Evaluation of the Disintegration of Bioplastics and Rabbit Leather in Industrial Composting Plants and Laboratory Scale

Abstract Disintegration is one of the key parameters to be assessed when evaluating the compostability of materials, as it ensures their potential for organic recovery through composting. While standardised methodologies exist for laboratory and pilot-scale disintegration tests, no equivalent standardised methodology is available for industrial scale testing under real composting plant conditions. Consequently, existing studies at this scale often employ diverse methodologies, leading to inconsistent and sometimes irreproducible results. This study proposes a reproducible and easy-to-implement methodology for full-scale disintegration testing in composting plants, preserving key composting parameters such as temperature, moisture, aeration, turning, screening, and process duration. The methodology employs custom mesh bags as reactors to confine test materials and prevent contamination of the composting mass, enabling accurate assessment of disintegration under industrial conditions. The methodology was applied to bioplastics and leather materials developed to be sustainable by being biodegradable or compostable, allowing organic recovery at their end-of-life. Parallel laboratory tests were conducted following ISO 20200:2023 to compare results and validate the industrial scale approach. The findings demonstrated that laboratory and industrial scale results were consistent, supporting the methodology’s applicability across various composting facilities and technologies. This approach provides a robust framework for evaluating the disintegration of sustainable materials, ensuring their compatibility with composting processes while maintaining compost quality.