--- title: "Compostable Packaging Certifications Explained: BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, and FSC" summary: "Summary: Green claims on bakery packaging are easy to print and hard to defend. This article explains what BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, FSC, and recycled-content certifications actually verify, how those claims map to composting and recycling streams in North America and the EU, and which questions…" keywords: [] language: "en" published: "2026-09-23T17:10:27.593314+00:00" modified: "2026-09-23T17:10:27.593314+00:00" canonical: "/en/blog/compostable-packaging-certifications-explained-bpi-en-13432-ok-compost-and-fsc" --- # Compostable Packaging Certifications Explained: BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, and FSC Summary: Green claims on bakery packaging are easy to print and hard to defend. This article explains what BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, FSC, and recycled-content certifications actually verify, how those claims map to composting and recycling streams in North America and the EU, and which questions… ![Compostable Packaging Certifications Explained: BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, and FSC cover image]() Summary: Green claims on bakery packaging are easy to print and hard to defend. This article explains what BPI, EN 13432, OK Compost, FSC, and recycled-content certifications actually verify, how those claims map to composting and recycling streams in North America and the EU, and which questions reveal whether a supplier's evidence covers your SKU, your order, and your destination market. Estimated reading time: 7 minutes ## Why a Claim Is Really Three Data Points Every environmental claim on a foodservice pack should be read as three pieces of information: the claim category, the standard behind it, and the certificate holder. "Eco-friendly" fails this test because it names neither a standard nor a holder. A defensible claim does both, and it names them on documents a buyer can file and re-check at renewal time. ## Compostable, Biodegradable, and Recyclable Are Not the Same Compostable means a product has been tested to break down under defined conditions within the frame of a published standard, usually industrial composting. Biodegradable, without a time frame and a test condition, describes an expectation rather than a verified property. Recyclable describes an end-of-life route that depends on local collection systems, so the honest form of that claim is always market-specific. Recycled content is a different category again: it describes what the product contains, not what happens to it after use. Each of these four claim categories is verified by a different certification family, and one certificate almost never covers all four. ## BPI: The Compostability Claim Buyers Meet in North America In the United States and Canada, the label buyers most often encounter is BPI certification. BPI evaluates finished products against American standards for compostable plastics and for paper-based items with compostable coatings, and its certified-product list is widely referenced across North American retail and composting programs. Two practical points matter to procurement teams. First, certification attaches to a specific product as placed on the market, so a certificate for one item does not automatically extend to a similar item with a different coating, ink, or adhesive. Second, the certification addresses industrial composting; it is not a promise that every municipal program will accept the item at the curb. ## EN 13432 and OK Compost: The European Framework In the European Union, the reference point for industrially compostable packaging is EN 13432. The standard assesses biodegradation, disintegration during composting, the ecotoxicity of the resulting compost, and limits on heavy metals. It is the benchmark most EU packaging conversations assume, even when a private certification label sits on top of it. That label usually belongs to the OK Compost family administered by TÜV Austria. OK Compost INDUSTRIAL aligns with EN 13432 for industrial composting. OK Compost HOME addresses home composting conditions, which are cooler and less controlled than an industrial facility. A product certified for industrial composting is therefore not automatically home compostable, and the two claims should never be merged on a datasheet or a pack. ## The Schemes Side by Side | Scheme | Where It Applies | What It Verifies | Composting Context | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | BPI | United States and Canada | Product compostability against ASTM standards for compostable plastics and coated paper | Industrial composting | | EN 13432 | European Union | Packaging compostability: biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity, heavy-metal limits | Industrial composting | | OK Compost INDUSTRIAL | Europe (TÜV Austria label) | Product conformity aligned with EN 13432 | Industrial composting | | OK Compost HOME | Europe (TÜV Austria label) | Breakdown at lower, less controlled home-composting temperatures | Home composting | | FSC | Global | Responsible fiber sourcing and chain of custody | Not a compostability claim | | GRS | Global | Recycled content with chain of custody | Not a compostability claim | ## — The Schemes Side by Side Read the table as a routing tool. The destination market decides which column matters: North American programs usually ask for a BPI-listed item, EU conversations usually start from EN 13432 conformity, and fiber or recycled-content questions are answered by FSC or GRS documents rather than by any compostability scheme. ## Matching Claims to Waste Streams in North America and the EU A valid certificate tells you a product met a tested standard. It does not tell you what a specific composting facility or recycling stream will accept. Sorting guidance is set municipality by municipality in North America and by member-state and local rules in the EU, and acceptance of compostable plastics in particular varies widely between programs. The practical consequence for packaging programs is simple: confirm the disposal context in the destination market before printing any disposal instruction on the pack. Absolute wording that promises acceptance in every municipal program cannot be supported in advance and should be replaced by market-specific guidance confirmed at the time of order. ## FSC and Recycled Content: Different Certificates for Different Questions For a recycled-board gift box, the buyer's questions are usually about content and fiber origin, not compostability. FSC certification addresses responsible fiber sourcing and chain of custody, including recycled-content categories. GRS verifies recycled content with its own chain-of-custody requirements. Neither is a compostability claim. A compostable bakery bag, by contrast, belongs to the compostability family described above. When a supplier presents one certificate as covering both boxes and bags, check the scope: the material, the claim category, and the product must all sit inside the certificate's boundary. ## Questions to Ask Before You Accept a Certificate - Which standard does the certificate reference, and which body issued it? - Who is the certificate holder: a resin producer, the mill, or the converter of your actual item? - Does the certified scope name your product, including coatings, inks, adhesives, and linings? - What is the validity date, and when does recertification fall due? - Can documentation be issued that references your SKU and your order? - If a certification logo will be printed on the pack, what licensing terms apply? A certificate that cannot answer these questions is decoration. One that can becomes part of the purchasing file and survives an audit. ## How Far Should the Evidence Trace: Down to the Batch? Traceability is a chain, and every link should be checkable. The certificate names the holder and the product scope. Order documentation connects your SKU to that scope. Batch-level linkage, for example tying a production run to the certified scope, is a documentation practice that buyer and supplier should agree in writing, because it differs by product and by claim category. Buyers serving regulated retail or public procurement usually need the full chain. Independent operators may need only the first two links. Deciding this before the purchase order keeps the evidence package proportional to the risk, instead of discovering the gap during an inspection. ## How Takeawaypack Approaches Certification Requests Takeawaypack works with multiple packaging manufacturers, and certification sits with the producing factory rather than with the brand as a blanket claim. Select kraft and molded-pulp lines carry compostable or recycling-related certification, and the scope of that coverage varies by product. When an enquiry involves certified products, Takeawaypack confirms the applicable documentation for the specific SKU, based on the order quantity, the destination market, and the claim category the buyer needs to make. For fiber-based items, the supplying mill holds FSC Chain of Custody certificate GFA-COC-006105, valid through February 2027, and GRS 4.0 certificate TE-00121899, valid through November 2026. These are factory-level certificates: the documentation that applies to an individual order is confirmed per SKU rather than assumed across the catalog. ## Next Step for Bakery and Dessert Programs If your range includes bagasse cake domes, recycled-board gift boxes, or compostable bakery bags, prepare three details before you enquire: the SKU or product category, the expected quantity, and the destination country or port. With those three details, the applicable certification path and documentation can be confirmed for your market instead of guessed. Visit [https://takeawaypack.com](https://takeawaypack.com) to start that conversation and confirm which documentation applies to the items on your list.