New Paramount British Standard for Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics

BS 8472 is a progressive model for plastic performance testing that meets the needs of current technology. EPI Environmental Products, a key manufacturer of eco-friendly materials has acknowledged the fact that the British Standards Institute has approved the BS 8472 standard for Oxo-Biodegradable plastics testing. The new standard will be useful as an additional tool for validation of Oxo-Biodegradable plastic performance and the environmental benefits that accrue.

As a pioneer in the development and commercialization of Oxo-Biodegradable plastics technology, EPI has taken on a leadership role in the development of appropriate standards. Previously, EPI was the sole Oxo-Biodegradable company pursuing the development of the ASTM D6954 standard, which served as the model for the new British standard. EPI was also a key contributor in the development of the British standard, and therefore takes pride in the fact there is now a watershed British standard in place that recognizes the distinct attributes of Oxo-Biodegradable plastics.

Currently, European standard EN 13432 is often incorrectly referenced as a plastic biodegradation standard, but this standard is only applicable to industrial composting conditions. Many of the misconceptions regarding degradation and biodegradation issues relating to Oxo-Biodegradable plastics were addressed in a comprehensive document for which EPI was again a key contributor, and which was recently submitted to DEFRA, the UK government environmental agency, by the British Plastics Federation.

EPI is looking forward to the establishment of the new British Standard as a benchmark for the assessment of Oxo- Biodegradable plastics and expects this standard to be a pre-cursor to new European standards that will further distinguish the performance of Oxo-Biodegradable plastics.

Readers who are keen to find out more about oxo-biodegradables should visit Interplas from September 27th-29th 2011 in Birmingham, UK, where there will be sessions aimed at explaining the technology in greater detail.

Source: http://www.eppm.com