ecovio®

Compostable organic waste bags based on renewable raw materials

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Certified compostable polymer based on renewable raw materials

This is ecovio®

ecovio® IS A HIGH-QUALITY, VERSATILE BIOPLASTIC FROM BASF. THE PRIMARY ADVANTAGES: IT’S CERTIFIED COMPOSTABLE AND CONTAINS BIOBASED CONTENT.

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ecovio®:

is a finished compound

is certified compostable and biodegradable

has a variable biobased content

is certified worldwide

is printable and has excellent heat sealing properties

The main areas of use for ecovio® are plastic films such as organic waste bags, dualuse bags (first for shopping, then for organic waste) or agricul-tural films. Furthermore, compostable packaging solutions such as paper-coating, shrink films, foam packaging and injection molding products can be produced with ecovio®.

ecovio® is highly transformable, meaning a wide range of end use applications are possible. This makes organic waste diversion easier for stadiums and large venues, where a variety of compostable food service packaging is required.

An innovative mix of proven ingredientsWith ecovio®, BASF offers a certified compostable polymer which at the same time has a variable biobased content. The biobased portion can be adjusted to suit client requirements.

ecovio® consists of the compostable and biode-gradable BASF polymer ecoflex® and polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived from corn or other sugar generating plants like manioc. In contrast to simple starch based bioplastics, ecovio® is more resistant to mechanical stress and moisture.

Ready for useecovio® is a finished product that can be used by the customer as a drop-in solution with standard plastic production procedures. Additional blending is therefore not required.

High performing and certified compostableecovio® products are just as high-performing and strong in use as conventional plastics. An ecovio® bag can take the same load as its polyethylene counterpart. The product properties were designed such that the products only fully biodegrade in compost after use.

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AS A LEADING PROVIDER OF HIGH QUALITY AND HIGH-PERFORMING PLASTICS,BASF HAS BEEN RESEARCHING BIODEGRADABLE AND BIOBASED POLYMERS FORMORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY.

One step ahead Together

The continual development of innovative plastic solutions and the improved functionality of the products occurs in close cooperation with internal BASF units as well as with external partners.

There are no general advantages or disadvantages to fossil or renewable resources. For each individual appli-cation, environmental safety, cost efficiency and the social consequences for a product’s entire life cycle must be examined, for example as part of an ecoefficiency anal-ysis. Compostable or biobased polymers are generally not more environmentally friendly than others. They are, however, the optimal solution for particular applications – organic waste bags, compostable packaging for food or subarable agricultural films to name a few.

Kitchen and food waste can be hygienically collected using ecovio® biowaste bags and converted to compost along with the bag, avoiding odor and pest problems. Their excellent wet strength means that liquid from teabags and fruit leftovers does not leak, and laborious cleaning of the biowaste container is a thing of the past.

Products made of ecovio® are just as efficient and robust in the usage phase as conventional plastics, so for exam-ple a bag made of ecovio® can carry the same weight as its polyethylene counterpart. The product properties are designed so that the products only biodegrade after use.

ecovio®:

is industrially compostable

is mostly biobased

forms a liquid barrier and is tear resistant

complies with the Bioabfallverordnung 2012 (2012 German Biological Waste Ordinance)

is certified worldwide

ecovio® OFFERS CERTIFIED COMPOSTABLE AND MOSTLY BIOBASED POLYMERRESINS FOR FILM APPLICATIONS.

ecovio® fororganic waste bags

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Collecting organic waste with ecovio®

ecovio® bags – proved thousands of times across the planetBASF has tested the use and composting of ecovio® bags in various conditions in composting projects all over the world. The results show that the bag material biodegrades without any problems in different industrial composting sites, without adversely affecting the quality of the compost. When asked, residents of the respective regions also report positively on the clean and hygienic collection of organic waste.

You can find additional information onwww.ecovio.com/projects

Advantages of the separate collection of organic waste:Incinerating organic kitchen waste is not an effective option, because its high water content yields virtually no energy value whatsoever. It is worse when organic waste is disposed to landfills. There they produce methane, which has a 20 times more effective greenhouse gas potential than carbon dioxide. Composting organic waste can therefore reduce the production of greenhouse gases. According to calculations resulting from an ecoefficiency analysis, the composting of ecovio®-coated paper tableware, even with small amounts of food remains, brings along environmental benefits compared to disposal to landfill. Furthermore, compost can prevent soil erosion and be used to improve soil fertility. It contains the valuable and very limited phosphate, which is used for fertilization.

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Two different groups of products fall under the term “bioplastics”: “biobased” and “compostable” plastics.

Biobased materials are partly or entirely made of renewable raw materials. Polylactic acid, polyhy-droxyalkanoate (PHA), starches, cellulose, chitin and gelatin for example, belong to this group. Biobased plastics can be biodegradable – but they are not always. Numbering among the biobased but not bio-degradable plastics are biopolyethylene, natural fiber plastics, and composites of wood and plastic. Compostable plastics can be biodegraded by microorganisms. Special bacteria give off enzymes which break down the material’s flexible polymer chains into small parts. These are then digested by the bacteria together with other organic material such as, for example, organic waste. Water, carbon dioxide and biomass remain. Compostable polymers can, but need not be produced from renewable raw materials. They can also be based on crude oil. The biodegradability does not de-pend on the raw material, rather, it depends entirely on the chemical structure of the polymer.

What is meant by bioplastics?

Source: cf.: Hans-Josef Endres, Technische Biopolymere, 2009.

not compostable compostable

based on renewableraw materials

Bio-PE, Bio-PA, Bio-PUR, Bio-PP

PLA, PHA

on a fossil basis PE, PP, PVC PBS

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Biodegradable THANKS TO A SPECIAL CHEMICAL STRUCTURE, ecovio® CAN BE DEGRADED BY MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR ENZYMES.

Biodegradation of a compostable film in the first week …

... in the second week ... ... and in the fourth week

In the conditions of an industrial composting plant biodegradation only takes a few weeks, as the plant provides optimal conditions for composting.

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Certified by test institutesIndependent institutes test bioplastics in special cer-tification procedures with respect to biodegradability, compostability, compost quality and plant compatibility.

Only when a material meets the clearly defined test criteria may it be identified as compostable.

Proven in practicePractical tests at industrial composting plants show that ecovio® organic waste bags can be processed within three to four weeks.

Suitable for foodecovio® offers product grades that comply with the requirements of the European food contact regulation¹ as well as the US Food Contact Substance Notification² and are suited for food packaging among other things.

THE COMPOSTABILITY OF ecovio® HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY RECOGNIZED AND INDEPENDENT TEST INSTITUTES.

ecovio® offers various product grades that conform to the following international and national standards and norms for composting, among others:

Tested and certified

American standard ASTM 6400

European standard EN 13432

Home composting

¹ Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 of January 14, 2011 on materials and objects of plastic, designed to be in contact with food.

² According to Food Contact Substance Notification No. 178, 475 and 907 of FDA

Japanese standard GreenPla

Soil composting Italian certification CIC

European standard EN 13432Australian standard AS 4736

Composting project using biodegradable waste bags in the Bad Dürkheim districtIn 2011, a large-scale trial was conducted in the Bad Dürkheim district (Germany) in a joint pilot project with Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb Bad Dürkheim (AWB) and BASF to test the practical suitability of biowaste bags made of ecovio®.

The key results of the project include:

ecovio® bags were completely biodegraded within three weeks.

No impact on the compost quality.

High level of acceptance and satisfaction by resi-dents. The clean separation of organic waste with-out soaked bags and unpleasant odors in particular were greatly appreciated by residents.

No significant occurrence of non-compostable plastics in the organic waste.

Collection in winter is better because the organic waste no longer freezes solid in the bin due to the wet-strength bags.

ecovio®-organic waste bags have now been used successfully in the district for three years.

Pilot project with compostable organic waste bags in BerlinBASF in cooperation with Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) has conducted a successful practical test with compostable biowaste bags in Berlin. The aim of the pilot project was to test, in a city environment, how satisfied residents are with the organic waste bags and what effect they have on collection trends.

The key results of the project include:

Around 80 % of the people taking part in the survey were satisfied with the organic waste bags.

The amount of organic waste collected rose by min. 10 %.

There was a clear drop in impurities seen with conventional non-degradable bags.

The organic waste bags do not affect the high compost quality.

Other areas using the organic waste bags are the Ennepe- Ruhr-Kreis, the Rheinpfalz-Kreis and the cities of Ludwigs- hafen and Worms.

For more information on national and international composting projects visit www.ecovio.de/projekte

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Scientifically monitored projects

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What requirements should compostable biowaste bags meet?The market offers a wide range of different types of bio-waste bags for collecting organic waste. Some of them are extremely suitable, but the majority do not meet the statutory provisions or minimum requirements on the

functionality of these biodegradable waste bags. These requirements concerning for example compostability, wa-ter barrier properties and ecotoxicology are summarized in the following list of criteria.

Property Standard/test Target values and criteria for organic waste bags* for organic waste collection by local

authorities

Notes

1 Compostability EN 13432 Film certified compostable up to a thickness of 0.2 mm, i. e. 200 µm

A high quality, single film layer is about 25 micrometer thick and creates a 50 micrometer seam when overlapped. Four layers of film (as common if the bag is closed with a knot) result in a total thickness of 200 micrometer.

2 Ecotoxicology EN 13432 Retail product complies with EN 13432 Ensures that all components (process additives, printing inks) meet the ecotoxicological requirements at all degradation stages.

3 Water barrier ASTM E96 BW < 300 g /m²/d Ensures cleanliness by preventing moisture and odor from the organic waste leaking through from the bags during the entire collection process.

4 Percentage of bio-based raw materials

ASTM D6866-12 Defined by country, e. g. Germany:> 50 % renewable raw materials

Required under the Bioabfallverord-nung (Biowaste Ordinance) 2012

5 Design of the collection bag

Printing with minimum information:a) Compostability certification

(certification mark (e.g. seedling logo) and certification number)

b) Name and contact details of manufacturer or distributor

c) clear labelling of use of the bag for organic waste collection

Aim:a) The collection bags are easy to

distinguish from waste bags made of non-compostable plastics

b) The use of conventional plastic bags for collecting organic waste is avoided.

* Film thickness for organic waste bags should be approx. 25 µm + /-2 %

The figures are provided by the manufacturer and must be confirmed by independent institutions such as DIN Certco

Requirements for compostable organic waste bags

NoteThe data contained in this publication are based on our current knowledge and experience. In view of the many factors that may affect processing and application of our product, these data do not relieve processors from carrying out own investigations and tests; neither do these data imply any guarantee of certain properties, nor the suitability of the product for a specific pur-pose. Any descriptions, drawings, photographs, data, proportions, weights etc. given herein may change without prior information and do not constitute the agreed contractual quality of the product. It is the responsibility of the recipient of our products to ensure that any propri-etary rights and existing laws and legislation are observed. ( May 2016)

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Please visit us at www.ecovio.com

BASF SE Global Marketing Biopolymers

G-PM / PB, F 206 67056 Ludwigshafen Germany

Request for brochures

Fax: +49 621 60-49497 plas.com@basf.com