A compostable certification mark carries more information than it looks like it does, and misreading it is one of the easiest mistakes to make when checking a product or specifying packaging. Two marks that look almost identical at a glance can certify completely different things, industrial composting only versus genuine home composting, and the difference matters enormously to how the product should actually be disposed of.
This piece sets out what to actually check on a compostable mark before taking it at face value.
What the Symbol Itself Tells You
The seedling logo, one of the most recognisable compostability symbols in Europe, certifies industrial compostability under EN 13432, and says nothing about whether a product will break down in a home compost bin. A genuine home compostable claim needs a specifically home-certified mark, such as OK compost HOME or an equivalent DIN CERTCO home compostable certification, not the general seedling symbol.
What the Code Underneath Actually Means
Every genuine certification mark carries a registration code, and that code is what actually confirms the certificate is real and current, not the logo design itself. In the UK, look for a code beginning UKIC for products certified under REAL’s UK-specific compostable materials scheme. For European Seedling certified products, the code prefix indicates which certification body issued it, TÜV Austria codes begin with S, TÜV Rheinland codes begin with 7P, and each has its own separate public database to check the code against.
What to Do if a Code Does Not Check Out
If a registration code cannot be found on the relevant scheme’s public database, or the database entry does not match the product it appears on, that is a genuine red flag rather than a technical glitch to dismiss. Certification schemes exist precisely so that a claim can be independently verified rather than taken on trust, and a code that fails to verify is functionally the same problem as no certification at all, regardless of how official the printed logo looks.
Why This Check Is Worth Repeating, Not Just Doing Once
Certification is not permanent. Formulations change, certificates lapse, and a code that verified correctly at one point can stop matching a current product if either side of that relationship changes without the label being reprinted. Treating a certification check as a standing part of supplier review, rather than a single verification done at first listing, catches the gap that opens up when a printed label and an underlying certificate quietly drift apart over time.
Checking that code against the relevant scheme’s public register, rather than trusting the logo alone, is the only reliable way to confirm a compostable claim is both genuine and still current.