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collapse Are cardboard and paper compostable ?
Cardboard and paper are not compostable because they are made of paper paste but also of chemical additives. However they are recyclable and this is very advantageous. For instance, a single fibre paper can be recycled up to 10 times.

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collapse Are molded pulp products compostable?
Molded pulp products are compostable if they are made of vegetable residues and without any chemical additive. In this case they are in accordance to the EN 13432 norm.

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collapse Are wooden packagings compostable ?
By definition, wood is compostable and biodegradable when it is completely natural. It is in accordance to the EN 13432 norm. However, wooden products are oftenly associated with plastic, paper, glue or inks. In this case, it wouldn?t be a 100% compostable product. Wood is also easily recyclable, it can be transformed into chips and it can be used once again.

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collapse What are the PEFC and FSC certifications?
These are forestry certifications concerning the sustainable management of forests. They guarantee an eco-aware management. This certification is very common among European and North American forests.

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collapse What does biodegradable mean ?
A biodegradable product is the one that can be easily decomposed by microorganisms without adding any chemical product. Time for biodegradability will depend on the amount of oxygen, humidity rate and temperature.

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collapse What is the AIB Vinçotte's "OK biodegradable" label?
Created in 2009, this label measures the amount of carbon coming from renewable sources regarding fossil carbon inside a matter, in order to give value to products coming from renewable sources. According to the renewable raw materials rate (% bio based) inside a product, this one can be certified as ? 1 star bio based?, ?2 stars bio based? , ?3 stars bio based? or ?4 stars bio based?.

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collapse What is the AIB Vinçotte's "OK compost" label?
This is an European label diffused by the Belgium agency Aib Vinçotte which guarantees that the components of a product can be composted in an industrial or professional composting zone without detrimental effects to the compost quality. When time comes for decomposition, the highest possible temperature is needed (more than 55°C) A second OK Compost Home label exists which guarantees that the components of the product can be composted in a private compost or in a drum. If the composting process goes well, the product will decompose itself in several months.

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collapse What is the composting process?
It is a natural biological process that gives value to organic matters and allows its conversion into a high humic product when in the presence of oxygen. At the end of the composting process, we get compost or humus which can be directly used in agriculture. By composting, we avoid costly and polluting incinerations and we give value to our wastes.

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collapse What is the difference between a homemade composting and the industrial composting?
The difference comes from the temperature and the composting time. Industrial composting requires a temperature of 75°-80°C, a humidity rate of 65-70% and an oxygen rate of 18-20%. In these conditions, composting takes around 12 weeks. In garden compost, temperature never exceeds 40°C and humidity will depend on the time of the year, the season, and the latitude. Composting will be far longer, it can take up to several months.

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collapse What is the difference between a recyclable product and a recycled product?
A recycled product is fully or partially made of waste. The most common recycled product is the glass or the recycled paper, made of paper waste. A recyclable product can be reused by recycling or by industrial processing.

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collapse What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable?
Biodegradable and compostable don?t have the same meaning. A biodegradable product can be decomposed by microorganisms, but it doesn?t necessarily mean that it will produce good quality compost (humic). Consequently, a biodegradable product is not necessarily compostable; however a compostable product is necessarily biodegradable.

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collapse What is the difference between degradable and biodegradable?
Biodegradable products have a vegetal origin. The whole biodegradation process takes several months under the ground. Products that can be impaired (or divided into several fragments) come from an oil-producing origin, they made of polyethylene PE and chemical additives. With the presence of oxygen, under the effect of heat and UV rays, they loose their mechanical resistance, break up into several particles and visually disappear.

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collapse What is the Din Certco label?
This is an European label diffused by the German Agency Din certco, which equivalent is the norm EN 13432 regarding biodegradability and composting.

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collapse What is the European ecological label ?
Created in 1992, the European ecological label is the only official label that can be used in all the member states of the European Union. For now, it is mostly affixed on the cleaning household products.

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collapse What is the European norm EN 13432 ?
This is the European norm concerning packaging and packaging waste. This norm establishes the requirements regarding the value we can give to the packaging by composting and biodegradation. It rests in 5 firm foundations: composting, biodegradability, disintegration, final compost quality, and eco toxicity.

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collapse What is the green spot label?
The green spot label means the company has made a contribution to an authorized recycling organization but it doesn?t mean that the product is recycled.

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collapse What is the meaning of color coded waste recycle bins ?
Yellow waste bin: plastic packaging (bottles, boxes), metals, cardboards. Green waste bin: glass Blue waste bin: paper, magazines, newspapers. Black waste bin: leftovers, organic waste.

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collapse What is the meaning of PLA and PSM ?
PLA and PSM are vegetal synthetic resins coming from starch. PLA is the abbreviation for Polylactic acid or polylactide which is a result of the sugar or starch fermentation, it is a transparent material, resistant and insipid, a natural alternative to polyethylene, 100% biodegradable and compostable. PSM (abbreviation for PLA starch Material) is a starch polymer, solid and microwave-resistant, 100% biodegradable and compostable.

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collapse What is the NF environment mark?
Created in 1991, this label requires some eligibility criteria?s concerning highly toxic materials used by the most traditional polluting industries (painting, varnish, house furnishings and bag industry).

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collapse What is the waste selective waste collection?
The selective collection and sorting of industrial waste is mandatory for companies (Decree n° 94-609 of July 12th 1994). This decree makes it compulsory to give value to the packaging waste (cardboard, paper, and glass) by reusing it, by recycling it, or by using any other measures that aims at obtaining reusable materials or energy. Any private or public institution is compelled to sort their waste. Since July 2002, unrefined waste cannot be thrown to the dump.

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