Sustainable Plastics - August/September 2021 - 20

scientists talk
Figure 1- impact
solutions' example of
a typical bio-journey
continued from page 20
can the polymer sample be submerged
in the inoculum (marine
solution). A biochemical oxygen
demand (BOD) system is used
to measure the pressure difference
between the evolved carbon
dioxide (CO2) given off and
oxygen (O2) consumed. The
BOD system includes a set of
receptacles and CO2 sensors
which together create a closed
system. The microorganisms
within the marine solution slowly
consume the polymer sample,
developing carbon dioxide
as a by-product, the result of
which is a pressure drop within
the BOD system.
To determine the ultimate
degree of biodegradation using
ASTM D6691, the biodegradability
of the material is
validated by the release of biogas
i.e., CO2 and is compared
to the reference sample being
run in conjunction with the
test sample.
A typical test can be active for
between 10-90 days. If, however,
the specimens are extremely
biodegradable, it is acceptable
to end the experiment when the
cumulative biogas production
plateaus; conversely, the experiment
can be extended if limited
biodegradation has occurred
within the specified timeframe.
How to certify
your products
To accredit a product as 'biodegradable'
or 'compostable',
businesses must go to an independent
accredited laboratory
with the capability of testing
products to the required standards,
such as ISO EN 13432
or ISO EN 14855. In the UK, the
most appropriate route is to
search the database of UKAS
(United Kingdom Accreditation
Services) for an accredited
laboratory. In Europe, the EA,
the European co-operation for
Accreditation offers a list of
the various national accreditation
services. Typically, the
relevant testing method can be
searched for on the accreditation
services website, yielding
a list of accredited laboratories
that can perform the tests.
These laboratories typically
begin by first characterising
the material, then testing the
biodegradability potential, analysing
the disintegration of the
product and finally checking
the ecotoxicity of the material
to ensure that it will have no
adverse effect on the environment
it is disposed of in.
The requirement of these accredited
laboratories is to supply
impartial accredited data so that
a certifying body can assess the
data for certification through
schemes such as OK Compost
and others. As previously mentioned,
there is no legal obligation
to certify products as 'biodegradable'
or 'compostable' and
self-labelling is possible, with
EN ISO 14021 giving guidance
on this. For consumers, however,
the certification schemes
add an extra layer of confidence,
whereas for an accountable
business, these provide assurances
in preventing potential
disputes, if the product imposes
a risk to the environment due to
negligent disposal.
impact solutions are a UKAS
accredited testing laboratory
(UKAS 0402) and R&D centre.
https://www.impact-solutions.
co.uk
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Sustainable Plastics - August/September 2021

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