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TÜV®

OK biodegradable SOIL, OK biodegradable WATER & OK biodegradable MARINE

BIODEGRADATION

There is more than meets the eye in "biodegradation"! An entire army of microorganisms attacks the material to be broken down and the army differs according to the environment (the specific temperature, moisture content, pH, supply of oxygen, etc.) where biodegradation occurs.

A product's application determines the ideal biodegradation environment. Accordingly, Belgium has already introduced a law to decide that packaging may not be presented as biodegradable. After all, the idea is not to have packaging spread around on a massive scale like litter because it is "biodegradable". TUV AUSTRIA's specialists support the idea of this legislation – applied only in Belgium for the time being – and are able to specify the correct biodegradation environment for your products thanks to their verification marks.

In order to avoid any misleading communication, the Certification Committee analyzes each application to verify if the certification of this product is acceptable.

OK biodegradable MARINE

Considering the fact that most of the marine debris is land based, marine biodegradability is an added value to any product regardless of where it is consumed. The chance that it eventually lands up at sea will always exist.

OK biodegradable SOIL

Biodegradability in the soil offers huge benefits for agricultural and horticultural products, as they can be left to break down in situ after being used. The OK biodegradable SOIL label is a guarantee a product will completely biodegrade in the soil without adversely affecting the environment.

OK biodegradable WATER

Products certified for OK biodegradable WATER guarantee biodegradation in a natural fresh water environment, and thus substantially contribute to the reduction of waste in rivers, lakes or any natural fresh water. Note that this does not automatically guarantee biodegradation in marine waters.