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D6400-23 – Standard Test Method Technical Guide
🎯 Scope and Purpose of D6400-23
The ASTM D6400-23 standard is the definitive technical specification governing the labeling of plastics and products made from plastics as “compostable in aerobic municipal and industrial composting facilities.” It is specifically designed for environments where thermophilic (high-temperature) conditions are achieved, differentiating industrial composting from other end-of-life scenarios such as anaerobic digestion or home composting.
The scope of the standard covers plastics, products made from plastics, and packaging that uses plastics as coatings or binders. It establishes the property requirements needed to determine if end items will compost satisfactorily in large-scale aerobic municipal or industrial composting facilities. As stated in the standard, “maximum throughput is a high priority to composters and the intermediate stages of plastic disintegration and biodegradation not be visible to the end user for aesthetic reasons.”
📊 Key Test Parameters and Requirements
A product must meet four specific performance criteria to qualify for the “compostable” certification. These criteria ensure complete biological conversion, safe material fragmentation, non-toxic compost residue, and chemical purity.
⚠️ Critical Context for Qualification
The specification is strictly designed for municipal or industrial aerobic composting facilities where thermophilic conditions are achieved. It explicitly does not cover anaerobic digestion or home composting environments. According to the standard, “intermediate stages of plastic disintegration and biodegradation not be visible to the end user for aesthetic reasons.”
| 🎯 Category | 📏 Test Method / Condition | 🔬 Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Biodegradation | D5338 / ISO 14855 | ≥90% of carbon converted to CO₂ within 180 days, relative to a cellulose reference |
| Disintegration | Controlled Composting (84 days) | ≥90% of material must pass through a 2mm sieve; no visible distinguishable residue |
| Ecotoxicity | OECD Guideline 208 | Plant germination and biomass must be ≥90% of the blank control |
| ⚡ Element | 🟦 Maximum Limit (mg/kg dry weight) |
|---|---|
| Arsenic (As) | 5 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 0.5 |