OK Compost HOME Certification (Home Compostable) Guide
Table of Contents
OK Compost HOME is a third-party certification issued by TÜV Austria that confirms a product is designed to biodegrade and disintegrate under defined home composting conditions.
This certification has a clear scope and defined limitations.
It does not imply that a product will break down in all disposal environments.
This page explains what OK Compost HOME certification means, when it is appropriate for bin liners and packaging, and when it is not.
What Is OK Compost HOME?
OK Compost HOME is a certification program from TÜV Austria for finished products that are designed to degrade in household-managed composting systems.
Home composting environments are typically cooler and less controlled than industrial composting facilities.
For this reason, OK Compost HOME certification is distinct from industrial composting standards and is subject to different performance expectations.
For an overview of the full OK Compost certification system, see: OK Compost Certification: Home & Industrial Guide for Brands and Buyers
What Does OK Compost HOME Test?
OK Compost HOME focuses on whether a material can:
- Disintegrate into small pieces in home compost conditions
- Biodegrade over time at lower temperatures
- Meet limits on heavy metals and safety requirements
Some published summaries of the program commonly describe targets like:
High disintegration within months and high biodegradation within a year under defined home-compost test conditions.
(Note: exact test details can vary by program rules and product thickness limits.)
What “Home Composting Conditions” Really Means
Home composting is not a machine-controlled system.
Compared with industrial composting facilities, home composting systems operate at:
- Lower and less consistent temperatures
- Variable moisture and airflow levels
- Highly user-dependent management conditions
As a result, degradation speed can vary widely between households.
Even certified home-compostable products may take longer to break down in cold seasons, small compost piles, or poorly managed systems.
Suitable Uses
OK Compost HOME certification is suitable only when the defined end-of-life pathway is home composting, and where products are intended for household-managed compost systems, not municipal collection.
Typical suitable procurement scenarios include:
- Household food scrap liners intended for backyard or on-site home composting
- Products supplied to zero-waste or home-compost-focused brands with clear consumer guidance
- Packaging programs where end users are expected to compost at home, rather than through curbside organics services
- Product lines designed specifically for low-temperature composting environments, within the certified scope
In these cases, OK Compost HOME certification provides verified assurance that the product is designed to biodegrade and disintegrate under defined home composting conditions, when used as intended.
Not Suitable Uses
OK Compost HOME certification is not automatically suitable for systems or programs that operate under industrial or municipal composting rules, even if the product is compostable.
Typical non-suitable procurement scenarios include:
- Municipal or curbside organics (FOGO) programs, which are typically designed for industrial composting facilities
- Public waste collection systems where acceptance criteria are based on industrial composting standards (e.g. EN 13432, AS 4736)
- Procurement programs that require broad, system-level acceptance across multiple regions or councils
- Situations where packaging may enter mixed waste or landfill streams, rather than managed composting systems
In these cases, industrial compostable certification is usually more relevant, and acceptance should always be confirmed against local composting facility rules and council guidelines.
See the bigger standards map here: Compostable Certifications Overview
Procurement Guidance Summary
OK Compost HOME certification should be selected based on the actual disposal system, not on material type or sustainability marketing claims.
Choose OK Compost HOME when the intended end-of-life is household-managed composting
Choose industrial compostable certification when products are intended for municipal, commercial, or centralized composting systems
Correctly matching certification scope to the waste management system is essential to avoid contamination, compliance risks, and incorrect environmental claims.
OK Compost HOME vs OK Compost INDUSTRIAL (Quick Comparison)
A simple way to think about it:
- HOME: designed for lower temperature, less controlled composting
- INDUSTRIAL: designed for high temperature, controlled composting facilities
If your bin liners are mainly for municipal food waste collection, INDUSTRIAL is often the more relevant certification type.
Read the full industrial guide here: OK Compost INDUSTRIAL Certification Guide
Common Misunderstandings (Why It Didn’t Break Down)
People often say: “I put a compostable bag in my compost and it stayed there.”
This can happen when:
- The compost pile is too cold
- The pile is too dry
- There is not enough airflow
- The bag is buried in a low-activity zone
- The compost system is not managed regularly
Reports from consumers and community discussions often describe slow or incomplete breakdown of home-compostable products.
In most cases, this reflects inactive or unsuitable composting conditions, rather than invalid certification.
That does not always mean the certification is fake—it may mean the compost environment was not active enough.
How Brands and Buyers Should Communicate OK Compost HOME
For clear and compliant communication:
- Say “OK Compost HOME certified” (not just “eco” or “plant-based”)
- Explain the intended disposal: home compost only
- Avoid implying it breaks down in landfill
- Provide simple user guidance (keep compost moist, active, and aerated)
This reduces confusion and helps prevent greenwashing risk.
Conclusion
OK Compost HOME certification confirms that a product is designed to break down under defined home composting conditions.
It provides verified assurance for household compostability—but it has clear boundaries.
Brands and buyers must match this certification to the actual disposal system and should not assume suitability for municipal or industrial composting programs.
For municipal systems, industrial compostable certifications and local acceptance rules should always be reviewed.
Go back to the main guide: OK Compost Certification: Home & Industrial Guide for Brands and Buyers
