'Biodegradable' claims banned in Europe

Claims on packaging such as ‘biodegradable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are now banned in Europe.

Effective since 27 September 2026, the generic environmental claims have been banned in the European Union unless the trader can show recognised excellent environmental performance. Australia has no specific rule for compostable and biodegradable claims.

The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) is warning that Australia risks becoming a dumping ground for them.

“Europe has drawn a line on vague green claims. Unless Australia catches up, packaging that can’t make those claims in Europe could simply end up here,” said ABA CEO Martine Poulain.

“We already see bags, food-service ware and packaging labelled ‘biodegradable’ or ‘eco-friendly’ with nothing to back it up. People think they’re doing the right thing, but when these products end up in FOGO bins, they contaminate the compost.”

Poulain said the only compostable claims Australians should trust are those certified to the Australian Standards: AS 4736 for commercial composting and AS 5810 for home composting.

“Even a European compostable certification isn’t the right test for Australia. Our Standards were written for Australian conditions and include an earthworm toxicity test that the European standard doesn’t. If it’s going in your FOGO bin, look for certification to the Australian Standard.”

Poulain urged shoppers, cafés and retailers to look for the certification logo and licence number rather than words like “biodegradable” or “eco”. Certified products can be checked against the ABA’s public register at https://bioplastics.org.au/certification/#anzcertified.

“Certification to the Australian Standards protects consumers, it supports composters and councils, and it’s fair to the businesses doing the right thing,” she said.

Image caption: Certified compostables. Image: Supplied