“Why was our ‘PBAT+PLA’ bag classified as non-biodegradable?” Recently, market regulators in Zhejiang and Guangdong conducted special inspections on biodegradable plastic products. Multiple batches of shopping bags and trash bags labeled “fully biodegradable” were removed and fined because they contained non-degradable additives—specifically, conventional dimethyl silicone oil added to improve processing. Though used in small amounts (<1%), this silicone cannot fully degrade under composting conditions, causing the entire product to fail GB/T 41010-2021 and EN 13432 standards.
Per China’s Requirements for Degradation Performance and Labeling of Biodegradable Plastics, any additive (including lubricants, release agents, or leveling agents)—renders the product ineligible for “biodegradable” claims. Traditional petroleum-based silicones have stable backbones resistant to microbial breakdown, showing >30% residue after 180-day composting—triggering “secondary pollution” red flags.
Even more serious, regulators now include additives in inspection scopes. A South China manufacturer confessed: “We only added 0.5% silicone as internal lubricant—yet disintegration rate failed, and the whole batch was deemed false advertising. Losses from fines and recalls exceeded one million RMB.”
The solution: use biodegradability-certified modified silicones.
We recommend silicones certified to TÜV Austria OK Compost INDUSTRIAL and DIN CERTCO, featuring hydrolyzable ester bonds or PLA segments in the backbone, ensuring ≥90% mineralization under industrial composting (58°C±2°C, 180 days).
Important notes:
✅ Maximum addition ratio typically ≤1% (to avoid compromising overall degradation);
✅ Must provide full degradation test reports (disintegration rate, biodegradation rate, ecotoxicity);
✅ All formulation components must comply with GB/T 41010 definitions.
Our compostable silicone is already used by compliant bag makers and has passed provincial regulatory inspections, enabling legal “PBAT+PLA biodegradable” labeling.
“Biodegradable” isn’t about stacking raw materials—it’s about closing the loop across the entire formula.
One drop of non-degradable silicone can erase your entire environmental promise.
Request our Compostable Additive Compliance Guide and OK Compost-certified silicone samples to protect your labeling legitimacy and pass regulatory audits confidently.
