PAS 9017:2020

What does PAS 9017:2020 cover?

Plastic pollution and littering is a huge problem globally, for which to date biodegradability has not been a viable solution. However, that’s now partly changed with the development of a technique that allows polyolefins to degrade in the open air on land. To quickly disseminate this technology across the plastic packaging value chain, a coalition that included industry, government, and academic experts wrote PAS 9017:2020. This document specifies the requirements that enable the biodegradability of polyolefins in an open-air terrestrial environment.

Why you PAS 9017:2020?

This PAS specifies requirements for the biodegradability of polyolefins in an open-air terrestrial environment.

It covers:

• Polyolefin composition targeted at biodegradability
• Degradation towards biodegradability from weathering, including:
  o Criteria for the level of chemical transformation to be achieved by weathering in a simulated open-air terrestrial environment and appropriate test methods
  o Method of chemical analysis to be used to yield quantifiable measurement of chemical transformation
• Biodegradation, including criteria for the level of biodegradation to be achieved and appropriate test methods
• An assessment of terrestrial eco-toxicity from weathering
• Claims of biodegradability by manufacturers of end-products or by brands using polyolefin-based packaging for industry and end-markets that the additive based end-products conform with the criteria within this PAS

The PAS does not cover:

• Freshwater, marine, landfill, and anaerobic environments of biodegradation
• The effect of marine pollution, such as bioaccumulation of plastics and its effect on biodiversity
• Pre-testing to determine at what point biodegradation is triggered
• A larger concept for the end of life scenarios for plastics and potential recycling pathways
• Assessment of origin of used polyolefinic material and therefore potential resulting biodegradability
• Industrial composting, home-composting, or related end of life scenarios for polyolefin-based products
• Compatibility of biodegradable additive-based polyolefin end-products with recycling
• The life-cycle assessment analysis of the end-product, its manufacture, its conversion to packaging, and end of life scenarios including littering or leakage from waste management streams
• Claims made by brands or manufacturers to end consumers about polyolefinic end products

NOTE: Claims related to the end products by brands or manufacturers should be made according to ISO 14021