"Compostable" on Packaging: What EN 13432 Wording You Can Legally Print

If you sell physical products in Europe, putting "compostable" on your packaging is not a design choice — it is a regulated environmental claim. The standard that governs it is EN 13432, and getting the wording wrong can expose your brand to enforcement action under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, and the EmpCo Directive on green claims.

This article explains what EN 13432 actually certifies, which phrases are legally defensible, and where brands most often slip up. It is written for DTC and e-commerce brand operators who need practical answers, not a legal summary.

This article is not legal advice. Packaging claims law varies by jurisdiction, and the regulatory landscape is moving quickly. Always confirm specific wording with your packaging supplier, certification body, and legal counsel before print.

What EN 13432 actually certifies — and what it does not

EN 13432 is the harmonised European standard for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. It was developed under the original Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) and remains the reference standard under the PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), which entered into force on 11 February 2025 and whose main obligations apply from 12 August 2026. (For a broader look at what PPWR requires, see our PPWR 2030 recyclability targets guide.)

To be certified to EN 13432, a packaging material must pass four tests:

Three things that EN 13432 does not certify:

1. It does not certify home compostability. EN 13432 is for industrial composting facilities only. Home compostable claims require a separate standard — typically TÜV OK compost HOME or an equivalent national scheme.
2. It does not certify the whole product if any component fails. The standard requires every constituent to meet the criteria. A compostable bag with a non-compostable adhesive label or a mixed-material zipper may fail as a finished article, even if the film itself passes. TÜV Austria Belgium's certification scheme (July 2023) explicitly states: "the EN 13432 standard specifies that packaging may be regarded as compostable if all its constituents may be considered as such."
3. It does not guarantee disposal infrastructure exists. A certified product is only genuinely compostable if the consumer or business has access to an industrial composting facility that accepts packaging waste. In many EU member states, this infrastructure is still patchy, which is why European Bioplastics argues compostability should be mandated only where it adds clear waste-management value (October 2025).

The four elements of a legally safe compostable claim

If you want to print a compostable claim that can survive scrutiny, the claim needs four components. Leaving any one out creates a gap that regulators or competitors can exploit.

1. Name the standard

Always state which standard the packaging meets. The two most common in European markets:

• EN 13432 — industrial compostable
• TÜV OK compost HOME or equivalent — home compostable

Do not write "compostable" without naming the standard. That is where most enforcement actions start.

Acceptable: "Certified industrially compostable to EN 13432"

Not acceptable: "Compostable packaging" (no standard reference)

2. Name the certification body and certificate number

The claim is only as strong as the evidence behind it. The PPWR guidance document (Commission Notice C/2026/3084, published on EUR-Lex in June 2026) reinforces that packaging claims must be verifiable. Without a certificate number, a consumer or enforcement body cannot check whether the claim is true.

Acceptable: "Certified industrially compostable to EN 13432 — TÜV Austria OK compost INDUSTRIAL, certificate no. XXXX"

Not acceptable: "Meets EN 13432 requirements" (implies but does not evidence certification)

The certificate scope must also match the specific product, material structure, and factory. A certificate issued for one material at one production site does not automatically cover a different structure or producer.

3. Specify the disposal route

A compostable claim is misleading if the consumer cannot actually compost the item. You must state:

• Whether the product is industrially compostable or home compostable
• Ideally, a note about local infrastructure: e.g. "Check locally if industrial composting of packaging is available"

4. Keep the claim on the packaging itself — or make it traceable

Under PPWR Article 11, packaging must be marked with its material composition and disposal route. For compostable packaging, this means the claim should be printed directly on the item or, where physically impossible, on accompanying documentation that the end user can access.

"Biodegradable" is not the same thing — and it is far riskier

The word "biodegradable" has been a regulatory target for years. The EU's 2024 EmpCo Directive (Directive 2024/825) explicitly identifies generic environmental claims — including unqualified "biodegradable" — as unfair commercial practices when they lack specific, verifiable substantiation.

EN 13432 only certifies compostability under defined conditions. It does not use the word "biodegradable" as a claim. A material that biodegrades in a laboratory test does not necessarily disintegrate in a real composting facility, and certainly not in a marine or soil environment.

If you currently print "biodegradable" on your packaging sold in the EU, you are carrying a higher regulatory risk than a properly qualified "compostable" claim. The PPWR guidance document makes it clear that member states are expected to enforce against vague environmental claims from August 2026. For more on how to avoid these risks across all packaging claims, read our guide on making sustainability claims without greenwashing.

Industrial vs home compostable: your label must match reality

This is the single most common mistake DTC brands make: printing a seedling logo or "compostable" on packaging that is only industrially compostable, knowing that most customers put it in household waste or — worse — a home compost bin where it will not break down.

If your packaging is certified only to EN 13432 (industrial), you must not:

• Use the word "home compostable"
• Use logos that imply home compostability
• Omit the word "industrially"

TÜV Austria Belgium operates two separate certification marks for this reason: OK compost INDUSTRIAL and OK compost HOME. They are not interchangeable.

What PPWR changes from August 2026

The PPWR is not just more of the same. Several provisions change how compostable claims work:

1. Article 9 mandates compostability for specific formats: Tea bags, coffee pods, fruit and vegetable stickers, and very lightweight plastic carrier bags must be compostable. If you sell these categories in the EU, compostability is no longer optional — it is a legal requirement.
2. Article 7 sets recyclability performance grades: Packaging will be graded A–E for recyclability based on design-for-recycling criteria. Compostable packaging that does not meet the standard may be classed as non-recyclable, attracting higher EPR fees. We cover the EPR implications in detail in our EPR fees guide for DTC brands.
3. Labelling harmonisation (Article 11): Packaging must carry harmonised labels indicating material composition and disposal route. For compostable items, the claim must align with the format specified in the implementing acts.
4. The EmpCo Directive (2024/825) prohibits generic green claims: This directly affects packaging. If you cannot produce a certificate that matches the print run, you cannot print the claim.

Common labelling mistakes that expose brands

Based on marketplace monitoring and enforcement patterns, these are the mistakes that most often trigger complaints or regulatory attention:

Before you print: a practical checklist

When you commission compostable packaging, work through these questions with your supplier before approving artwork:

1. Which standard applies? EN 13432 (industrial), or a home compostable standard? Get the exact standard reference.
2. Which certification body? TÜV Austria, DIN CERTCO, or another accredited body? Ask for the certificate number.
3. Does the certificate cover this exact material and structure? A certificate for PLA film does not cover a multi-layer laminate with a different barrier layer.
4. Does the certificate name this factory? Certification is factory-specific. A certificate for Supplier A does not cover production at Supplier B.
5. Is every component in scope? Check the ink, adhesive, zipper, valve, label, and any coating. If one component is not compostable, the finished article may not be either.
6. What disposal instruction will you print? At minimum: the standard, the certificate number, the certifying body, and whether industrial or home.
7. Does your target market have industrial composting infrastructure that accepts packaging? If not, the claim may still be challenged even if technically correct.

A packaging supplier who cannot provide a certificate number and scope document for the specific material, structure and factory is not ready to support a compostable claim. The claim is only as strong as the paper behind it.

How Foldveil handles compostable claims

Foldveil develops PLA-based bag structures for projects where compostability is part of the brief. Our PLA degradable bags are built on a defined process before any compostable claim goes to print:

• The applicable standard, certification body, certificate number, and scope are verified for the selected factory, material, and production run.
• The certificate evidence is shared with the quotation — the claim wording on your packaging is confirmed only after that evidence is in hand.
• We do not state a fixed degradation period or print a compostable claim until the certificate scope is confirmed.

This approach is deliberately cautious, but it matches where EU regulation is heading. The PPWR guidance document and EmpCo Directive both point toward the same principle: verify before you print.

If you are evaluating compostable packaging for your DTC brand and need a supplier who can walk you through the certification evidence before artwork, request a quote with your product and target market details.