Compostability Certification

Commercial Compostability Certification

BPI is the leading authority on compostable products and packaging in North America thanks, in large part, to its certification program that has been operating for over 20 years. That program, and the Certification Mark associated with it, is the most reliable, widely-recognized third-party verification of whether or not an item meets ASTM’s compostability standards – a metric required by every US state that has regulatory language around the definition of compostability, and a method for meeting the FTC’s requirement that all claims of compostability are supported by scientific evidence.

Meeting the ASTM standards is only the beginning of what BPI’s compostability certification verifies for the entire value chain. Additional elements of BPI’s program include:

• Eligibility Requirements – Only items that are associated with desirable feedstocks like food scraps and yard trimming are eligible for BPI Certification. This helps keep the total volume of packaging in organics streams lower, which gives composters accepting compostable products a better chance at managing contamination from non-compostable products.
• Fluorinated Chemicals (PFAS) – BPI's standard for fluorinated chemicals went into effect on January 1, 2020. Products may no longer be claimed as BPI-Certified unless they meet all conditions of the rule, including no intentionally added fluorinated chemicals, a test report showing less than 100 ppm total organic fluorine, and a technical review of the formulation.

• Labeling Requirements – No organization has done more work on compostable product labeling than BPI. Part of that work entails reviewing every piece of product and packaging artwork to make sure the BPI Certification Mark is present, and to help guide other labeling decisions.
• Online Product Database - Every BPI-Certified item can be referenced in a searchable, online product database. This gives downstream audiences the ability to independently verify that items are certified by BPI and in good standing.