Thoughts on Green Ski Wax

HBP technology claims to be biodegradable by meeting the ASTM D6400-04 and EN 13432 Standards. However, these two commonly quoted standards are related to the performance of plastics in a commercially managed compost environment. They are not biodegradation standards. Both were developed for hydro-biodegradable polymers where the mechanism including biodegradation is based on reaction with water and state that in order for a production to becompostable, the following criteria need to be met:

1. Disintegration, the ability to fragment into non-distinguishable pieces after screening and safely support bio-assimilation and microbial growth;
2. Inherent biodegradation, conversion of carbon to carbon dioxide to the level of 60% and 90% over a period of 180 days for ASTM D6400-04 and EN 13432 respectively; There is therefore little or no carbon left for the benefit of the soil, but the CO2 emitted to atmosphere contributes to climate-change.
3. Safety, that there is no evidence of any eco-toxicity in finished compost and soils can support plant growth; and
4. Toxicity, that heavy metal concentrations are less than 50% regulated values in soil amendments