Compostable packaging certifications are only as good as the process behind them.
A supplier can print “BPI Certified” or “ASTM D6400 Compliant” on a spec sheet with complete confidence. Your job is to verify that claim before a single product enters your catalog.
Here’s what to ask, how to check the answers, and what to do when the answers don’t add up.
Why Verification Matters More Than You Think
Accepting a supplier’s certification claims without checking them is a real business risk.
You may have heard of the Earth Rated case. In 2024, a federal class action against the company settled for $825,000 after it marketed dog-waste bags as “certified compostable.” No U.S. composting facility actually accepts pet waste.
In early 2025, Sprouts Farmers Market was sued for selling compostable tableware labeled “PFAS-free” after testing allegedly found significant per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the products.
And back in 2013, the FTC fined AJM Packaging $450,000 for making biodegradable claims without scientific evidence to back them up.
Beyond litigation, there are everyday consequences. Compostable products that can’t be verified get rejected at composting facilities, which means you pay to landfill the contamination.
California’s AB 1201 now requires third-party certification from a CalRecycle-recognized certifier for any product labeled “compostable”. SB 343 adds recordkeeping requirements that records be made available to any member of the public on request.
The Most Important Distinction to Understand First
Before you ask a single question, get this straight: ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868 are testing standards. They are not certifications.
ASTM International writes the specifications. It does not certify products or issue certificates. When a supplier says a product is “ASTM D6400 compliant,” they may just mean the base resin passed a lab test somewhere. That is not a certification.
Certification means a recognized third-party body reviewed the test data, audited the product, and issued a numbered certificate tied to a specific SKU.
In North America, the major certifying bodies are:
- BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) for industrial compostability
- TÜV Austria for both industrial (OK Compost INDUSTRIAL) and home composting (OK Compost HOME)
- NSF for compostability and food-safety combined claims
Also worth noting that “biobased” is not “compostable.” USDA Certified Biobased certifies how much of a product comes from renewable plant-based sources.
A product can be 100% biobased and still not compostable. A supplier substituting a USDA Biobased certificate for a compostability certificate is either confused or hoping you are!
Certification Verification Questions, by Cert Type
Here is what to ask, organized by which certification you’re evaluating.
BPI Certification
BPI has certified more than 51,000 products over 25 years. Certificates are valid for 3 years and cover only the specific SKUs listed instead of an entire product line.
Ask your supplier:
- “Can you provide the BPI certificate number? Also, does it cover the exact product titles or item numbers it covers?”
- “Is this the certificate for the finished product? Does it include all coatings, inks, and adhesives?”
- “When does this certificate expire? Has recertification been initiated?”
Then verify yourself at products.bpiworld.org. Search by company, brand, or item number. If the product isn’t listed there, it isn’t BPI certified. A screenshot of that database result should go into your supplier file.
ASTM D6400 / D6868 Documentation
Because ASTM doesn’t certify, the question to ask here is about which certifying body did:
- “Which third-party certifier tested this product to ASTM D6400 or D6868? Can you provide the certificate number from that certifying body?”
- “Can you share the ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab report for the ASTM testing, dated within the last 12 months?”
D6400 applies to compostable plastics. D6868 covers plastic coatings or additives on paper and fiber substrates. D8410 applies to fiber-based products like molded fiber and paperboard.
Make sure the standard matches the product type you’re evaluating. If you’re also working through how to position those product types to customers, this compostable vs. plastic sales framework covers that side of the conversation.
TÜV Austria Certification
TÜV Austria uses a unique certificate number for each certified product. You can verify it directly using their online database and “Check Certificate” tool at okcert.tuvaustria.com.
When you reach out to your supplier, these are the questions worth asking:
- “Is this certified OK Compost INDUSTRIAL, OK Compost HOME, or both? What’s the certificate number?”
- “Does that certificate cover all the colors and variants we’re ordering?”
- “Has anything changed about the product since it was certified? Different coating, print, or structure? If so, was it retested?”
OK Compost HOME is a different and more demanding designation than OK Compost INDUSTRIAL because home composting occurs at lower temperatures over a longer timeframe (up to 12 months).
Confirm which one applies to your customer’s end-of-life infrastructure.
NSF Certification
NSF verifies compostability to ASTM D6400/D6868. They also launched NSF P525 in September 2025. It’s a combined food-safety standard that covers BPA, PFAS, phthalates, and heavy metals via migration testing.
When you talk to your supplier, ask them:
- “What is the NSF certification for: compostability, food safety, or both?”
- “Can you send me the certificate number so I can look it up?”
PFAS-Free Claims
“PFAS-free” is a marketing statement until you see test data. BPI requires total fluorine at or below 100 parts per million (ppm) for all certified products.
Intertek’s PFAS-Free certification sets a stricter threshold of under 20 ppm. The 100 ppm mark is the level above which regulators and the Environmental Defense Fund consider intentional fluorine addition likely.
Before you accept any PFAS-free claim at face value, get these answers from your supplier:
- “What’s the total organic fluorine reading on the finished product? What test method did you use?”
- “Did you test the fully finished product, including inks, coatings, and adhesives?”
- “Which lab did you use, and how old is the report?”
There are different ways labs test for fluorine. Some methods screen for total fluorine levels overall, while others identify specific PFAS compounds. Either way, you want a report that names the method used so you can confirm it was done properly.
Reports should be dated within the last 12 months. If a supplier tells you PFAS-free status is based on formulation alone, with no third-party data, that claim doesn’t hold up.
Once you’ve confirmed your supplier’s PFAS documentation checks out, see our guide on explaining PFAS-free certification to your foodservice customers for ready-to-use scripts and objection handling.
How to Check a Certificate’s Authenticity
Receiving a certificate PDF is not the same as verifying it. The only way to confirm it’s real is to check it against the certifying body’s own database.
Use the table below to find the right place to look for each certification:
When you look at a certificate, check for the issuer’s name and logo, a unique certificate number, and the certificate holder’s name. The expiry date and a product scope listing specific SKUs should also be there.
If any of those are missing, treat the document as unverified until you’ve confirmed it with the issuing body.
You can reach the respective certifying bodies directly:
- BPI: [email protected]
- USDA BioPreferred: [email protected] / (202) 643-3287
- TÜV Austria: no public email, but you can submit an inquiry at okcert.tuvaustria.com/contact-us/
Most compostable packaging suppliers carry industrial compostability certification only. NantBioRenewables’ Wave Ware straws and tableware include products certified for both home and commercial compostability.
For straws, certifications include TÜV Austria (OK Compost HOME), BPI, and USDA Biobased. For tableware and cutlery, certification is held at the material level.
Certifications vary by specific product, so email [email protected] to confirm which ones apply to the SKUs you need.
Ocean Calcium Sand is the material behind these products. It’s a carbon-negative mineral that actively removes CO₂ during production. To understand the full story behind the material and how it fits into our approach, our sustainability page covers it in detail.
You can also see the full product range here, or request a sample by filling out the form below to evaluate the product and its certification documentation side by side.
Testing Documentation to Request
Beyond the certificate itself, ask for the underlying test reports. Here’s what to request:
Compostability testing:
- ASTM D6400 or D6868 (depending on material type)
- ISO 14855 (aerobic biodegradation under controlled conditions)
- Disintegration, ecotoxicity/phytotoxicity results, and heavy metals
PFAS/fluorine testing:
- Total organic fluorine (TOF) report on the finished product, referencing a specific method (CIC, PIGE, or LC-MS/MS)
- Threshold to flag: over 100 ppm
Food contact:
- FDA Letter of Guarantee or Declaration of Compliance
- Migration test reports citing the relevant 21 CFR sections, covering the intended use (cold-serve, hot-serve, or microwave)
Recency standard: Industry practice is test reports within the last 12 months. BPI requires metals, fluorine, and related tests within 12 months for any (re)certification.
Red Flags in Certification Responses
If you ask these questions and something feels off, trust that instinct. These are the clearest warning signs:
- “ASTM D6400 compliant” with no certifying body named: Anyone can write that on a spec sheet. You need the name of the third-party certifier and a certificate number you can actually look up.
- The product can’t be found in the database: If it’s not in the BPI or TÜV database by certificate number or SKU, the claim has no backing.
- The certificate covers only the base resin instead of the finished product: Inks, coatings, and adhesives can change compostability. The finished product must be what’s certified.
- An expired certificate: BPI certificates run for 3 years. Other certifications have their own timeline. Check the expiry date.
- “Biodegradable” presented as equivalent to “compostable”: These are not the same thing. Under the FTC Green Guides, an unqualified “biodegradable” claim implies the product will fully break down within about 1 year of customary disposal. Compostability requires specific conditions at industrial facilities.
- PFAS-free with no test data: If a supplier can’t show you a lab report with a total fluorine reading, that claim is unsubstantiated.
- A USDA Biobased certificate offered in place of a compostability certificate: Renewable content and end-of-life compostability are different.
- Evasive answers or “trade secret” cited to avoid sharing test data: A supplier with nothing to hide shares their documentation.
- An unfamiliar certifying body with no traceable public database: If you can’t verify the certificate independently, it doesn’t count.
Follow-Up Questions When Answers Are Unclear
Sometimes a supplier answers, but the answer raises more questions. Here’s how to dig deeper:
- “The certificate you sent covers a different product line than what we’re ordering. Can you send the certificate for [specific SKU]?”
- “This appears to be a Certificate of Conformance issued by your own team. We need the third-party accredited lab report.”
- “Has the formulation, resin supplier, or manufacturing facility changed since this certificate was issued? If so, was retesting done?”
- “The database lookup for this certificate number didn’t return a result. Can you help me understand why?”
If the sales contact can’t answer these, ask to speak with the supplier’s compliance or QA team. A QA team that won’t engage is a more serious signal than a sales rep who doesn’t know.
Annual Re-verification: Building It Into Your Process
Certification status changes. Certificates expire, products get reformulated, and suppliers change manufacturing facilities. A certificate that was valid when you onboarded a supplier may not be valid 18 months later.
Set calendar reminders for every certificate expiry date in your supplier file.
Beyond expiry dates, re-verify whenever:
- A supplier adds new SKUs to your catalog.
- A supplier changes their manufacturing facility or resin source.
- A supplier updates coatings, inks, or adhesives on an existing product.
- A new state regulation changes certifier requirements in your key markets.
- A customer audit is coming up.
For ongoing monitoring, subscribe to BPI’s policy updates and follow trade publications like BioCycle and Packaging Dive. You can also follow the NantBioRenewables blog for regular updates.
These are the first places where changes to standards, thresholds, or certifier requirements tend to surface.
Documentation Checklist: What to Keep on File Per Supplier
Keep a documentation file for every supplier and every SKU. Here is what it should contain:
Certification documents:
- Current third-party certificate (BPI, TÜV, and/or NSF) with certificate number and expiry date
- Screenshot of database verification with the date of lookup
Test reports:
- ASTM D6400, D6868, or D8410 lab report from an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab, dated within 12 months
- Disintegration, biodegradation, ecotoxicity, and heavy metals data
- PFAS/total organic fluorine report, dated within 12 months, on the finished product
Food safety:
- FDA Letter of Guarantee or Declaration of Compliance
- Migration test reports referencing applicable 21 CFR sections and covering the intended use
Supplier-provided declarations:
- Certificate of Conformance per lot or shipment, with batch/lot traceability
- Written notification of any reformulation or site changes
Supporting documentation:
- USDA Biobased certificate, if applicable
- Records that support any marketing claims used in your catalog or customer communications
Keep records for the life of the product in your catalog, plus at least 4 years after removal.
California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law carry a 4-year statute of limitations, and SB 343 requires those records to be available to any member of the public on request.
A digital document management system with expiry-based alerts is worth the setup time.
If you’re working with NantBioRenewables, the full documentation set is available on request. Certifications vary by product, so reach out directly to the sales team at [email protected] to confirm what applies to the specific SKUs you’re evaluating.
NantBioRenewables products are 3rd-party verified PFAS-free, manufactured domestically, and ship in 2 to 4 weeks on standard stock. With custom artwork, lead time is 4 to 6 weeks.
To see samples for any product in the lineup, request a sample, and our team will get them out to you.