Two materials HERMA self-adhesive labels which can be composted at home and in the garden have also passed the critical worm toxicity test according to Australian Standard AS 5810. It is the most recognized standard when it comes to composting of packaging materials at home and in the garden,
“This means that HERMA currently offers probably the only self-adhesive materials that comply with this standard,” says the Dr. Stefan Kissling, head of development for adhesives and special coatings at HERMA's self-adhesive materials division.
La certification was obtained through the DIN CERTCO institute, a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland. The basis for this is the new 62Q adhesive, which HERMA launched on the market at the beginning of the year. The certification applies in combination with the two label materials HERMAextracoat (grade 242) and HERMAtherm Bio (grade 909).
Soil toxicity is excluded by earthworm testing according to the Australian standard. As “testers” compost worms (lat. Eisenia fetida), one of the most common types of earthworms in Europe, and white worms (Enchytraeus albidus), which are often used as live food, are used. If after 14 days there was a difference of more than 10 percent in the morbidity or average weight of surviving worms between the compost sample and the pure compost, this criterion was not met.
Other elements of the Australian standard comply with the international standard NF T51-800:2015. This means that the specific limits for volatile substances, heavy metals and fluorine must not be exceeded. Complete biodegradability, compostability and ecotoxicity were also proven. The two self-adhesive materials from HERMA already met these requirements previously and could therefore already bear the label “DIN geprüft – gartenkompostierbar”, at least outside of Australia and New Zealand. Now the certification also applies to these two countries.
“However, the additional certification also confirms once again the high composting quality of the 62Q adhesive and provides additional assurance for label users, who attach particular importance to sustainable packaging materials,” underlines Dr. Stefan Kissling from HERM.
HERMA GmbH, headquartered in Filderstadt, is a leading European specialist in product packaging and labeling. The Group achieved a turnover of around 510,6 million euros in 2022 in three business divisions with more than 1.100 employees.
