Are you a packaging manufacturer, food company, retailer, brand owner, or business using packaging that is intended for organic recycling? Are you looking for a structured way to demonstrate that your packaging is suitable for biological treatment such as industrial composting?
ISO 18606 Certification in Mumbai provides a framework for evaluating packaging that is intended for organic recycling. The standard addresses important characteristics such as biodegradation, disintegration during biological treatment, effects on the biological process, and the quality of the resulting compost.
Global Quality Services helps organizations understand the requirements of ISO 18606, assess their packaging systems, identify gaps, prepare the required evidence, and get ready for the applicable assessment.
What Is ISO 18606 Certification?
ISO 18606:2013 is an international standard for packaging and the environment that specifies requirements and procedures for packaging suitable for organic recycling.
The standard considers packaging as recoverable through organic recycling when its individual components meet the applicable requirements. Where components can be physically separated before disposal, the separated components can be considered individually.
ISO 18606 focuses on the packaging itself and its suitability for organic recycling. It does not establish requirements for the recovery of residual packaged products, and it does not treat littering as an organic recycling route.
For organizations in Mumbai, this makes ISO 18606 relevant when packaging design, material selection, environmental claims, and end-of-life treatment are important parts of the business.
Why Is ISO 18606 Important for Businesses in Mumbai?
Mumbai has a large and diverse packaging ecosystem covering food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, retail, consumer products, e-commerce, manufacturing, and logistics.
As organizations work toward more sustainable packaging models, they need to look beyond the material used to make a package. They also need to understand how that packaging behaves during its intended end-of-life treatment.
ISO 18606 provides a technical framework for this evaluation.
It addresses four important aspects for packaging components:
- Biodegradation
- Disintegration during biological waste treatment
- Potential negative effects on the biological treatment process
- Potential negative effects on the quality of the resulting compost
These areas are specifically identified within ISO 18606:2013.
Who Can Apply for ISO 18606 Certification in Mumbai?
ISO 18606 can be relevant to organizations involved in the design, manufacture, use, supply, or management of packaging intended for organic recycling.
This may include:
- Packaging manufacturers
- Packaging converters
- Food and beverage companies
- Pharmaceutical and healthcare product companies
- FMCG manufacturers
- Retail and e-commerce businesses
- Brand owners
- Consumer product manufacturers
- Packaging material suppliers
- Businesses developing compostable packaging solutions
- Organizations working with industrial composting systems
The applicability depends on the organization’s packaging materials, components, intended recovery route, and relevant assessment requirements.
What Does ISO 18606 Evaluate?
ISO 18606 does not simply ask whether packaging is marketed as environmentally friendly. It provides specific considerations for determining whether packaging is suitable for organic recycling.
Biodegradation
Packaging components intended for organic recycling need to demonstrate the required level of biodegradation under the applicable test conditions.
Disintegration
The packaging also needs to be assessed for its ability to physically disintegrate during the relevant biological treatment process.
Effects on the Biological Process
Packaging should not negatively affect the biological treatment process in ways that conflict with the requirements of the standard.
Quality of the Resulting Compost
The assessment also considers potential effects on the resulting compost, including concerns associated with regulated metals and other substances that may be harmful to the environment.
ISO 18606 and Compostable Packaging
The terms compostable, biodegradable, and organic recycling are sometimes used interchangeably in packaging discussions, but they do not necessarily mean the same thing.
ISO 18606 specifically addresses packaging suitable for organic recycling. Organic recycling involves controlled biological treatment of biodegradable packaging components to produce compost and, in the case of anaerobic digestion, potentially methane. Landfilling and littering are not considered organic recycling.
This distinction is important for Mumbai businesses making environmental claims about packaging.
An organization should therefore assess the intended end-of-life route and the applicable technical and regulatory requirements rather than relying only on general claims such as “eco-friendly” or “biodegradable.”
ISO 18606 and Indian Plastic Packaging Regulations
ISO 18606 certification should not be treated as a substitute for India’s applicable environmental regulations.
The Central Pollution Control Board’s plastic packaging framework includes requirements concerning Extended Producer Responsibility, registration, recycling, reuse, and end-of-life treatment. The CPCB’s EPR portal states that Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners are required to meet applicable responsibilities under the Plastic Waste Management framework.
India also has specific requirements for compostable plastic materials. CPCB documentation states that compostable plastic materials are required to conform to IS/ISO 17088:2021, as applicable under the Plastic Waste Management framework.
Therefore, organizations should evaluate ISO 18606 requirements and applicable Indian regulatory requirements separately.
How to Get ISO 18606 Certification in Mumbai
The certification journey generally starts by understanding the organization’s packaging materials, components, intended application, and end-of-life pathway.
Step 1: Understand the Requirements
The first step is to determine which ISO 18606 requirements apply to the packaging and its individual components.
Step 2: Review the Packaging System
The organization reviews the materials, packaging components, manufacturing information, specifications, and intended organic recycling route.
Step 3: Conduct a Gap Assessment
Existing practices and available evidence are compared with the applicable requirements to identify areas requiring attention.
Step 4: Arrange Applicable Testing and Evidence
Where testing or technical evidence is required, the organization needs to establish the relevant information for biodegradation, disintegration, biological process effects, and compost quality.
Step 5: Address Identified Gaps
Any identified technical, documentation, material, or process gaps are addressed before the assessment.
Step 6: Certification Assessment
The organization undergoes the applicable conformity assessment or certification process through the relevant certification arrangements.
Step 7: Maintain Compliance
After certification, the organization should continue monitoring relevant packaging specifications, materials, processes, documentation, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Benefits of ISO 18606 Certification in Mumbai
ISO 18606 certification can provide organizations with a structured basis for demonstrating that applicable packaging has been evaluated for organic recycling.
Potential benefits include:
- Better understanding of packaging end-of-life characteristics
- A structured approach to evaluating packaging components
- Improved documentation of packaging-related environmental claims
- Support for sustainable packaging initiatives
- Greater transparency for customers and business partners
- Improved control over packaging specifications
- Support for organizations developing packaging intended for organic recycling
- A recognized international framework for relevant packaging assessments
The practical value of certification depends on the organization’s products, markets, customers, and intended recovery systems.
Why Choose Global Quality Services for ISO 18606 Certification in Mumbai?
Global Quality Services supports organizations through the different stages of their ISO certification journey.
For ISO 18606, the focus can include understanding the applicable requirements, reviewing existing packaging arrangements, identifying gaps, organizing the required documentation and evidence, and preparing the organization for the applicable assessment.
Our approach is designed to help organizations understand what ISO 18606 requires, what evidence is needed, and where improvements may be necessary before proceeding with certification.
Whether your business operates in Andheri, Bhandup, Powai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Lower Parel, Goregaon, or another part of the Mumbai metropolitan business ecosystem, the requirements can be assessed according to the nature of your packaging and intended organic recycling pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ISO 18606 applicable to all types of packaging?
No. ISO 18606 specifically addresses packaging that is intended to be suitable for organic recycling. Its requirements need to be considered based on the packaging components and the intended recovery process.
Does ISO 18606 mean that packaging can be disposed of anywhere?
No. Organic recycling is a controlled biological treatment route. ISO 18606 does not consider littering or uncontrolled disposal to be organic recycling.
Is ISO 18606 the same as compostable plastic certification in India?
No. ISO 18606 and India’s applicable requirements for compostable plastics serve different purposes. CPCB documentation identifies IS/ISO 17088:2021 for compostable plastic materials under the relevant regulatory framework.
Does ISO 18606 replace India’s EPR requirements?
No. ISO 18606 certification does not replace applicable EPR registration, reporting, processing, or other obligations under India’s Plastic Waste Management framework. The CPCB operates an EPR framework for plastic packaging.
Can packaging with multiple components be assessed under ISO 18606?
Yes. ISO 18606 considers individual packaging components. Where components cannot meet the requirements as a whole but can be easily physically separated before disposal, the separated components may be considered individually for organic recycling.
