EN13432 is the mandatory European Union industrial compostable packaging standard and a required compliance document for customs clearance when exporting bagasse-based disposable tableware to the EU, the UK, and Switzerland. Any product marketed as biodegradable or compostable must provide a full EN13432 certification report; otherwise, goods may be seized, destroyed, or subject to heavy fines by customs, and brands may face product delisting and legal liability under the EU’s green anti-greenwashing regulations.
Four mandatory testing items
1. Biodegradation rate
Under industrial composting conditions at 58°C, it is degraded by ≥90% within 6 months. The organic carbon needs to be completely converted into carbon dioxide, water and minerals.
2. Disintegration performance
After 12 weeks of composting, the product breaks down into fine particles smaller than 2mm, passing through a 2mm sieve, with a residual weight of ≤ 10% of the original weight. There are no visible large residues with the naked eye.
3. Heavy metal limit detection
The contents of 11 harmful substances such as lead, cadmium and mercury are strictly lower than the standard limits, avoiding soil pollution. The covering films of sugarcane residue tableware, printing inks and adhesives are all included in the testing scope. PE covering films and non-environmentally friendly inks are highly likely to lead to certification failure. Only PLA biodegradable covering films can pass the test.
4. Ecotoxicity test
The compost soil after degradation, the germination rate and growth rate of crops are ≥ 90% of the control group, and there is no toxic residual pollution in the soil.
The core customs clearance documents include an official test report issued by an authoritative third-party laboratory for EN13432 (with CNAS and EU recognition qualifications), official certification certificates + authorization for the Seedling seedling logo / OK Compost Industrial compostable logo (EU supermarket regulations require printing on the outer packaging). Product specification and model consistency statement: The materials, laminates, and inks of the same certification batch cannot be changed at will. The EU does not issue certificates directly; it requires third-party testing for authorization. Please recognize the following two major systems:
DIN CERTCO (Germany): After issuance, it receives the “Seedling” mark, which is the most universally applicable across Europe.
TÜV AUSTRIA (Austria): After issuance, it receives the “OK Compost” mark, which has a high recognition rate in France, Italy, and other countries.
Food contact safety accessories (must be inspected for tableware), EU food contact: EU 10/2011 Plastic Framework Regulation, German LFGB, French DGCCRF (choose any one), for the US market, it can be combined with FDA 21CFR 176.170 report
The recently strictly inspected compliance supplementary documents for EU territories:
REACH SVHC (Highly Concerned Substance) detection; German LUCID, French CITEO, etc. EPR packaging recycling registration; MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet, Biobased Content Test Report
The following are the common pitfalls in the EU’s export of sugarcane tableware:
· The qualification of sugarcane fiber raw materials does not guarantee the quality of the finished product. Coating, printing ink, and waterproof glue can all lead to failure in the EN13432 test. The final shipment products must be sent for inspection.
· Without the Seedling (young plant) logo and the EN13432 standard number, even if there is a certificate, supermarkets are prohibited from placing the products on shelves, and customs can determine that the false environmental protection publicity is false and seize the goods.
· For the same material but different sizes of tableware, bagasse plates and bowls, if no model registration is done, during the customs inspection, it will be determined that the certificate does not match the shipped products.
· PE and PP ordinary plastic-coated bagasse tableware cannot pass the disintegration and toxicity tests, which is the most common reason for certification failure.
Having an effective EN 13432 certificate and the corresponding logo is the most powerful proof that sugarcane bagasse tableware possesses the “industrial composting” attribute and can smoothly pass through European customs. It enables the legal use of “compostable, degradable, plant-based” environmental protection publicity and avoids penalties for greenwashing.
