GUIDE TO TERMINOLOGY

CONFUSED BY THE TERMS THROWN AROUND WHEN TALKING ABOUT FOOD PACKAGING?

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Below is a simple guide to help you cut through the jargon.

Aqueous Coating

A coating that is applied (painted) to cardboard or paper products to make them waterproof. The coating is typically made up of polymers and additives, which means it is not plastic free. It may also be referred to as a water dispersion barrier.

Bagasse

The fibrous material that is left behind after the juice is extracted from the sugarcane plant. This leftover material is combined with water into a pulp like substance, which is then combined with additives and moulded into food packaging.

Biobased

A product is derived from natural plant material e.g. corn, sugarcane or cellulose. Biobased is referring to the origin of the product and does not infer anything about the end of life.

Biodegradable

A natural process in which microorganisms present in the environment break down materials into natural substances like water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. It does not specify a timeframe or conditions. If something is biodegradable it does not mean it is compostable.

Bioplastic

Bioplastics are a range of materials with the properties of plastic that are either derived from plant sources rather than fossil fuels, or are considered biodegradable, or both. Bioplastics are not always compostable. Examples of bioplastics include PLA, CPLA, BioPBS and PBAT.

Compostable

An item is able to completely break down within a specific timeframe, under specific conditions. Compostability is only verified if a product has a valid compost certification (industrial or home compostable).

Compost Certification

Proof of conformity to a globally or nationally recognised standard, see common standards below:

‍AS 4736: is the Australian Industrial Compost Standard which sets out the procedures to determine whether a product is industrially compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Australia. Industrially compostable products are those able to be processed only via commercial facilities. Learn more → click here
‍AS 5810 is the Australian Home Compost Standard which sets out the procedures to determine whether a product is home compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Australia. Home compostable products are those able to be processed in home compost systems such as compost bays and bins, and worm farms. Learn more → click here
‍ASTM D6400 is the American Industrial Compost Standard which sets out the procedures to determine whether a product is industrially or municipally compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in the USA. ‍
DIN-Geprüft Home Compostable: is a certification scheme that describes the procedures to determine whether a product is home compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Germany.‍
DIN-Geprüft Industrial Compostable (DIN EN 13432): is a certification scheme that describes the procedures to determine whether a product is industrially compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Germany.‍
EN 13432: is the European Industrial Compost Standard which sets out the procedures to determine whether a product is industrially compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in the European Union. ‍
NF T 51-800: is the French Home Compost Standard which sets out the procedures to determine whether a product is home compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in France.‍
TUV OK COMPOST HOME: is a certification scheme that describes the procedures to determine whether a product is home compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Austria. ‍
TUV OK COMPOST INDUSTRIAL: is a certification scheme that describes the procedures to determine whether a product is industrially compostable, and the requirements by which a product can label itself as such in Austria.

FSC

‍The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognised organisation that sets best practice sustainability standards for the forestry industry and certifies products that meet their standards. Paper, cardboard and other timber products that carry this label are sourced from sustainable forestry operations. Learn more → click here

Greenwashing

‍Greenwashing is the promotion of misleading sustainability or environmental claims. It can include either the overinflation of environmental benefits of an initiative or design feature, promotion of small environmental gains that are outweighed by the negative impacts of the product or service, or false environmental claims about a product or service. It can be either deliberate or accidental.

PFAS

‍Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals sometimes used in the production of food packaging, particularly moulded fibre products. They are typically added to single use packaging products to increase oil resistant properties. Also referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ some research has found detrimental environmental impacts when PFAS enters ecosystems. Learn more → click here

Recyclable

‍Products that are recyclable are able to be mechanically or chemically processed into material that is able to be used to produce new products. Just because a product is labelled as ‘recyclable’ does not mean it will or can be recycled, some products may require specialised facilities which do not exist in Australia.

Reusable

A reusable product is one that is conceived, designed, and placed in the market to achieve a minimum number of refill/return cycles for the same primary purpose.

Single-use

While state governments may have a slightly different definition, generally speaking, a single-use product is one typically intended and designed to be used just once, or for a short period of time, before being disposed of.

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