What is AS 5810? Australia’s home-compostable standard

AS 5810-2010 is the Australian Standard titled ‘Biodegradable plastics — Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting’. It provides the basis for assessing plastic products intended for home-composting conditions.

That distinction matters. A broad claim such as ‘compostable’ does not tell a customer which conditions are required or whether the exact product has been independently verified. AS 5810 gives Australian businesses a recognised standard to look for when a product is being presented as suitable for home composting.

AS 5810 is different from AS 4736, which applies to biodegradable plastics suitable for commercial composting and other microbial treatment. A product verified to one standard should not be represented as verified to the other unless separate evidence supports that claim.

The Australasian Bioplastics Association, commonly shortened to ABA, runs Australia’s Home Compostable Verification Programme under AS 5810. The ABA states that products are tested through an accredited laboratory approved by its independent auditor, DIN CERTCO, and assessed against the standard’s criteria.

Once a product meets the criteria, the ABA can verify that it conforms to AS 5810 and include the certified business or product within its verification system. This creates a clearer evidence trail than relying on an unsupported home-compostable description.

Certification should still be checked against the exact product being purchased. Material, construction and other product details can affect whether a particular item is covered by the verification evidence.

AS 5810 certification does not mean every product made or sold by the same business is home compostable. The claim needs to stay tied to the product covered by the supporting documentation.

It also does not guarantee acceptance by every council collection service, FOGO programme or composting facility. The ABA explicitly separates certification from local acceptance, which can depend on collection systems, processor requirements, infrastructure, contamination controls, regulation and council guidance.

AS 5810 should not be described as proof that a product is universally better than every alternative. A credible packaging decision still considers product protection, material use, customer access to a suitable end-of-life pathway and the accuracy of the disposal instructions provided.

Ask whether the exact packaging product is covered by current AS 5810 verification evidence. The documentation should clearly identify the relevant product or material and the standard against which it has been assessed.

Do not rely on a generic compostable logo, a supplier-wide statement or evidence for a different product. If the packaging will carry a certification mark or a home-compostable claim, confirm that the proposed wording and artwork are permitted for the product being supplied.

For Zero Pack projects, certification evidence can be provided on request after the relevant packaging and specification have been confirmed. This keeps the evidence matched to what is actually being produced.

The ACCC’s environmental-claims guidance says businesses should provide clear, accurate and trustworthy information and be able to substantiate environmental claims. For an AS 5810 claim, that means naming the standard accurately, keeping the claim within the scope of the evidence and avoiding a broader impression than the documentation supports.

Disposal instructions need their own check. Even where the product is certified for home composting, instructions about kerbside or council collection should reflect the current rules for the customer’s location.

If you are planning custom compostable packaging and want to confirm which certification is relevant, tell us what you need. We can assess the packaging and confirm the evidence that applies before final artwork is approved.

Standards Australia — AS 5810:2010

Australasian Bioplastics Association — Certification

ACCC — A guide to making environmental claims for business