Scion has designed and built a unique-to-New Zealand test facility for measuring the aerobic composting of materials such as bioplastics, paper and wood, and quantifying the time it takes for materials to biodegrade.

The facility was built to the international standard ISO 14855-1 to provide results showing levels of biodegradation within a six-month timeframe. 

Scion is using the facility to tailor the composting of newly developed biomaterials. It is also available to commercial clients, seeking evidence to support environmental marketing claims. The facility is designed to quantify the aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials by measuring the evolved carbon dioxide. It can also be used to examine the degradation of plastic, paper or wood in media, such as soil or aquatic environments, and to investigate whether additives impede or accelerate composting of a biomaterial.

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