What’s TÜV OK Compost INDUSTRIAL vs HOME?

TÜV Austria runs one of the most widely recognized compostability certification programs in the world. Their OK Compost label appears on a substantial portion of the compostable packaging sold in Europe and increasingly on products sold globally. Within that program, two distinct certifications exist: OK Compost INDUSTRIAL and OK Compost HOME. The names sound related — and they are — but the underlying test conditions and what they certify about a product are very different.

For buyers, brands, and end consumers trying to read packaging labels accurately, understanding the difference matters. A product certified OK Compost INDUSTRIAL will reliably break down in commercial composting facilities but may take years to break down in a backyard pile. A product certified OK Compost HOME will break down in both commercial facilities and home composting systems. Confusing the two leads to predictable disappointment: people put INDUSTRIAL-certified items in their backyard tumbler and find them mostly intact two years later.

This article breaks down what each certification tests, why the test differences matter, what kinds of products typically qualify for each, and what to look for when evaluating supplier claims.

The two test environments

The fundamental difference between the two certifications is the temperature at which compostability is tested. This single variable cascades into nearly every other difference.

OK Compost INDUSTRIAL tests at the elevated temperatures found in commercial composting facilities — typically around 58°C (136°F), with specific spike-and-hold protocols designed to mimic the thermophilic phase of industrial windrows or in-vessel systems. Tests run for up to 12 weeks. The standard the certification is built on is EN 13432, the European norm for industrial compostability.

OK Compost HOME tests at the lower temperatures typical of backyard compost piles — around 20-30°C (68-86°F). This is roughly room temperature, not the heat-generating thermophilic conditions of commercial facilities. Tests run for up to 12 months — much longer than the industrial test, reflecting the slower decomposition expected at lower temperatures. The standard is built around the same EN 13432 framework but with home-relevant test parameters.

The temperature gap is enormous. A 30°C difference in compost temperature changes microbial activity by roughly an order of magnitude. Reactions that take days at 58°C take weeks or months at 25°C. Polymers that break down readily under thermophilic conditions may persist almost unchanged at room temperature.

This is why the two certifications produce different lists of qualifying products.

What gets tested in each certification

Both certifications evaluate four primary properties:

1. Disintegration — does the product physically break into small pieces within the test timeframe?
2. Biodegradation — does the carbon in the product convert to CO₂ via microbial action at the required rate?
3. Ecotoxicity — does the resulting compost support plant growth without toxic effects?
4. Heavy metal content — are heavy metal levels below regulatory limits?

The acceptance criteria differ between the certifications:

For OK Compost INDUSTRIAL:
– Disintegration: ≥90% of mass passes through a 2mm sieve within 12 weeks
– Biodegradation: ≥90% conversion of carbon to CO₂ within 6 months (relative to a reference)
– Ecotoxicity: plant growth in the resulting compost must reach ≥90% of control compost
– Heavy metals: below specified thresholds

For OK Compost HOME:
– Disintegration: ≥90% of mass passes through a 2mm sieve within 6 months
– Biodegradation: ≥90% conversion of carbon to CO₂ within 12 months at lower temperature
– Ecotoxicity: same plant growth requirements
– Heavy metals: same thresholds

The disintegration timeline doubles for HOME (6 months vs 12 weeks) and the biodegradation timeline also doubles (12 months vs 6 months). The temperature drops by about 30°C. Both changes make the HOME certification dramatically harder to achieve.

What products typically achieve each certification

The harder test conditions for OK Compost HOME mean fewer products qualify. The pattern of what qualifies and what doesn’t is informative:

Reliably achieves both INDUSTRIAL and HOME certification:
– Uncoated paper products (napkins, paper plates without coating, kraft bags)
– Bagasse (sugarcane fiber) products without polymer coatings
– Wood-based products (wooden cutlery, wooden stir sticks, bamboo products)
– Some plant fiber molded packaging (without binders)
– Cellulose films

Typically achieves INDUSTRIAL only:
– PLA (polylactic acid) products — coated cups, lids, clamshells, films
– PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) products in some formulations
– PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate) blends
– Cellulose-acetate films
– Many compostable foodware items with polymer coatings

The PLA challenge specifically: PLA breaks down well in commercial composting facilities at 55-60°C — it reaches 90% disintegration within the 12-week window. At 25°C, PLA hydrolyzes much more slowly, often taking 2-3 years for the same disintegration. Most PLA products cannot achieve OK Compost HOME certification regardless of how they’re formulated. The polymer chemistry simply doesn’t perform at lower temperatures.

This is why most compostable cups and lids carry OK Compost INDUSTRIAL certification but not HOME — they’re typically PLA-based or PLA-coated paper.

What the certifications mean for buyers

For B2B buyers vetting compostable foodware suppliers, the two certifications signal different things:

OK Compost INDUSTRIAL on a product means:
– The product will reliably break down at a commercial composting facility (assuming the facility processes it appropriately)
– The product is suitable for operations whose customers will dispose in commercial-pickup-equipped jurisdictions
– The product is NOT necessarily suitable for backyard composting
– The product meets EN 13432 standards required for many European markets

OK Compost HOME on a product means:
– The product will break down in both commercial facilities AND backyard piles
– The product is suitable for direct-to-consumer markets where customers may compost at home
– The product is suitable for jurisdictions without commercial composting infrastructure (assuming customers actually compost at home)
– The product almost certainly uses a more limited material palette (paper, bagasse, plant fiber, wood) rather than coated polymer products

For most foodservice operations, OK Compost INDUSTRIAL is the relevant certification because waste goes to commercial pickup. For consumer-facing products sold in markets without curbside organics pickup, OK Compost HOME provides genuinely better end-of-life outcomes.

The third-party certification landscape

OK Compost is one of several compostability certifications globally. The relationships:

• TÜV OK Compost INDUSTRIAL ≈ BPI Certification (BPI is the U.S. counterpart, also based on industrial composting standards). Both certify the same general property — industrial compostability — using similar test protocols.
• TÜV OK Compost HOME has no direct U.S. equivalent. BPI does not currently certify for home composting.
• Seedling Logo (run by European Bioplastics) is licensed by TÜV; products carrying the Seedling logo are also OK Compost INDUSTRIAL certified.
• DIN-Geprüft Industriell Kompostierbar (German certification, run by DIN CERTCO) is a third European industrial certification, equivalent in standard to OK Compost INDUSTRIAL.
• AS 4736 (Australian standard) covers industrial compostability for the Australian market.
• AS 5810 (Australian home composting standard) is the Australian equivalent of OK Compost HOME.

Most global compostable products carry multiple certifications — BPI for U.S. markets, OK Compost INDUSTRIAL for European markets, and sometimes additional regional certifications. A product with only one regional certification has limited appeal for global brands.

Common misconceptions

Several misconceptions about these certifications cause buyer confusion:

“OK Compost HOME is just a stricter version of OK Compost INDUSTRIAL.”
Not exactly. Both certifications evaluate the same fundamental properties; HOME tests under harder conditions (lower temperature, longer timeline). A product with OK Compost HOME certification will also work in industrial facilities (since industrial conditions are easier). A product with only INDUSTRIAL certification may or may not work at home.

“Bioplastic always means home compostable.”
False. Bioplastic refers to plant-derived polymers. Many bioplastics (notably PLA) require industrial composting conditions to break down. The plant origin doesn’t determine the breakdown environment.

“If it says ‘compostable’ on the package, it’s home compostable.”
False. The bare claim “compostable” without a specific certification or label often means industrially compostable. Customers who put generic “compostable” items in backyard bins are often disappointed.

“OK Compost INDUSTRIAL means it’s safer for the environment than non-compostable plastic.”
Mostly true but with caveats. OK Compost INDUSTRIAL products will break down in commercial facilities and won’t generate microplastics. However, if disposed in landfill (common reality), the breakdown is much slower and the environmental advantage shrinks. The certification’s value depends on the disposal pathway.

How to read packaging labels

When evaluating a compostable foodware product, look for these specific marks:

• OK Compost INDUSTRIAL logo with a TÜV Austria Belgium or TÜV Austria Group mark and a license number
• OK Compost HOME logo (also TÜV) with a license number
• BPI logo (Biodegradable Products Institute, U.S.)
• Seedling logo (European Bioplastics, licensed via TÜV)
• AS 4736 / AS 5810 (Australian standards)
• A certification number that can be looked up in the certifying body’s database

Be skeptical of vague claims:

• “Made from plants” — doesn’t certify compostability
• “Biodegradable” — doesn’t define test conditions or timelines
• “Eco-friendly compostable” — marketing language without certification backing
• “Compostable in commercial facilities” — usually means industrial certified but should specify which certification

For B2B buyers, the certification database lookup is the gold standard. Both TÜV and BPI publish searchable databases of certified products with the license numbers tied to specific manufacturers and product lines.

What this means for product design

Brands and product designers planning new compostable products face certification choices early. The trade-offs:

Designing for OK Compost INDUSTRIAL only:
– Wider material palette (PLA, PHA, polymer-coated paper, blends)
– Better mechanical performance possible (PLA cups are stronger than uncoated paper cups)
– Limited to operations with commercial composting access
– Lower cost of materials in many cases

Designing for OK Compost HOME (and INDUSTRIAL):
– More restricted material palette (uncoated paper, bagasse, wood, certain plant fibers)
– Mechanical performance limitations (uncoated paper is weaker; bagasse cracks more easily)
– Wider end-of-life pathway (works at home and in commercial facilities)
– Often higher cost or simpler design constraints

The right choice depends on the product’s intended market. Foodservice products serving urban areas with commercial composting can target INDUSTRIAL-only and benefit from material flexibility. Consumer products sold to households in regions without organics pickup should target HOME-certified to provide a real disposal pathway.

A practical example: the same cup, two certifications

Consider a 12-oz hot beverage cup as a worked example. Two ways to design and certify it:

Design A: PLA-coated paperboard cup. Standard kraft paper inner construction with a thin PLA coating to provide moisture resistance for hot liquids. Achievable certifications: OK Compost INDUSTRIAL, BPI. Cannot achieve OK Compost HOME because the PLA coating doesn’t break down at backyard temperatures within the required timeframe. Performance: holds hot liquid up to 90°C for several hours; sturdy enough for to-go service. Common cost: $0.18-0.24 per unit at typical commercial volumes.

Design B: Uncoated wax-treated paperboard cup. Kraft paper construction with a plant-based wax treatment (typically derived from soy or other vegetable oils). Achievable certifications: OK Compost INDUSTRIAL, OK Compost HOME, BPI. Performance: holds hot liquid for shorter durations (30-90 minutes typically before sogginess sets in); less suitable for sit-down service or to-go situations with longer carry times. Common cost: $0.22-0.30 per unit — typically higher than coated PLA designs at similar volumes.

The same beverage application, the same general material (paperboard), but two very different certifications and very different performance profiles. The HOME-compostable design serves a niche where home composting is the primary disposal path (rural farmers’ markets, off-grid events, certain consumer products) and where the shorter liquid-hold time is acceptable. The INDUSTRIAL-only design serves the much larger urban foodservice market where commercial composting handles disposal and longer hold times matter operationally.

This is the trade-off in microcosm: HOME-compostable products work in more disposal environments but face more material and performance constraints. INDUSTRIAL-compostable products perform better but require commercial composting infrastructure to actually compost.

The honest summary

TÜV OK Compost INDUSTRIAL and OK Compost HOME are two distinct certifications testing under very different conditions. INDUSTRIAL is achievable for a wide range of compostable foodware products including most polymer-based items. HOME is harder to achieve and limits the material palette substantially.

For B2B buyers, the relevant certification depends on where the product gets disposed. Foodservice operations using commercial pickup need INDUSTRIAL certification. Consumer products without reliable commercial composting access need HOME certification to provide a working disposal pathway.

Reading labels carefully and verifying claims through certification database lookups separates real compostable products from marketing-grade claims. Both TÜV certifications are credible and rigorously tested; the question is which one matches your use case.

Get the certification right and the disposal pathway works as advertised. Get it wrong and customers find perfectly intact “compostable” items in their backyard piles years later. The chemistry doesn’t care about the marketing claim.

For B2B sourcing, see our compostable supplies catalog or compostable bags catalog.

For procurement teams verifying compostable claims, the controlling references are BPI certification (North America), EN 13432 (EU), and the FTC Green Guides on environmental marketing claims — these are the only sources U.S. enforcement actions cite.