3.1.6.1. STANDARDS FOR OXO-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS

Oxo-biodegradable plastic can be tested and accredited to the OPA Standard  in order to determine whether the product is actually oxo-biodegradable.  More detailed testing is performed according the the following international standards.
 
OXO-BIODEGRADABLE plastic can be tested according to:
  • American Standard ASTM D6954 – “Standard Guide for Plastics that Degrade in the Environment by a Combination of Oxidation and Biodegradation”
  • British Standard 8472 Packaging – Method for determining the degradability, oxo-biodegradability and phyto-toxicity of plastics
  • French Accord T51-808  Plastics Assessment of oxo-biodegradability of polyolefinic materials in the form of films
  • Swedish Standard SPCR 141 Polymeric waste degradable by abiotic and subsequent biological degradation – Requirements and test methods
  • UAE Standard 5009:2009 Standard & Specification for Oxo-biodegradation of Plastic bags and other disposable Plastic objects
  • Saudi Standard:  (awaiting information from Perry)
  • ISO 17556 Plastics — Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability in soil by measuring the oxygen demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved
• There are also standards in Singapore, Jordan, Iran, and other countries
• There is also a  French Standard XP_T_54-980__F  for oxo-biodegradable plastics in agriculture
These Standards measure:
• Tier 1 – Degradability
• Tier 2 –  Biodegradability
• Tier 3 –  Eco-toxicity  
See also OECD  201 and 208 (Eco-toxicity tests)
Oxo-biodegradable plastic products are bio-assimilated in the same way as nature’s wastes after their molecular weight has reduced to 40,000 Daltons or less.  
There are two types of Standards – Standard Guides and Standard Specifications.  ASTM 6954 is an acknowledged and respected Standard Guide for performing laboratory tests on oxo-biodegradable plastic.  It has been developed and published by ASTM International – the American standards organisation. This standard was revised and re-validated in 2018 
ASTM D 6954 and BS 8472 have no less than six passes/fail criteria.  1. for the abiotic phase of the test (6.3 – 5% e-o-b and 5,000DA)  2. the tests for metal content and other elements (6.9.6), 3. Gel content (6.6.1), 4.Eco toxicity (6.9.6 –6.9.10), 5. PH value (6.9.6) and 6. for the biodegradation phase, (for unless 60 % of the organic carbon is converted to carbon dioxide the test cannot be considered completed and has therefore failed).
The tests performed according to ASTM D6954-04 tell industry and consumers what they need to know – namely whether the plastic is (a) degradable (b) biodegradable and (c) non-eco-toxic.  It is not necessary to refer to a Standard Specification unless it is desired to use the material for a particular purpose such as composting for which a specification is available. Note 3 to ASTM D6954-04 provides that if composting is the designated disposal route, ASTM D6400 should be used.
Conditions in the laboratory are designed to simulate, so far as possible, conditions in the real world, but have to be accelerated in order that tests may be done in a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost.  This does not invalidate the results in relation to real-world conditions.
There is no requirement in ASTM D6954-04 for the plastic to be converted to C02 in 180 days because, while timescale is critical in an industrial composting process, it is not critical for biodegradation in the environment.  Timescale in the natural environment depends on the amount of heat, light, and stress to which the material is subjected.  Nature’s wastes such as leaves twigs and straw may take ten years or more to biodegrade, but oxo-bio plastics will biodegrade more quickly than that, and much more quickly than ordinary plastic.
In oxo-biodegradable plastics, there are anti-oxidants mixed with the resins, and they must be consumed before degradation starts. People sometimes do not understand this sequence. An induction period must therefore elapse before degradation starts, due to the presence of the anti-oxidants, which have been included to give the product a pre-determined service-life
Packaging made from oxo-biodegradable plastic complies with paras. 1, 2 3(a), (b) and (d) of Annex II of the European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC (as amended) on Packaging and Packaging Waste.  This Annex specifies the essential requirements for the composition and the reusable and recoverable, including recyclable, nature of packaging.
Oxo-biodegradable plastic satisfies para. 3(a) because it can be recycled.  It satisfies para. 3(b) because it can be incinerated.  It satisfies para. 3(d) because it is capable of undergoing physical, chemical, thermal or biological decomposition such that most of the finished compost ultimately decomposes into carbon dioxide, biomass and water.  It can even satisfy para. 3(c) if composted in an “in-vessel” process.