On Monday, November 16, the 75th annual meeting of ISO/TC 61 — the International Organization for Standardization's technical committee for plastics — opens in Hangzhou and runs through November 20. BioStar (Hangzhou) is one of the meeting's co-hosts, alongside China Bluestar Chengrand, PetroChina, Sinopec, and the Hangzhou Institute of Standardization. Around 200 delegates from 36 member countries are expected to attend.
ISO/TC 61 is the committee behind the test methods and specifications that govern plastics worldwide, covering terminology, test methods, and product specifications. For compostable packaging, that work matters directly: a compostability claim is only as credible as the test behind it. Standards such as ASTM D6400, EN 13432, and GB/T 19277 define how a material must disintegrate and biodegrade under industrial composting conditions, and how its safety is assessed — and the committee's work helps keep those tests consistent from one country to the next.
As a manufacturer of compostable packaging, Greenstar follows this work closely. The standards agreed in rooms like this one shape how our products are designed, tested, and labelled — and how buyers can verify what they are buying.
We will share notes from the meeting after it closes on November 20.
Disclaimer: Product descriptions, specifications, and certification references in this article are provided for general information. Compostability claims (including ASTM D6400, EN 13432, and GB/T 19277) refer to industrial composting conditions; commercial composting facilities may not be available in all communities. Certifications apply only to the specific products listed in the relevant certificates. For current certification documentation, contact Greenstar@greenstarmaterial.com.