Bulk resin and pellet
Biodegradable, compostable, PCR and PHA are not interchangeable: one is a vague property, one is a certified breakdown pathway, one is a recycled-content category, and one is a specific polymer family. ECS matches the resin to the exact claim you have to defend, verifies the certificate number against the public database, and flags your EPR exposure before you commit.
- ASTM D6400 / EN 13432
- OK Compost HOME / INDUSTRIAL
- USDA BioPreferred (ASTM D6866)
- EPR exposure: CA SB 54, OR, ME
Vendor-neutral routing desk. We name the standard, the body and the certificate number; “certified compostable” alone is not a claim.
Start here
Four terms, four different things.
These four terms get used interchangeably in vendor marketing, and that is a procurement trap. A buyer who treats them as synonyms can select a material that fails a regulatory claim audit or an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) report.
Biodegradable means a material breaks down through biological activity, but on its own it specifies no timeframe, environment or endpoint, and there is no single certification that proves it. Compostable is a defined, certifiable claim, but only against a named standard and disposal environment. PCR is post-consumer recycled content, describing feedstock origin rather than breakdown. PHA is a specific polymer family distinct from PLA, with a different end-of-life. Naming the right one is the first move in any sourcing decision.
What we source
Four resin families, one RFQ.
Match the family to your format and your end-of-life claim. We source against the named certification, never a glossy “compostable” statement.
Polymer
PLA and PLA-blend
For: rigid packaging, film, foodservice where an industrial-compost stream exists.
Polymerized from fermented plant sugars. Most PLA cannot meet a home-compost claim because it needs roughly 58 degrees C to break down; certify to the actual disposal environment.
- End-of-life: ASTM D6400 / EN 13432 (industrial)
- Show via BPI or TUV Austria OK Compost INDUSTRIAL
- Mechanical, sealability and barrier at your gauge
- Food-contact and migration compliance for your market
Polymer
PHA
For: consumer, agricultural or marine applications where the disposal pathway is uncontrolled.
A microbially produced polymer family, distinct from PLA. PHA can be home- and even marine-compostable depending on grade, which is why it carries a price premium.
- End-of-life: OK Compost HOME / marine by grade
- Confirm the grade matches your disposal environment
- Price premium vs PLA and starch blends
Polymer
Starch-blend and thermoplastic starch
For: film extrusion, molding, mailers and retail bags on existing equipment.
Starch plasticized and blended with biopolymers such as PLA or PBAT into a meltable resin. Drop-in resins are marketed on converter-friendliness; “drop-in” is a claim to verify with a trial, not to accept on faith.
- Category match: TPS / blend / drop-in / barrier film
- Processing compatibility, confirmed by a trial run
- Manufacturing location and feedstock origin
Content
PCR-enhanced and recycled-content
For: brand owners under EPR recycled-content mandates and procurement targets.
Post-consumer recycled content, independent of any compostability claim. A material can be high-PCR and not compostable, or compostable and not PCR; the two claims are scored separately.
- PCR percentage verified to ISO 14021
- Mapped to CA SB 54 30 percent by 2028 and other EPR rules
- Third-party verifier named (for example SCS Global, UL)
The decoder
What each term legally means and what proves it.
The recurring failure in bioplastic sourcing is a vendor citing a certification family without naming the level. This grid is the buyer’s defense.
| Term | What it means | What proves it | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biodegradable | Breaks down by biological activity; no timeframe, environment or endpoint specified. | No single certification. ASTM D5511 is a test method, not a “certified” mark. | FTC Green Guides flag bare claims; CA SB 343 restricts landfill-bound labeling. |
| Compostable (industrial) | Certified breakdown in an industrial compost facility. | ASTM D6400 / D6868 (US), EN 13432 (EU); BPI or CMA Certified; OK Compost INDUSTRIAL. | Not valid for home/backyard composting. |
| Compostable (home) | Certified breakdown in backyard compost, a stricter bar. | OK Compost HOME (TUV Austria). | Most PLA cannot meet HOME; it needs about 58 degrees C. |
| PCR | Post-consumer recycled content; feedstock origin, not breakdown. | Recycled-content standard ISO 14021, third-party verified. | Says nothing about compostability; independent of it. |
| PHA | A specific microbially produced polymer family. | The polymer name plus the compostability cert for the target environment. | Not the same as PLA; price premium; verify the grade. |
| Biobased content | Percentage derived from renewable biological material. | USDA BioPreferred (ASTM D6866). | Not a compostability or breakdown claim. |
Certified, verified, on the record
The certifications that resolve in a public database.
A real certification carries a standard, a body and a number that resolves in BPI, CMA or TUV Austria. The single most valuable move in a resin comparison is to require all three from every supplier and verify them.
ASTM D6400
US industrial compost
The US standard for plastics designed for industrial composting; D6868 covers coated paper. Shown via BPI or CMA Certified labels.
EN 13432
EU industrial compost
The European packaging-compostability standard, marked OK Compost INDUSTRIAL by TUV Austria. The EU counterpart to ASTM D6400.
OK Compost HOME
Home compost
A stricter, distinct TUV Austria certification for backyard composting. Most PLA cannot meet it; verify the grade carries it before claiming “home compostable”.
ISO 14021
Recycled content
The self-declared-claims standard used to verify PCR percentage by a third party. The evidence behind any recycled-content number on a spec sheet.
USDA BioPreferred
Biobased content
Certifies the percentage of biobased carbon (ASTM D6866) for procurement. A biobased claim, separate from compostability and recycled content.
CA SB 54 / EPR
Compliance ready
Extended Producer Responsibility exposure mapped across CA SB 54, Oregon and Maine, with the recycled-content and documentation requirements flagged for your footprint.
A supplier whose cert disclosure is granular is easier to trust than one whose marketing is glossier. ECS requires the standard, the grade and the certificate number from every supplier, verifies each in the public database, and flags the “drop-in” and “compostable” claims that need a trial run before recommending a resin.
Ready for real numbers
Get comparable resin bids against your own claim.
Tell us your format, the end-of-life claim you must defend, your processing equipment, food-contact need, EPR footprint and volume. We issue one spec to qualified suppliers and verify every certificate before you see the bids.
Why source through ECS
A vendor-neutral guide, not a single-resin platform.
Suppliers market their own resin. ECS holds every supplier to the same evidentiary bar so a sourcing decision is based on verified data, not the glossier site.
Cert specificity enforced
We require the exact standard (D6400? EN 13432? HOME or INDUSTRIAL?), the body and the certificate number from every supplier, and confirm each resolves in BPI, CMA or TUV Austria.
The right claim, not the loudest
We translate the claim you must defend (industrial-compostable, high-PCR for an EPR report, home-compostable PHA for consumer disposal) into a procurement-grade spec.
EPR and regulatory tracking
We map your exposure across CA SB 54, Oregon and Maine, and flag recycled-content thresholds and documentation before they become a missed compliance line item.
Supply chain on the record
We surface manufacturing location and feedstock origin, so buyers with tariff-sensitive or domestic-sourcing procurement policies can weigh that on the award.
Buyer questions
Bioplastic resin sourcing FAQ.
Is biodegradable the same as compostable?
No. Compostable is a certified breakdown under defined conditions against a named standard such as ASTM D6400, EN 13432 or OK Compost HOME. Biodegradable is a vague property with no single standard and is flagged by the FTC Green Guides when used without a named certification.
What is the difference between PHA and PLA?
Both are bioplastics, but PHA can be home- and marine-compostable depending on grade, while most PLA needs industrial-compost conditions around 58 degrees C. PHA carries a price premium and is the right choice when the disposal pathway is uncontrolled.
What is PCR plastic?
PCR is post-consumer recycled content. It describes where the feedstock came from, not how the material breaks down, and it is verified to a recycled-content standard such as ISO 14021. PCR is increasingly required by Extended Producer Responsibility programs; for example, California SB 54 requires 30 percent recycled plastic content by 2028.
Why is a “Vincotte certified” claim not enough?
Vincotte, now TUV Austria, issues several distinct marks: OK Compost HOME, OK Compost INDUSTRIAL and OK Biobased, which prove three different things. Require the exact standard, the certifying body and the certificate number, and confirm it resolves in the public database.
What certification should I require for compostable packaging?
Industrial compostable: ASTM D6400 in the US or EN 13432 in the EU, often shown as BPI or TUV Austria OK Compost INDUSTRIAL. Home compostable: OK Compost HOME. For a biobased-content claim use USDA BioPreferred (ASTM D6866). Always require the certificate number so the claim resolves in a public database.
Start a spec-controlled RFQ
Tell us your resin spec. We make the bids comparable.
Submit your format, the claim you must defend, your processing equipment and EPR footprint. Our sourcing desk turns it into one controlled specification, runs it across qualified suppliers, and verifies every certificate before recommending a material.
- One specification issued to every supplier, so the certification level stays constant.
- Every compostability and biobased claim checked against BPI, CMA or TUV Austria.
- PCR percentage and EPR exposure mapped to your state footprint.
- “Drop-in” and processing claims flagged for a trial run before you award.