Standards & Certificates

Standards & Certificates

Security creates trust. The fact that our products meet the highest quality standards is underlined not least by the following standards and certificates:

Grauer_Kreis_Zeichenfläche 1

OK compost & OK compost HOME

Our biodegradable products are “OK compost HOME” certified (tested at 20-30 °C) and are therefore biodegradable even under low temperature conditions, such as those achieved in the environment in Germany.

Products and packaging bearing the “OK compost” logo are guaranteed to be biodegradable in an industrial composting plant. The reference point for this certification program is the harmonized standard EN 13432. All of our compostable products meet this central European standard for biodegradability under industrial conditions. This includes four sub-areas:

– Characterization of the material composition

– Biodegradability

– Disintegration during the biological treatment (after composting, no polymer components should be visible any more)

– Effect on the quality of the resulting compost

(Source: Technical Biopolymers (Endres & Siebert-Raths 2009))

 

According to EN 13432, at least 90 % of the organic material must have been converted into CO₂ after a maximum of 6 months under industrial compost conditions (at temperatures of 60 – 70 °C). Our biodegradable dog waste bags do this with ease – even if we made the material almost 8 times as thick, our material still meets the norm.

In order to reduce the negative effects of environmental pollution (littering), e.g. from dog waste bags, it is crucial that the degradation also works under European temperature conditions. This is not covered by EN 13432, but can be ensured through certificates. A certificate that is widely used (comparability) and ensures conformity with EN 13432 as well as tests under local temperature conditions (20 – 30 °C) is the “OK compost HOME” certificate from a recognized body.

The leading European certification authority TÜV Austria awards the recognized “OK compost HOME” logo. All OK compost HOME certified materials comply with EN 13432, but biodegradation is also tested under home compost conditions at 20 – 30 °C. At least 90 % of the material must be degraded within 12 months. The thicker a material, the longer it takes to break down (similar to a tree trunk compared to a branch). Our TSP bioplastic has also achieved the OK compost HOME certification in a thickness of more than 60 µm. Biodegradable products from The Sustainable People have a maximum thickness of 20 µm (of course, larger thicknesses would also be technically possible), i.e. only a third of that. This means that dismantling takes place in a fraction of the estimated time.

Note: The temperature during the tests is above the average temperature in Germany and microorganisms are more abundant, so that degradation may take place faster than in nature. Nevertheless, from our point of view, the OK compost HOME certificate is the best indicator that biodegradation also works in nature (at a noteworthy speed).

OK biobased

The “OK biobased” certification according to the ASTM D6866 standard is awarded by TÜV Austria for the bio-based carbon content of a material. This ensures transparency regarding the percentage of renewable resources.

OK biobased Logo
OK biobased Logo

Seedling

Products carrying the “Seedling” logo comply with the requirements of EN 13432 requirements. All of our compostable products bear the Seedling logo.

Logo Blauer Engel - die Folie besteht zu mindestens 80 % aus Recycling-Kunststoff und Begrenzung von Schadstoffen

Blue Angel

Our garbage bags, shipping bags and polybags made in the EU are certified with the Blue Angel. Products can be awarded the “Blue Angel” eco-label if they are manufactured with a high proportion (at least 80 %) of post-consumer recycling material (“PCR” for short). The award criteria DE-UZ 30a, which are defined by the RAL Institute, form the basis for this environmental label.

The award criteria DE-UZ 30a, which are defined by the RAL Institute, form the basis for this environmental label.

PCR or plastic recyclates within the meaning of DE-UZ 30a are granulates or agglomerates that have been obtained from used plastic products from household recycling (e.g. Yellow Sack).

The use of such recycling materials makes an important contribution to conserving resources by substituting primary plastics and using plastics that have already been used at least once again in products.

The Blue Angel has been the federal government’s environmental label for over 40 years. Independently and credibly, it sets demanding standards for environmentally friendly products and services. The Blue Angel is the orientation for sustainable purchasing and serves as a label for products that are more environmentally friendly compared to other products with the same benefit.

Logo Blauer Engel - die Folie besteht zu mindestens 80 % aus Recycling-Kunststoff und Begrenzung von Schadstoffen

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

The boxes used for our dog waste bags and the banderoles used for our garbage bags are made of FSC certified material. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is the most reliable organization for safeguarding important environmental and social standards in the forest.

With global standards, support from well-known companies and recognized independent environmental and social organizations, FSC is the most recognized certification for sustainable forest management.

The FSC Recycled label stands for products that only contain recycled material.

For the FSC Mix label, materials from FSC certified forests and / or recycled material as well as material from controlled sources were used in the production. FSC certified or post-consumer recycling material is either used at least 70 % or an at least equivalent amount is used in the production process to manufacture the labeled goods.

Logo_3zeilig_beige

CONTACT

The Sustainable People
Eilbeker Weg 66
22089 Hamburg
+49 (0)40 – 881 973 63
info@thesustainablepeople.com

SAY HELLO ON:

RATE US ON:

© The Sustainable People – All rights reserved.