ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF International, a leading provider of sustainable business solutions, announced that it has earned accreditation from the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to test plastic materials and products for compostability.
“Accredited testing services such as NSF’s evaluate and authenticate green claims, including compostability, helping to cultivate trust and eliminate greenwashing in the marketplace,” said Tom Bruursema, general manager of NSF International’s Engineering and Research Services, which offer research and development testing, validation of product claims, and certification to several protocols.
NSF International’s Sustainable Services group verifies environmental claims for consumer products, which includes certification for green chemicals, sustainable furnishing and building materials, and testing to verify energy efficiency.
“NSF’s compostable product testing on plastic products, such as trash bags, bottled water containers and disposable dinnerware, verifies that the products will biodegrade completely, quickly and safely—like other organic matter such as food scraps and yard trimmings,” Bruursema continued.
ASTM Standards Utilized
In the case of biodegradable/compostable product claims, NSF International verifies these claims by testing against standards developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Testing is conducted by planting samples of the plastic product in a closed environment with compost. Once the plastic samples have biodegraded, the compost with the biodegraded samples is then tested for the ability to sustain plant matter.
NSF International verifies compostability by evaluating:
• Biodegradation—the ability of the plastic material to be converted to carbon dioxide by microorganisms present in the compost.
• Disintegration—the ability of the plastic material to fragment to prevent clogging of the composting screening equipment.
• Eco-toxicity—determines whether the end composting material inhibits plant growth.
“Manufacturers seeking to demonstrate the compostable and biodegradable features of their products can utilize NSF’s expanding sustainability testing services,” said Malcolm Fox, Director of NSF International’s Sustainability Services. “For several years, NSF has offered a range of method development, product testing and certification services that give companies credible, third-party verification of environmental claims based on sound science.”
Accreditation through BPI, in addition to NSF’s existing global laboratory and product certification accreditations, gives further recognition to the quality and integrity of NSF International’s sustainability standards development and certification programs. Accreditation also allows manufacturers to send NSF test data to BPI to be granted approval to use the BPI compostable logo.
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