Codeofchina.com is in charge of this English translation. In case of any doubt about the English translation, the Chinese original shall be considered authoritative.
This document is developed in accordance with the rules given in GB/T 1.1-2020 Directives for standardization - Part 1: Rules for the structure and drafting of standardizing documents.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. The issuing body of this document shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This standard was proposed by and is under the jurisdiction of National Technical Committee on Bio-based Materials and Degradable Products of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC 380).
Degradability and identification requirements of biodegradable plastics and products
1 Scope
This standard specifies the degradability and identification requirements of biodegradable plastics and products. The performance of specific product other than degradability shall meet the requirements of the product standard.
This standard is applicable to the following types of biodegradable plastics and products:
——natural polymer materials;
——synthetic polymers;
——materials containing additives such as plasticizers, pigments or other compounds;
——mixture of the above materials;
——products processed from various biodegradable materials.
2 Normative references
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
GB/T 1844.2 Plastic - Symbols and abbreviated - Part 2: Fillers and reinforcing materials
GB/T 9345.1-2008 Plastics - Determination of ash - Part 1: General methods
GB/T 15337 General rules for atomic absorption spectrometric analysis
GB/T 19276.1 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium - Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer
GB/T 19276.2 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
GB/T 19277.1 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 1: General method
GB/T 19277.2 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratory-scale test
GB/T 19811 Determination of the degree of disintegration of plastic materials under defined composting conditions in a pilot-scale test
GB/T 22047 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability in soil by measuring the oxygen demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved
GB/T 32106 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an aqueous system - Method by measurement of biogas production
GB/T 33797 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation under high-solids anaerobic-digestion conditions - Method by analysis of released biogas
GB/T 37837 General rules for quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
GB/T 38737 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in controlled slurry digestion systems - Method by measurement of biogas production
GB/T 39498 Guidelines for the use and control of key chemical substances in consumer product
GB/T 40367 Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of nonfloating materials exposed to marine sediment - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
GB/T 40611 Plastics - Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sandy sediment interface - Method by measuring the oxygen demand in closed respirometer
GB/T 40612 Plastics - Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
ISO 10253 Water quality - Marine algal growth inhibition test with Skeletonema costatum and Phaeodactylum tricornutum
ISO 11348-3 Water quality - Determination of the inhibitory effect of water samples on the light emission of Vibrio fischeri (Luminescent bacteria test) - Part 3: Method using freeze-dried bacteria
ISO 14669 Water quality - Determination of acute lethal toxicity to marine copepods (Copepoda, Crustacea)
ISO 16712 Water quality - Determination of acute toxicity of marine or estuarine sediment to amphipods
ISO 22766 Plastics - Determination of the degree of disintegration of plastic materials in marine habitats under real field conditions
ASTM D 6691 Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in the marine environment by a defined microbial consortium or natural sea water inoculum
ASTM E 1676 Standard guide for conducting laboratory soil toxicity or bioaccumulation tests with the lumbricid earthworm eisenia fetida and the enchytraeid potworm enchytraeus albidus
DIN 51723: 2002 Testing of solid fuels - Determination of fluorine content
EN 13432: 2000 Packaging - Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation - Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging
OECD 208 Terrestrial plant test: Seedling emergence and seedling growth test
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
biodegradation
property that the material is degraded caused by biological activities, especially action of enzyme, through which the material is progressively disintegrated by microorganisms or certain organisms as a nutritional resource, resulting in decrease of relative molecular mass, loss of mass, degradation of physical properties etc., and eventually the decomposition of the material into compounds of simpler composition and mineralized inorganic salts of the elements it contains, as well as dead biological bodies
[Source: GB/T 20197-2006, modified]
3.2
degree of biodegradation
percentage of the accumulated measurement of carbon dioxide to the theoretical release of carbon dioxide in the material during the test, in which the organic carbon contained in the test material will be decomposed into carbon dioxide by microorganisms in the aerobic biodegradation process, or percentage of the accumulated measurement of biogas to the theoretical release of biogas in the material during the test, in which the organic carbon contained in the test material will be decomposed into biogas (carbon dioxide and methane) by microorganisms in the anaerobic biodegradation process
3.3
absolute degree of biodegradation
measured degree of biodegradation of test material samples in the process of biodegradation
3.4
relative degree of biodegradation
percentage of the degree of biodegradation of sample to that of reference material, which is obtained by using thin-layer cellulose as control reference material in the biodegradation test to inspect the activity of degradation medium, in which the biodegradation process of the reference material is the same as that of the test material
3.5
disintegration
process of test materials and products, after being decomposed by microorganisms together with fresh biomass waste during composting, changing from large shape to extremely fine fragments under physical or chemical action
[Source: GB/T 19811, modified]
3.6
disintergration
percentage of the mass of test material fragment residue on the sieve after the compost is sized through a 2mm sieve at the end of the composting process to the total dry solids mass of the material before the test
3.7
soil-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies under the condition of soil landfill
3.8
composting-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies under the condition of composting
3.9
industrial composting
handling method for producing compost under industrial conditions
Note: Compost is an organic soil conditioner obtained from biodegradation of mixture which is mainly composed of plant residues, sometimes contains some organic materials and certain inorganic substances.
3.10
home composting
composting process for the disposal of products of private or household organic waste such as food garden and paper products waste
Note: The compost from home composting is generally used for private use without the need of any commercial transaction.
3.11
marine-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in marine environment (e.g. sediment interface, sediment, other actual field conditions and mesophilic simulation condition in laboratory)
3.12
freshwater environment-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in freshwater environment (e.g. river, lake and simulated aqueous nutrient solution)
3.13
slurry anaerobic digestion
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in slurry anaerobic digestion device or simulated anaerobic digestion device
3.14
high-solids anaerobic digestion
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in actual high-solids anaerobic digestion device or simulated high-solids anaerobic digestion environment
4 Degradability requirements
4.1 Organic ingredients (volatile solid content)
The organic ingredients (volatile solid content) of biodegradable plastics and products shall be greater than or equal to 51%.
4.2 Chemical properties
4.2.1 Limit for content of heavy metals and specific elements
As for chemical properties, the limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements are mainly specified. See Table 1 for specific requirements.
Note 1: The content of heavy metals and specific elements is specified mainly because the organic carbon of products becomes small molecular substances such as carbon dioxide after degradation, and the heavy metals and specific elements contained will remain in the environmental medium. In order to avoid the pollution of residual elements to the medium, the limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements are specified.
Note 2: The limit requirements refer to GB/T 28206-2011 (IDI ISO 17088), and the required limits of heavy metals and specific elements given in this standard are mainly based on 50% in American standard 40 CFR 503.13, the specified values in Canadian standard BNQ 9011-911-I/2007 and that in the ecological standards with eco-labels granted by the European Union to soil improvement groups, the Japanese fertilizer control law (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) and compost control code (agriculture).
Table 1 Limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements
Heavy metals and specific elements Limit (dry weight)/(mg/kg)
Arsenic (As) ≤5
Cadmium (Cd) ≤0.5
Cobalt (Co) ≤38
Chromium (Cr) ≤50
Copper (Cu) ≤50
Fluorine (F) ≤100
Mercury (Hg) ≤0.5
Nickel (Ni) ≤25
Molybdenum (Mo) ≤1
Lead (Pb) ≤50
Selenium (Se) ≤0.75
Zinc (Zn) ≤150
4.2.2 Substances of very high concern
All materials used shall comply with the national laws and regulations on products or prohibited hazardous substances in certain fields, especially those classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxic, and allergenic substances shall be paid close attention to. Substances of very high concern shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 39498, and the manufacturer shall provide relevant evidence such as self-declaration.
Foreword i 1 Scope 2 Normative references 3 Terms and definitions 4 Degradability requirements 5 Selection of inspection methods for degradability 6 Identification 7 Identification marking requirements Annex A (Normative) Pattern and specification for identification of biodegradable plastics and products Annex B (Informative) Existing national or professional standards for biodegradable plastics and products Bibliography
Codeofchina.com is in charge of this English translation. In case of any doubt about the English translation, the Chinese original shall be considered authoritative.
This document is developed in accordance with the rules given in GB/T 1.1-2020 Directives for standardization - Part 1: Rules for the structure and drafting of standardizing documents.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. The issuing body of this document shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This standard was proposed by and is under the jurisdiction of National Technical Committee on Bio-based Materials and Degradable Products of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC 380).
Degradability and identification requirements of biodegradable plastics and products
1 Scope
This standard specifies the degradability and identification requirements of biodegradable plastics and products. The performance of specific product other than degradability shall meet the requirements of the product standard.
This standard is applicable to the following types of biodegradable plastics and products:
——natural polymer materials;
——synthetic polymers;
——materials containing additives such as plasticizers, pigments or other compounds;
——mixture of the above materials;
——products processed from various biodegradable materials.
2 Normative references
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
GB/T 1844.2 Plastic - Symbols and abbreviated - Part 2: Fillers and reinforcing materials
GB/T 9345.1-2008 Plastics - Determination of ash - Part 1: General methods
GB/T 15337 General rules for atomic absorption spectrometric analysis
GB/T 19276.1 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium - Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer
GB/T 19276.2 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
GB/T 19277.1 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 1: General method
GB/T 19277.2 Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratory-scale test
GB/T 19811 Determination of the degree of disintegration of plastic materials under defined composting conditions in a pilot-scale test
GB/T 22047 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability in soil by measuring the oxygen demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved
GB/T 32106 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in an aqueous system - Method by measurement of biogas production
GB/T 33797 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation under high-solids anaerobic-digestion conditions - Method by analysis of released biogas
GB/T 37837 General rules for quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
GB/T 38737 Plastics - Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in controlled slurry digestion systems - Method by measurement of biogas production
GB/T 39498 Guidelines for the use and control of key chemical substances in consumer product
GB/T 40367 Plastics - Determination of the aerobic biodegradation of nonfloating materials exposed to marine sediment - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
GB/T 40611 Plastics - Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sandy sediment interface - Method by measuring the oxygen demand in closed respirometer
GB/T 40612 Plastics - Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide
ISO 10253 Water quality - Marine algal growth inhibition test with Skeletonema costatum and Phaeodactylum tricornutum
ISO 11348-3 Water quality - Determination of the inhibitory effect of water samples on the light emission of Vibrio fischeri (Luminescent bacteria test) - Part 3: Method using freeze-dried bacteria
ISO 14669 Water quality - Determination of acute lethal toxicity to marine copepods (Copepoda, Crustacea)
ISO 16712 Water quality - Determination of acute toxicity of marine or estuarine sediment to amphipods
ISO 22766 Plastics - Determination of the degree of disintegration of plastic materials in marine habitats under real field conditions
ASTM D 6691 Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in the marine environment by a defined microbial consortium or natural sea water inoculum
ASTM E 1676 Standard guide for conducting laboratory soil toxicity or bioaccumulation tests with the lumbricid earthworm eisenia fetida and the enchytraeid potworm enchytraeus albidus
DIN 51723: 2002 Testing of solid fuels - Determination of fluorine content
EN 13432: 2000 Packaging - Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation - Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging
OECD 208 Terrestrial plant test: Seedling emergence and seedling growth test
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
biodegradation
property that the material is degraded caused by biological activities, especially action of enzyme, through which the material is progressively disintegrated by microorganisms or certain organisms as a nutritional resource, resulting in decrease of relative molecular mass, loss of mass, degradation of physical properties etc., and eventually the decomposition of the material into compounds of simpler composition and mineralized inorganic salts of the elements it contains, as well as dead biological bodies
[Source: GB/T 20197-2006, modified]
3.2
degree of biodegradation
percentage of the accumulated measurement of carbon dioxide to the theoretical release of carbon dioxide in the material during the test, in which the organic carbon contained in the test material will be decomposed into carbon dioxide by microorganisms in the aerobic biodegradation process, or percentage of the accumulated measurement of biogas to the theoretical release of biogas in the material during the test, in which the organic carbon contained in the test material will be decomposed into biogas (carbon dioxide and methane) by microorganisms in the anaerobic biodegradation process
3.3
absolute degree of biodegradation
measured degree of biodegradation of test material samples in the process of biodegradation
3.4
relative degree of biodegradation
percentage of the degree of biodegradation of sample to that of reference material, which is obtained by using thin-layer cellulose as control reference material in the biodegradation test to inspect the activity of degradation medium, in which the biodegradation process of the reference material is the same as that of the test material
3.5
disintegration
process of test materials and products, after being decomposed by microorganisms together with fresh biomass waste during composting, changing from large shape to extremely fine fragments under physical or chemical action
[Source: GB/T 19811, modified]
3.6
disintergration
percentage of the mass of test material fragment residue on the sieve after the compost is sized through a 2mm sieve at the end of the composting process to the total dry solids mass of the material before the test
3.7
soil-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies under the condition of soil landfill
3.8
composting-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies under the condition of composting
3.9
industrial composting
handling method for producing compost under industrial conditions
Note: Compost is an organic soil conditioner obtained from biodegradation of mixture which is mainly composed of plant residues, sometimes contains some organic materials and certain inorganic substances.
3.10
home composting
composting process for the disposal of products of private or household organic waste such as food garden and paper products waste
Note: The compost from home composting is generally used for private use without the need of any commercial transaction.
3.11
marine-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in marine environment (e.g. sediment interface, sediment, other actual field conditions and mesophilic simulation condition in laboratory)
3.12
freshwater environment-degradable
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in freshwater environment (e.g. river, lake and simulated aqueous nutrient solution)
3.13
slurry anaerobic digestion
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in slurry anaerobic digestion device or simulated anaerobic digestion device
3.14
high-solids anaerobic digestion
property that the material can be eventually decomposed into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or/and methane (CH4) and water (H2O) as well as mineralized inorganic salts of the containing elements and dead biological bodies in actual high-solids anaerobic digestion device or simulated high-solids anaerobic digestion environment
4 Degradability requirements
4.1 Organic ingredients (volatile solid content)
The organic ingredients (volatile solid content) of biodegradable plastics and products shall be greater than or equal to 51%.
4.2 Chemical properties
4.2.1 Limit for content of heavy metals and specific elements
As for chemical properties, the limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements are mainly specified. See Table 1 for specific requirements.
Note 1: The content of heavy metals and specific elements is specified mainly because the organic carbon of products becomes small molecular substances such as carbon dioxide after degradation, and the heavy metals and specific elements contained will remain in the environmental medium. In order to avoid the pollution of residual elements to the medium, the limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements are specified.
Note 2: The limit requirements refer to GB/T 28206-2011 (IDI ISO 17088), and the required limits of heavy metals and specific elements given in this standard are mainly based on 50% in American standard 40 CFR 503.13, the specified values in Canadian standard BNQ 9011-911-I/2007 and that in the ecological standards with eco-labels granted by the European Union to soil improvement groups, the Japanese fertilizer control law (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) and compost control code (agriculture).
Table 1 Limit requirements for content of heavy metals and specific elements
Heavy metals and specific elements Limit (dry weight)/(mg/kg)
Arsenic (As) ≤5
Cadmium (Cd) ≤0.5
Cobalt (Co) ≤38
Chromium (Cr) ≤50
Copper (Cu) ≤50
Fluorine (F) ≤100
Mercury (Hg) ≤0.5
Nickel (Ni) ≤25
Molybdenum (Mo) ≤1
Lead (Pb) ≤50
Selenium (Se) ≤0.75
Zinc (Zn) ≤150
4.2.2 Substances of very high concern
All materials used shall comply with the national laws and regulations on products or prohibited hazardous substances in certain fields, especially those classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxic, and allergenic substances shall be paid close attention to. Substances of very high concern shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 39498, and the manufacturer shall provide relevant evidence such as self-declaration.
Contents of GB/T 41010-2021
Foreword i
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Degradability requirements
5 Selection of inspection methods for degradability
6 Identification
7 Identification marking requirements
Annex A (Normative) Pattern and specification for identification of biodegradable plastics and products
Annex B (Informative) Existing national or professional standards for biodegradable plastics and products
Bibliography
