Biodegradable packaging - sign and symbols worth knowing

The packaging of the products we reach for every day is made of various raw materials. These are both biodegradable and non-degradable materials. How to recognize which type of material we are dealing with? The answer is simple: just check the graphic signs on the packaging. We have prepared a list of the most important eco-labels.

What are eco-labels and for what purpose?

Ecolabels are special graphic symbols that inform consumers about the composition, quality and reusability of products or packaging. Most often they have the form of circular markings in green, black, blue and white, they also contain elements in the form of arrows or leaves. Thanks to such a simplified, iconic form, the ecolabel can be understood by anyone, regardless of age or knowledge of a given language.

The first eco-labels began to be created in the 1970s in Germany. Nowadays, they can be found on every product we buy in stores. For what purpose do manufacturers use the eco-label? There are many reasons. Ecolabels facilitate:

• waste segregation (the mark informs whether the product can be composted, in which container it should be thrown, whether it is biodegradable),
• product selection (aware consumers buy only goods marked with eco-labels),
• assessment of the quality of the goods (the type and number of ecolabels provide valuable information about the quality of the product or packaging).

Ecolabels prove to be very useful in everyday life. Thanks to them, we find out, among other things, whether a given packaging is biodegradable or whether it is reusable in the recycling process.

What does the biodegradability mark mean?

All biodegradable materials have one thing in common - they decompose into small, non-toxic inorganic particles. Gradual decomposition occurs under the influence of microorganisms, specific temperature, humidity, pH and sunlight. The biodegradability mark placed on the product means that the product is subject to biological decomposition.

In order to obtain a biodegradability certificate, companies must first go through various procedures and meet the standards set by Polish or foreign certification institutions (such as the German Institute of Standardization, Polish Center for Research and Standardization, etc.). Granting the ecolabel means that a given producer has met the stringent requirements related to environmental protection.

Biodegradable packaging - graphic symbol

How to recognize biodegradable materials? The mark on the packaging is distinctive and represents a sprouting plant. On various types of products, you can also find a biodegradable sign with the caption: compostable, which means that the packaging is compostable. DIN, i.e. the German Institute for Standardization, or authorized bodies are responsible for certification and granting of this ecolabel.

Biodegradable materials can also be marked with the symbol of three green leaves arranged in a circle. There are also new, commercial certification bodies on the market that issue green labels with the note: BIO or EKO to companies using ecological raw materials.

Biodegradable symbol in the light of Polish regulations

Labeling biodegradable packaging is voluntary in Poland. The issue of ecolabels is covered by the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 3 September 2014 on packaging labeling templates. Annexes 8 and 9 of this Act contain templates of symbols concerning:

• reusable packaging (2 horizontal arrows pointing in opposite directions),
• suitability of the packaging for recycling (arrow in the shape of a circle, running clockwise).

The above marks apply to plastics and aluminum packaging.

There is also a Testing and Certification Center in Poland. It is an institution that supports the process of implementing EU regulations regarding the latest guidelines in the field of environmental and resource protection. The company issues, among others, the green Ecological Ecolabel, considered to be the equivalent of the European Ecolabel.

EU Ecolabel and mark: recyclable - what packaging do they apply to?

In 1992, the European Union created a special certification program for products and packaging EU Ecolabel (daisy symbol with stars and the letter epsilon). The program aims to distinguish those raw materials that are the least harmful to the environment. The EU Ecolabel certificate is awarded only to high-quality products, a large part of which are biodegradable materials.

Another sign, included in the group of the most famous eco-labels, is the sign: it is suitable for recycling. It has the form of a triangle, made of three arrows, running clockwise. A green or black mark on the packaging means that the selected material can be recycled in the process of biodegradation, thermal, chemical or material treatment.