The EN 13432:2002 standard, Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation, assesses if a product is biodegradable and compostable. Candiani Denim used it to demonstrate that its COREVA™ stretch technology, making denim stretch with plant-based yarns from natural rubber, complies with biodegradability and compostability standards.
Which are the features of a biodegradable material and those of a compostable material?
EN 13432 is an Italian regulation in line with the European ones to define the features of a biodegradable and/or compostable material.
According to this standard, a material is biodegradable if its base components degrade at least 90% within six months in a CO2-rich environment. The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14855 officially acknowledges this feature.
Material can be defined as compostable if:
- it degrades at least 90% within six months in a CO2-rich environment
- its mass is formed by at least 90% of fragments smaller than 2 mm after three months of contact with organic materials
- it has no negative effects on the composting process
- it has a low concentration of additive heavy metals
- its pH values, saline content, and concentration of volatile solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium are within the established limits
COREVA™ stretch technology was tested according to EN 13432 standard
Our COREVA™ stretch technology complies with the EN 13432 standard. The testing performed at Innovhub followed the requirements identified for packaging since no specific criteria exist for fabrics. After twelve weeks, the COREVA™ sample had degraded by 98.1%.
Once confirming its compostability, we also tested COREVA™ ecotoxicity. This test aims to verify the effect the chemicals released by the material have on plants and was conducted using two different seeds, mung beans and barley. Mung beans showed a +1.2% germination and a +23.9% growth using COREVA™ versus the reference compost. These data are equal to +4.4% and +22.5% for barley.
