Partial degradability of cellulose acetate in composting: Consequences in terms of Life Cycle Assessment

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a bioplastic that, depending on several factor such as the degree of substitution, can be compostable (as EN 13432 standard requires) or only biodegradable. According to Italian legislation, if the bioplastic is compostable, it can be delivered together with the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW). However, if the waste treatment plants do not follow processes suitable to fully compost compostable bioplastics, even bioplastics certified as compostable could affect the final quality of the compost, making it “out-of-specification” (agriculture application not possible). In this context, this study aimed to demonstrate how an out-of-specification compost produces strongly negative implications in terms of environmental impacts.