01
Sample Review
Samples arrive at CMA offices where they are photographed and logged into the tracking system. Required documentation is reviewed.
02
Placement / Analysis
Field technicians travel to testing sites to place samples into piles of compost feedstock (unprocessed yard and food waste).
03
Movement & Monitoring
Samples are monitored by on-site operational personnel through each customary stage of processing until the end of the active composting cycle. Monitoring reports are sent to the CMA offices for each field test conducted.
04
Extraction
At the end of the active composting cycle, samples are extracted from the piles and dried.
05
Sample Collection
The CMA field technician returns to the site to filter and sift through composted material in testing vessels and then bags and marks any residual material for return to the CMA offices to report results
06
Results
Results are reported to the client. CMA provides an Executed Profile and a report which contains photographs of the before and after samples and information about the facility and the test.
READY TO TEST?
CMA SPECIAL PROJECTS TEAM
CMA’s network of facilities, piles, and expertise has increased interest in a variety of special projects conducted between the supply chain and the compost piles. From feedstock recipe trials to large campus waste audits, CMA can help! Email us!
WHEN ARE TESTS HAPPENING?
LATEST TESTING UPDATES
Effective January 1, 2020, CMA terminated accepting products for field testing or substrate review that contained > 100 ppm total fluorine and/or intentionally added fluorine. Effective January 1, 2021, any items containing total fluorine > 100 ppm, or items that were not verified as containing < 100 total ppm fluorine by lab report from the manufacturer, was removed from all CMA lists. To learn more about CMA’s fluorine testing protocols, refer to our Technical Memo that explains our fluorine testing requirements.
WHY FIELD TESTING?
As cities, businesses and residents strive for zero waste, the use of compostable food service ware is increasing. The Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) works to support these programs while maintaining a high standard of compost quality across 30 composting and transfer facilities throughout the U.S. Items submitted for CMA field testing include bags, utensils, plates, bowls, clamshells, wraps and more. As new products are developed to meet growing market demands, CMA provides the expertise to determine how well the products will break down in modern, large scale compost manufacturing technologies. For general questions about this, please contact: customerservice@composterapproved.com, or use the Contact Us form on our website or call 206-771-3853.
Required Documentation: No Documentation required for testing. ASTM and Total Fluorine reports required for certification.
Notes: Testing of multiple products of varying sizes for full line consideration are offered on a case-by-case basis only. All required documentation should be provided with submission. Up to one hour of technical support provided with each submission. Additional tech support is charged at $250/hour.
1-2 SKUs $3,975.00 (Minimum)
3-5 SKUs $1,510.50 per SKU
6-10 SKUs $1,359.62 per SKU
11+ SKUs $994.28 per SKU
Total F Analysis Protocol_Rev2.3_09.15.2023.pdf