With growing environmental challenges, pressures on landfill and the urgent need for more sustainable packaging solutions, certified compostable materials have a key role in the transition to a circular economy.
Unlike traditional plastics, which can take hundreds of years to break down, certified compostable products are designed to biodegrade under the right conditions, turning into carbon dioxide, water, and organic biomass, leaving no harmful residue behind. This ability to disintegrate responsibly is key to their role in a circular economy, where materials are reused and regenerated instead of accumulating in landfills.
The role of The ABA and certification
At the forefront of this movement in Australia and New Zealand is the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA). The ABA’s certification scheme ensures that compostable products meet rigorous standards for biodegradability and suitability for composting. The ABA’s certification programme is essential for maintaining trust in compostability claims. The two key standards within the scheme, AS4736 for commercial composting and AS5810 for home composting, ensure that products meet specific biodegradation criteria under the right conditions.
For brand owners, certification provides a tool for building consumer trust. Displaying the ABA’s recognised logos – the Seedling logo for AS4736 and the Home Compostable logo AS5810 – confirms that a product is verified as compostable and will break down in the intended conditions.
This third-party validation helps avoid accusations of greenwashing, which can damage a brand’s reputation in an increasingly environmentally conscious market.
Read more: AORA – taking on one contaminant at a time
Certification also plays a critical role for the organics recycling sector. When a certified compostable product carries the ABA’s logos, it provides assurance to composters that the product will degrade without harming the composting process.
Without this certification, there is a risk of contamination, as non-certified products may not break down as expected, undermining the quality of compost.
The rise of certified compostable packaging
Certified compostable products are becoming a solution in the fight against plastic pollution. As awareness of plastic waste and its environmental impact reaches new heights, the demand for certified compostable products is growing exponentially. This shift is reflected in the surge of interest in the ABA’s certification programme. In the past 12 months, there has been a 32 per cent increase in AS4736 Certificates of Conformance, which apply to commercial composting, and a nearly 50 per cent growth in AS5810 certifications, which apply to home compostable products.
The global trend of increasing bioplastics production is driven by environmental concerns, regulatory shifts, and rising consumer demand. By 2029, bioplastics production capacity is expected to more than double, reaching an estimated 5.73 million metric tonnes. This reflects the growing recognition of compostable packaging as a viable alternative to traditional plastic materials.
Addressing confusion in the market
One of the challenges facing the compostable packaging industry is the confusion surrounding terms like “compostable,” “biodegradable,” and “traditional plastics.” This confusion can lead to contamination in composting streams, greenwashing, and misguided purchasing decisions. To address these issues, the ABA is taking an active role in educating stakeholders, from manufacturers to consumers.
A key part of the ABA’s educational efforts is its clear and easily recognisable certification logos. These logos help consumers and waste operators quickly identify which products are certified compostable, reducing the risk of contamination. In addition to labeling, the ABA provides a range of educational resources, including fact sheets and position papers, which help clarify the differences between certified compostable and other products. On-pack messaging to guide consumers on how to properly dispose of compostable items is also extremely important.
The ABA has also worked closely with waste operators to improve understanding and best practices around the management of certified compostable packaging. An independent review commissioned by the ABA on certified compostable products in food organics recovery systems found that these products can actually improve participation in FOGO (food organics and garden organics) services, helping to divert food waste from landfills.
Advocacy for policy integration
As the demand for certified compostables grows, the ABA is engaging with policymakers to
ensure that these products are properly integrated into national packaging targets and waste management frameworks. Collaboration between industry, government, and the organics sector to create clear and consistent standards for certified compostable materials is crucial for success.
A key focus of the ABA’s advocacy efforts is the push for mandatory certification for compostable products. Mandatory certification would reduce contamination concerns and ensure that only products that meet recognised standards are included in composting streams. In the absence of consistent standards, compostable products are often mistakenly grouped with non-compostable plastics, leading to missed opportunities for waste diversion and composting.
Harmonised standards across different jurisdictions are needed to protect the quality of compost while enabling effective materials to be included in organic recycling streams.
Collaboration with organic recyclers
Collaboration with composters and organic recyclers is critical to the success of certified compostable packaging. ABA works closely with the Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) to support the integration of certified compostables into established recovery systems. However, there is still work to be done to address the risks posed by non-certified “biodegradable” products, which may not meet compostability standards and can contaminate the composting process.
To close the loop, continued education among councils, waste operators, and the public to reduce contamination, increase awareness, and encourage the adoption of certified compostables is essential.
Looking ahead
The future of certified compostable packaging is exciting. Innovations in the sector are making packaging smarter, more functional, and better integrated into organic waste management systems. The expansion of FOGO services across Australia, including new mandates in New South Wales, is a promising development. Globally, cities like New York are implementing mandatory composting as part of their waste reduction strategies, signaling a wider shift toward more sustainable waste management practices.
The ABA is committed to supporting these efforts, helping the industry bring innovations to market responsibly while ensuring that certified compostable packaging plays a key role in the circular economy. With opportunities emerging in sectors beyond packaging, such as medical applications, the potential for certified compostables to contribute to sustainability is vast.
Certified compostable packaging is not just an alternative to plastic, it is an essential part of the future of sustainable packaging. Through certification, education, and collaboration, the ABA is helping to unlock the full value of compostable materials, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future in Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
Martine Poulain is the CEO of the Australasian Bioplastics Association