Steinen > 5 mm in Kompost und Gärrückstand fest. Makroskopische Verunreinigungen sind Kontaminanten, die natürlicherweise nicht in Böden vorkommen, beispielsweise Bruchstücke aus Glas, Metall oder Kunststoff. Mit diesem Verfahren kann nicht zwischen kompostierbarem und nicht kompostierbarem Kunststoff unterschieden werden.
Holz- oder Rindenstücke sind zulässige Bestandteile der Proben und werden nicht als makroskopische Verunreinigungen klassifiziert.

Compost et digestat - Détermination de la teneur en impuretés macroscopiques et en pierres

Le présent document spécifie une méthode pour déterminer les impuretés macroscopiques visibles > 2 mm et les pierres > 5 mm dans le compost et le digestat. Les impuretés macroscopiques sont des contaminants qui ne se trouvent pas naturellement dans le sol, tels que des morceaux de verre, de métal, de plastiques. Cette méthode n'est pas capable de faire la distinction entre les plastiques compostables et non compostables.
Fragments de bois ou d'écorce sont des constituants acceptables de l'échantillon et ne sont pas classés comme impuretés macroscopiques.

Kompost in digestat - Določanje makroskopskih nečistoč in kamnov

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 14-Jul-2026
• ICS: 13.030.20 - Liquid wastes. Sludge
• ICS: 13.080.30 - Biological properties of soils
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 223 - Soil improvers and growing media
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 223/WG 8 - Physical contamination
• Current Stage: 5060 - Closure of Vote - Formal Approval
• Start Date: 14-May-2026
• Due Date: 10-Jan-2024
• Completion Date: 14-May-2026
• Directive: Not Harmonized2003/2003 - Regulation (EC) N° 2003/2003 of the European Parlament and of the council of 13 October 2003 relating to fertilisers
• Directive:

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  Harmonized Standard2019/1009 - Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 (Text with EEA relevance)
• Mandate: M/564 - Fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 1 - amending Implementing Decision C(2020) 612 as regards certain harmonised standards and standardisation deliverables, deadlines for their adoption and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 2 - Commission Implementing decision amending Implementing Decision C(2020)612 as regards harmonised standards, the deadlines for the adoption of those standards and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards the EU fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Mandate: M/XXX - Commission implementing decision of XXX.XX.XX on a standardisation request to the European standardisation organisations as regards ecodesign requirments for local space heaters in support of Regulation (EU) 2024/1103
• Ref Project: kSIST FprEN 16202:2026 - Compost and digestate - Determination of the content of macroscopic impurities and stones

Relations

• Revises: CEN/TS 16202:2013 - Sludge, treated biowaste and soil - Determination of impurities and stones
• Effective Date: 19-Jan-2023

Overview

EN 16202:2026 is a European standard developed by CEN for the determination of visible macroscopic impurities and stones in compost and digestate. It establishes a method for quantifying contaminants such as glass, metal, and plastics (>2 mm) and stones (>5 mm) that are not naturally found in soil. The scope specifically excludes the distinction between compostable and non-compostable plastics; all plastic fragments are considered impurities unless they are wood or bark.

This standard supports environmental safety and product quality, especially in the context of the European Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR), which aims to increase the safe use of recycled nutrients and ensure that composts and digestates are suitable for use as soil improvers or fertilizers.

Key Topics

• Macroscopic Impurities in Compost and Digestate: Focuses on contaminants larger than 2 mm, such as pieces of glass, metals, and plastics, not occurring naturally in soil.
• Stone Content: Specifically measures stones larger than 5 mm. Stones, like expanded clay granules or ceramic shards, are systematically identified and quantified.
• Method Precision: The method involves sieving, sorting, and weighing sample fractions to determine impurity levels with repeatability and reproducibility, validated through interlaboratory studies.
• Sample Preparation: Instructions include sample drying, potential washing steps to prevent sieve clogging, and thorough procedures for accurately capturing impurities.
• Safety Considerations: Sample handling requires protective gloves and masks due to potential hazards like sharp or toxic contaminants.

Applications

EN 16202:2026 offers significant value to stakeholders in the waste management, composting, and fertilizer industries:

• Quality Control for Compost and Digestate Producers: Enables reliable assessment of impurity levels to meet regulatory and customer standards.
• Regulatory Compliance: Supports compliance with the European Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR), facilitating CE marking and the free trade of compost and digestate products within the EU.
• Environmental Protection: Minimizes the risk of soil and crop contamination by ensuring that only materials with low impurity and stone content are applied to agricultural land.
• Market Access: Allows manufacturers and distributors to demonstrate their products' safety and eligibility for use as soil improvers and fertilizers across European markets.

Related Standards

• CEN/TS 17732:2022: Specifies terminology for soil improvers and growing media, providing definitions for terms used in EN 16202:2026.
• prEN 13040-1: Describes preparation methods for laboratory samples of soil improvers and growing media, including determining dry matter and moisture content.
• ISO 5725-2: Outlines the basic method for determining the repeatability and reproducibility of standard measurement methods, as referenced in method validation.
• European Fertilising Product Regulation (EU 2019/1009): The legislative framework underpinning the standard, providing requirements for CE-marked fertilising products.

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Keywords: EN 16202:2026, compost impurity determination, digestate impurities, macroscopic impurities, stones in compost, compost quality standard, CEN, fertilizer regulation compliance, waste management standards, soil improvers, EU FPR compliance.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 16202:2025
01-oktober-2025
Kompost in digestat - Določanje makroskopskih nečistoč in kamnov
Compost and digestate - Determination of the content of macroscopic impurities and
stones
Kompost und Gärreste - Bestimmung des Gehalts an makroskopischen
Verunreinigungen und Steinen
Compost et digestat - Détermination de la teneur en impuretés macroscopiques et en
pierres
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16202
ICS:
13.030.20 Tekoči odpadki. Blato Liquid wastes. Sludge
13.080.30 Biološke lastnosti tal Biological properties of soils
oSIST prEN 16202:2025 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN 16202:2025
oSIST prEN 16202:2025
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 16202
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
August 2025
ICS 13.030.20; 13.080.30 Will supersede CEN/TS 16202:2013
English Version
Compost and digestate - Determination of the content of
macroscopic impurities and stones
Compost et digestat - Détermination de la teneur en Kompost und Gärreste - Bestimmung des Gehalts an
impuretés macroscopiques et en pierres makroskopischen Verunreinigungen und Steinen
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16202:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Principle . 6
5 Apparatus . 6
6 Procedure . 7
7 Calculations and expression of results. 11
8 Validation of the method . 11
9 Test report . 12
Annex A (informative) Performance characteristics of the method . 13
A.1 Materials used in the interlaboratory study . 13
A.2 Interlaboratory study results . 13
Bibliography. 15

oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 16202:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document is currently submitted to CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede CEN/TS 16202:2013.
In comparison with the previous edition, the following technical modifications have been made:
— soil and sludge have been excluded from the scope of the standard;
— the bleaching step has been excluded from the method.
This document has been prepared under a standardisation request given to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
Introduction
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has been requested by the European Commission to
draft European standardization deliverables in support of the European Fertilising Product
Regulation (FPR) [1]. The FPR aims to promote an increased use of recycled nutrients to further aid the
development of a circular economy and allow a more resource efficient and general use of nutrients, while
reducing the dependency of nutrients from countries not within the European Union. It lays down rules
on the requirements of different sorts of fertilising products. Fertilising products bearing CE marking
may freely be traded within the European Union.
To enable the market to justify the use of the CE mark, CEN is requested by the European Commission to
develop a series of European Standards described in Standardization Request M/564. These European
Standards will enable the implementation of the FPR; the commercialisation of the soil improvers,
growing media and other fertilising products within the EU Single market; and provide a uniform and
reliable way of assessing the compliance to the requirements laid down in the FPR.
This standard provides a method for the determination of macroscopic impurities in compost and
digestate. Compost and digestate have a maximum acceptable limit of macroscopic impurities. This limit
ensures that the products are fit for use and lowers the risk of injuries when using the material. With this
standard, products can be assessed on the amount of macroscopic impurities it contains.
Safety warning — Care is to be taken when handling samples, since they may contain sharp fragments,
chemical contaminants, pathogenic organisms or be of dusty nature. Samples should be handled with
protective gloves. When handling dusty materials also wear a mask. National safety regulations should
be considered when performing this method.

oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document specifies a method to determine the visible macroscopic impurities > 2 mm and stones
> 5 mm in compost and digestate. Macroscopic impurities are contaminants that are not naturally
occurring in soil such as pieces of glass, metal, plastics. This method is not able to make a distinction
between compostable and non-compostable plastics.
Fragments of wood or bark are acceptable constituents of the sample and not classified as macroscopic
impurities.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
CEN/TS 17732:2022, Soil improvers and growing media — Terminology
prEN 13040-1:—, Soil improver and growing media — Sample preparation — Part 1: Sample preparation
for chemical and physical tests, determination of dry matter content, moisture content and laboratory bulk
density
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in CEN/TS 17732:2022 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
compost
solid particulate material that is the result of a thermophilic aerobic composting of biodegradable matter
by microorganisms, which has been sanitised and stabilised
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.3.4]
3.2
digestate
solid or liquid product that is the result of anaerobic digestion of biodegradable materials by
microorganisms
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.3.5]
3.3
glass
usually transparent, lustrous, hard and brittle material, generally composed of a silicate (such as silicon
oxide, or quartz) combined with an alkali and sometimes other substances
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.7.8.1]

Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: prEN 13040-1:2025.
oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
3.4
metal
usually crystalline solid of rigid or malleable non-brittle material e.g. steel, iron, copper, lead and tin
Note 1 to entry: Ferrous stones are not considered to be metals and shall be considered as stones.
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.7.8.2, modified — note to entry added]
3.5
plastic
solid material which is usually man-made, oil-based, mouldable when soft, and light in weight
Note 1 to entry: Plastics include both fossil based and biobased plastics.
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.7.8.3, modified — note to entry replaced]
3.6
stone
hard solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made and of a small or moderate size
Note 1 to entry: Expanded clay granules and tableware shards shall be considered as stone.
[SOURCE: CEN/TS 17732:2022, 3.7.8.5, modified — note to entry added]
3.7
test sample
sample prepared from the laboratory sample and from which test portions will be taken
3.8
other impurities
impurities that are not made of glass, metal, plastic or stones, or are composites that cannot be separated
and placed in single categories
Note 1 to entry: Cigarette butts can contain plastic. However, as they are composites that cannot be separated, they
are placed in the category of other impurities.
4 Principle
The particle size of visible macroscopic impurities is determined by their ability to go through the sieve
(mesh size). Macroscopic impurities > 2 mm and stones > 5 mm are determined by mass.
5 Apparatus
5.1 Sample trays, constructed of material thermally stable up to 100 °C, surface approximately
1 250 cm .
5.2 Drying oven, ventilated, fan assisted, capable of holding sample trays at 80 °C ± 5 °C.
5.3 Weighing scale, with an accuracy of 0,1 g (for test sample weighing).
5.4 Weighing scale, with an accuracy of 0,01 g (for impurities).
5.5 Sieves (for the determination of the coarseness of the laboratory sample), minimum diameter
size of 200 mm, with 12 mm, 25 mm and 40 mm square apertures.
oSIST prEN 16202:2025
prEN 16202:2025 (E)
NOTE To avoid spilling of material, a sieve with sufficient edge height can be chosen.
5.6 Sieves (for macroscopic impurities other than stones and liquid digestate), minimum
diameter size of 200 mm, with 2 mm square apertures.
NOTE To avoid spilling of material, a sieve with sufficient edge height can be chosen.
5.7 Siev
...