https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101847.html
NEDO has introduced the international standard ISO16636:2025 for evaluation methods to demonstrate biodegradation in aquatic environments such as oceans and lakes. This evaluation method was developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
The method differs from conventional methods, as it does not require large-scale test equipment and is simple. It mimics the state of floating in the ocean by allowing seawater to freely flow in and out of a container in which the sample is placed. In addition, while the conventional immersion-based recovery operation of disintegrating samples is prone to individual differences, this evaluation method incorporates the rate of thickness reduction into the evaluation items, making it possible to obtain results that are not dependent on the skill or experience of the tester by immersing the sample for a shorter period of time without immersing it until it breaks into fragments.
The Japan Bioplastics Association will publicize the details of the evaluation method through its website and online seminars.
