What is EN 13432?

EN 13432 is the European standard that packaging must meet to be labelled as compostable. It covers three things:

• Composition — the material must break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass, leaving no toxic residue.
• Biodegradation — at least 90% of the material must biodegrade within six months.
• Ecotoxicity — the compost produced must not harm plants, earthworms or soil life.

It also requires heavy metal limits and that the product breaks down into fragments small enough to pass through standard screening.