Assessing the degradation performance of environmentally friendly food packaging paper requires standardized experiments simulating natural environments. The focus is on testing its biodegradation rate, mineralization degree, and the safety of degradation products. International standard methods such as ISO and ASTM are commonly used for scientific evaluation.
Core Assessment Indicators: Determining "True Degradation" from "Pseudo-Environmental Protection"
Biodegradation Rate
This refers to the proportion of material converted into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass by microorganisms.
Standard for Compliance: Under industrial composting conditions (60℃±2℃), the degradation rate must be ≥90% within 180 days (according to ISO 14855-1).
Final Mineralization
This measures the degree to which organic carbon is completely oxidized to CO₂, reflecting the thoroughness of degradation.
Calculated by measuring the amount of CO₂ released, the mineralization degree should reach more than 90% of that of the reference material.
Disintegration Degree
This refers to the material's ability to physically break down into small fragments during composting.
Standard requirement: After 90 days, the weight of residue passing through a 2mm sieve should be ≤10% (EN 13432).
Ecotoxicity assessment
The degraded residue must not inhibit plant growth or disrupt soil microbial balance.
This is typically verified using seed germination rate (e.g., for cabbage, radish) and soil respiration activity tests.
