A label claiming compostability used to need little more than the claim itself printed clearly. That has changed under EPR fee modulation and PPWR, both of which now expect verifiable evidence behind a compostability claim rather than the claim alone. For biodegradable labels specifically, that shift is turning marketing copy into a documentation requirement.
This article looks at what has changed, and what businesses using compostable formats now need to have on file.
Why Claims Alone No Longer Work
Regulators have grown increasingly wary of unverified sustainability claims across every packaging category, and compostable formats have drawn particular scrutiny given how easily the word can be used loosely. Green Claims Code enforcement now expects businesses to hold certification evidence behind any compostability statement, not just the statement itself, since a claim without supporting data is treated as a potentially misleading one regardless of whether the underlying material genuinely composts under the right conditions. EN 13432 certification, the European standard for industrial compostability, has become the practical benchmark most businesses are being asked to demonstrate against.
What Proof Actually Looks Like
Holding a genuine EN 13432 certificate for the specific material and format in use, not just the base polymer, is the starting point most compliance reviews now expect. That distinction matters because certification can apply to a material in general while the finished label construction, inks, adhesives and any coatings included, has never actually been tested together as a complete product. A compostable label that has not been certified as a finished construction is a weaker claim than one that has, even where every individual component is genuinely compostable on its own.
What This Means for Biodegradable Labels
Businesses using compostable formats are increasingly keeping certification documents alongside their artwork files, ready to produce evidence the moment a retailer, auditor or regulator asks for it rather than searching for it after the fact. That habit matters more now that EPR fee modulation and Green Claims enforcement are both live at the same time, since a claim that cannot be quickly evidenced risks scrutiny from two directions at once.
A Certificate Now Carries More Weight Than The Claim Itself
A compostability claim without a certificate for the finished construction is now a liability dressed up as a selling point. The businesses treating certification as inseparable from the label itself are the ones who will survive a retailer audit without a scramble, while those still relying on the wording alone are one challenge away from having to prove a claim they cannot actually back up.