TEST YOUR PRODUCTS

What is
Field Testing?

To accomplish higher food waste diversion and minimize contamination in urban feed stocks, CMA and its affiliated members offer a program of technical review and field testing of compostable products to determine their feasibility as a feed stock when shipped to fully permitted industrial composting facilities.

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Sample Review
Samples arrive at CMA offices where they are photographed and logged into the tracking system. Required documentation is reviewed.
Placement / Analysis
Field technicians travel to testing sites to place samples into piles of compost feedstock (unprocessed yard and food waste).
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.
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Extraction
At the end of the active composting cycle, samples are extracted from the piles and dried.
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.
Results
Results are reported to the client.

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!

READY TO TEST?

TEST YOUR PRODUCTS

WHEN ARE TESTS HAPPENING?

Facility/LocationLocationTest No.TypeProcess DaysSamples DuePlacementResults
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG105Covered In-vessel4909/15/202109/22/202112/17/2021
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG106Covered In-vessel4910/15/202110/27/202101/22/2021
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG107Covered In-vessel4911/07/202111/17/202102/12/2022
New EarthSan Antonio, TXNEW09Windrow9009/28/202110/21/202102/26/2022
St. Louis CompostingBelleville, ILSLC15Windrow9011/10/202112/07/202104/15/2022
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG109Covered In-vessel4901/05/202101/12/202104/09/2022
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG108Covered In-vessel4912/15/202112/22/202103/16/2022
New EarthSan Antonio, TXNEW10Windrow9001/05/202201/26/202206/04/2022
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG110Covered In-vessel4902/01/202202/16/202205/13/2022
Facility/LocationLocationTest No.TypeProcess DaysSamples DuePlacementResults
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG101Covered In-Vessel49CLOSED06/02/202108/28/2021
St. Louis CompostingBelleville, ILSLC13Windrow90CLOSED05/27/202109/25/2021
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG102Covered In-Vessel49CLOSED07/07/202110/01/2021
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG103Covered In-Vessel49CLOSED07/28/202110/22/2021
Olympic OrganicsKingston, WAOLY17Aerated static pile42CLOSED08/10/202110/29/2021
New EarthSan Antonio, TXNEW08Windrow90CLOSED 07/16/202111/20/2021
St. Louis CompostingBelleville, ILSLC14Windrow 90CLOSED09/01/202112/30/2021
Cedar GroveEverett, WACG104Covered In-Vessel49CLOSED09/01/202111/27/2021

READY TO TEST?

Submissions for testing are now accepted via an online form. Use the button below to get started, or keep scrolling for more information about the testing process.
TEST YOUR PRODUCTS

LATEST TESTING UPDATES

LATEST TESTING UPDATES

Effective January 1, 2020, CMA facilities do not accept products for field testing or substrate review that contain > 100 ppm total fluorine and/or intentionally added fluorine. Any new submittals or items submitted for recertification must be accompanied by this profile addendum (Form Here) with the qualifying documentation as requested. Effective January 1, 2021, any items containing total fluorine > 100 ppm, or items that are not verified as containing < 100 total fluorine by lab report from the manufacturer, will be removed from all CMA lists. To learn more about CMA’s fluorine testing protocols, refer to our Technical Memos section under News/Blog tab above.

MORE INFORMATION

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 20 composting 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, use the Contact Us form on our website or call 206-771-3853.

Category A: Items must meet ASTM D6400 or EN 13432 standards for mono layer bioplastics and co-polymers (such as compostable plastic cutlery, bioplastic straws, PLA clear cold cups, portion cups, etc.)

 
Category B: Items that meet ASTM D6868 requirements for plastics used as coatings on compostable substrates, fibrous materials and multi-layered structures.
 
Note that ASTM lab result submissions must include: Heavy metals analysis, spectral analysis, phytotoxicity, and biodegradation.
 
Other Notes
 
Testing of multiple products of varying sizes to represent a full line are considered on a case by case basis only.
 
Cost: $2750 for up to 3 bags. Each additional bag: less than 10 gallon $650, greater than 10 gallons $750.

Required Documentation: Products must meet ASTM D6400 and lab reports supplied to verify.

Notes: You may submit smallest to largest size, along with lowest and highest mil thickness to cover all sizes and thicknesses in your product line.

Cost: $2750 for up to 3 bags. Each additional bag; less than 10 gallon $350 each, more than 10 gallon $575 each.

Required Documentation: Products in process of receiving BPI certification and/or completing ASTM or ISO 16929 testing.

 
Notes: Testing of multiple products of varying sizes for full line consideration are offered on a case by case basis only.
 
Cost: $4750 for up to 10 items. Each additional item will be charged $350.

Required Documentation: All inks, treatments, coatings and available certifications and/or FDA documentation for food contact must be provided. Field testing may be required based upon sample and documentation review.

 
Notes: Substrate review and/or field testing.
 
Cost: Up to 3 items, $125 each. ($375 minimum). Each additional item, less than 20 items, $100 / item. Each additional item, more than 20 items, $75 / item.

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