Packaging may have one or more labels or symbols printed on it. But what do these actually mean? This blog provides a concise explanation of the various labels that can be found on packaging.
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The difference between quality marks and symbols
The quality marks discussed in this blog provide information about the sustainability of certain types of packaging. The organisations that issue these quality marks impose a number of requirements on the packaging. These requirements may relate to such aspects as the production of the packaging, the raw materials used, or the extent to which the packaging can be recycled. The fulfilment of these requirements is usually monitored out by one or more independent organisations.
Symbols on packaging, however, are often based on only few or no requirements, and compliance with these is usually not checked. We will explain the various symbols that you may see on packaging in another blog, to be published soon.
This blog will examine a number of quality marks. A previous blog (Quality marks on packaging - Part 1) already examined various quality marks that can be found on packaging.
OK Biobased
This is a quality mark that imposes requirements on the content of renewable raw materials in plastic packaging. Four standards are applied, which are expressed as stars on the logo. Up to four stars are awarded. One star means that the product consists of at least 20% renewable materials; four stars means that the product consists of at least 80% renewable materials. Renewable raw materials, in this case, can be starch, cellulose, bacterial fat or lactic acid, extracted from products such as maize or sugar beets. The certificate provides no information about the extent to which the packaging can be recycled or whether it is biodegradable.
OK Biodegradable
This quality mark is awarded to biodegradable packaging, meaning that it can be broken down in soil, salt water or fresh water. The OK Biodegradable label applies three labels, each of which refers to the environment in which the packaging can be naturally disintegrated.
OK biodegradable MARINE means that the packaging will be naturally disintegrated in salt water. It must be possible for the material to be broken down by 90% within six months.
OK biodegradable SOIL means that the packaging will naturally disintegrate in soil. It must be possible for the material to be decomposed by 90% within two years at a soil temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.
OK biodegradable WATER means that the packaging will naturally disintegrate in fresh water. It must be possible for the material to be broken down by 90% within 56 days.
The requirement is that a material must be decomposed by at least 90% after a certain amount of time has passed. It is not known whether the material will eventually be fully decomposed and how long this will take exactly. The label says nothing about whether the packaging is recyclable.
OK Compost
This is a quality mark in the field of compostable plastic, and applies two labels. The labels indicate the conditions under which the packaging can be composted.
OK compost HOME means that the packaging can be composted on your compost heap at home. The material must be naturally disintegrated by 90% within 12 months at a soil temperature between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
OK compost INDUSTRIAL means that, theoretically speaking, the packaging can be composted in an industrial composting plant in accordance with European standards. In practice, this is often not the case. Sese the header ‘Kiemplant logo’ (translated as ‘Seedling logo’) for more detailed information.
The OK compost HOME quality mark is very similar to the OK biodegradable SOIL quality mark. Both quality marks are awarded to material that will naturally disintegrate in soil. The differences between the two quality marks are the time it takes for the material to decompose (1 or 2 years), and minor differences in soil temperature (20 and 30 or 20 and 25 degrees Celsius).
Kiemplant / Seedling quality mark
This quality mark is similar to OK compost INDUSTRIAL, in which the material must be able to disintegrate naturally in an industrial composting plant pursuant to European standards In practice, however, compostable plastic is often rejected by industrial composters because the material often does not decompose in time in the industrial composting facility. There is also a greater chance of mistakes being made when separating waste, which means that non-compostable plastic can also end up in green waste (e.g. Vegetable, fruit and garden waste). Compostable plastic should not be put in the plastic waste bin, because it will have an adverse effect on the quality of the recyclable plastic in the same bin. As a result, compostable plastic with the Kiemplant, OK compost INDUSTRIAL, or DIN Geprüft industrial compostable logo must be discarded of in the residual waste bin.
DIN Geprüft industrial compostable
This quality mark is similar to the Seedling and OK compost INDUSTRIAL quality marks. It can be provided alongside the Seedling quality mark or separately on a packaging.
DIN Geprüft Biobased
This is a quality mark that imposes requirements for the content of renewable raw materials (such as maize or sugar beets) in packaging. It is based on three levels: Biobased 20-50%, 50-85% and over 85%. The certificate provides no information about the extent to which the packaging can be recycled or will decompose naturally in nature.
Flustix RECYCLED - DIN-Geprüft
This certification provides information about the percentage of recycled material used in packaging. It demonstrates the proportion of recycled material from which the packaging was produced. The certificate says nothing about a minimum proportion of recycled material in terms of content. Therefore, the degree to which the packaging is sustainable depends on how much recycled material was used in the packaging. The proportion of recycled material is indicated in percentages on the certificate logo.