What TÜV Austria Certifications Mean for Solon PHA

A lot of products today use words like biodegradable, compostable, plant based, or eco friendly, but those words can mean very different things depending on the material, the product design, and the environment where the material ends up. That is why third party certification matters. Instead of relying only on broad marketing claims, certification helps show whether a material has passed specific testing for specific environments.

TÜV Austria is one of the leading organizations that tests and certifies materials and products for compostability, biodegradability, and biobased content. For PHA, this is especially important because PHA is often discussed as one of the most promising biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastic. But the real question is not just whether something is biodegradable. The better question is where it biodegrades, how it biodegrades, and under what conditions.

What TÜV Austria tests for

TÜV Austria offers different certification marks depending on the environment being tested. These include OK compost HOME, OK compost INDUSTRIAL, OK biodegradable SOIL, OK biodegradable WATER, and OK biodegradable MARINE. Each certification is tied to a specific environment and claim. A material that can break down in an industrial composting facility is not automatically the same as a material that can biodegrade in soil, water, marine environments, or a backyard compost pile.

That distinction matters because many people hear words like compostable or biodegradable and assume they all mean the same thing. In reality, the environment makes a major difference. Temperature, moisture, microbial activity, oxygen, product thickness, and formulation can all affect how a material breaks down. TÜV Austria separates these claims into specific categories so the meaning is clearer.

How the certification process works

The certification process generally starts with an application and technical review. The company seeking certification provides information about the material or product, its composition, where it is made, and which certification marks it is applying for. From there, the material is evaluated through testing based on the specific certification being requested.

Depending on the certification, testing may look at biodegradation, disintegration, chemical composition, heavy metals, fluorine, and ecotoxicity. In simple terms, TÜV Austria is not just asking whether a material breaks apart. The process is designed to evaluate whether the material breaks down in the intended environment and whether the remaining material is safe for that environment.

If the material passes the required testing and review, TÜV Austria can issue the certification and allow the appropriate mark to be used. That mark helps communicate that the material has been tested for a specific end of life environment.

How biodegradation is actually measured

Biodegradation testing is not just based on whether a material visually disappears. A material can break into smaller pieces without truly biodegrading. Real biodegradation means microorganisms are consuming the material and converting it into natural end products.

One common way biodegradation is measured is by tracking carbon dioxide. In an aerobic environment, where oxygen is present, microbes consume the material and release carbon dioxide as part of the process. The amount of carbon dioxide produced can be measured and compared to the total amount of carbon in the original material. This helps determine how much of the material has actually been converted by microbial activity.

Another way to measure biodegradation is by tracking oxygen consumption. As microbes break down a material, they use oxygen. By measuring how much oxygen is consumed during the test, researchers can estimate the level of biological activity and material breakdown.

This is important because true biodegradation is different from simple fragmentation. A conventional plastic may crack, weaken, or break into small pieces over time, but that does not mean microbes are consuming it in a meaningful way. Biodegradation testing looks for evidence that the material is being biologically converted, not just physically broken apart.

For PHA, this type of testing matters because PHA is a natural polymer that microbes can recognize and consume. When a PHA material is certified for a specific environment, the testing is designed to show that biodegradation happens under those conditions, whether that environment is home compost, soil, water, or marine conditions.

Why one certification does not mean everything

One of the most important things to understand is that each certification has a specific meaning. A material certified for industrial composting should not automatically be described as home compostable, marine biodegradable, soil biodegradable, or water biodegradable unless it has also earned those specific certifications.

This is where vague environmental claims can become misleading. A broad word like compostable may sound simple, but it may not tell the full story. If something only breaks down under high heat industrial composting conditions, that is very different from something tested for home compost, soil, water, or marine environments. Specific certification marks help make those differences easier to understand.

Why this matters for PHA

PHA, short for polyhydroxyalkanoates, is a family of natural polymers made by bacteria. Bacteria produce PHA as a form of stored energy, which means PHA has existed in nature long before humans ever walked this planet. Because microbes can consume PHA during biodegradation, it has a very different end of life story than conventional petroleum based plastic.

This is why material certification matters. When a PHA material has been tested for specific environments, it gives a clearer understanding of the material itself and how it is designed to biodegrade.

New Wave Plastics and Solon PHA

At New Wave Plastics, we use Solon PHA made by RWDC Industries in Athens, Georgia. Solon PHA material is TÜV certified for OK compost HOME, OK biodegradable MARINE, OK biodegradable SOIL, and OK biodegradable WATER. These certifications apply to the Solon PHA material and are important because they show the material has been tested across specific environments, not just described with broad terms like green or eco friendly.

For us, that matters because we are building cups and straws around a material with a better end of life story. Restaurants, events, takeout, and everyday food service still rely on disposable products. For those situations, the material matters. Solon PHA allows us to make cups and straws that feel and function more like traditional plastic, while moving away from petroleum based materials and persistent microplastic pollution.