<p>Lavazza Eco Caps should not be disposed of in home compost (or left in the garden): they are industrially compostable because they conform to international standard EN 13432, as shown by their certification by TÜV Austria (an independent and internationally recognized organization). These innovative capsules do not stay in the environment after use, but biodegrade in 180 days, if correctly processed*, to become compost</p> <p>They must be disposed of as food waste (sorted as wet/organic) and sent to industrial composting facilities. You must check with local authorities on how exactly to present such waste for collection.</p> <p><i>UK: if local rules allow for it, used capsules shall be thrown in the food waste bin. The food waste bin is sent for industrial composting. Always check your local council’s rules for disposal: there could be limitations on the type of products composters may process.</i></p>

<p>Lavazza advises not to throw Lavazza Eco Caps in your home compost or garden, as they must be disposed of as food waste and sent to industrial composting facilities to be able to become compost. No other means of disposal enables them to be transformed into compost.&nbsp;<br> </p>

<p>Given the complexity of waste management, it’s quite hard to define a complete list of disposal facilities that can compost Lavazza Eco Caps, but we see a positive trend in view of increasing consumer demand. Hopefully disposal facilities will become increasingly open to the acceptance of bioplastics.</p>

<h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">There are three main types of composting technologies. The processing time varies depending on the type of process used and it can vary from 2 to 6 months</span></h3>

<p>Composting is the natural process of aerobic decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms under controlled conditions.&nbsp;</p> <p>The difference between home composting and industrial composting is that the conditions and the controls are different.</p> <p>Industrial composting is done in a controlled environment where the temperature, aeration, moisture, contents, nutrients and pH are monitored and controlled.</p> <p>&nbsp;In the process of composting, microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, water, heat and humus (which is the end product i.e. a stable soil rich in organic matter).</p> <p>&nbsp;Composting proceeds through three phases:</p> <p>1) the mesophilic a moderate-temperature phase,</p> <p>2) the thermophilic, a high-temperature phase and finally,</p> <p>3) a several-month cooling and maturation phase.<br> </p>

<p>The compost would be used for example in garden, organic farm, landscaping, horticulture or urban agriculture.&nbsp;</p> <p>The resulting material becomes ideal for soil-remediation which hugely compliments crop growth</p>

<h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">The EU standard specifies how the complete biodegradation of a package must be demonstrated. This proof must be provided for all components of the packaging (e.g. labels, inks, adhesives). Only products that can be shown to comply with the EN 13432 standard may be labelled with the protected markings.&nbsp;</span></h3>

<p>The European Norm about compostability of packaging (EN 13432) requires (besides a clear and detailed description of the product) 4 tests:<br> à test on biodegradation (chemical break down of the polymer of fibres)<br> à test on disintegration (physically falling apart of the product in small fragments)<br> à test on ecotoxicity (test if the composted product does not exert any negative effect on plants)<br> à test on heavy metals content</p>

<p>At the European level, TÜV Austria is specialised in certifications for compostability and is one of the best organisations in this field.&nbsp;</p>