生質含量 70% 就會自然分解嗎？

Does 70% Biobased Content Mean It Will Decompose Naturally?

一次看懂生質含量、碳‑14與可生物降解的真正差異

Understanding the Real Differences Between Biobased Content, Carbon-14, and Biodegradability

從 ASTM D6866、ISO 16620 到 GTE‑8075 報告的材料判讀指南

A Guide to Interpreting Materials Reports, from ASTM D6866 and ISO 16620 to GTE-8075

當品牌說一款塑膠含有 70% 生質成分，它代表的是原料碳來源、整體產品重量，還是產品可在自然環境分解？這三件事經常被放在同一句行銷話術裡，卻是高分子科學上完全不同的命題。本文以峰暉塑膠提供的生質材料報告為案例，建立一套可供研發、採購、ESG 與品牌端共同使用的判讀框架。

When a brand says that a plastic contains 70% biobased material, does that percentage refer to the source of its raw-material carbon, the total weight of the product, or the product's ability to break down in the natural environment? These three ideas are often combined in a single marketing claim, yet they are entirely different propositions in polymer science. Using a biobased-material report provided by Found Fair Plastic as a case study, this article establishes an interpretation framework for R&D, procurement, ESG, and brand teams.

先說結論：三個名詞，回答三個不同問題

The Bottom Line First: Three Terms Answer Three Different Questions

圖 1｜生質含量、碳‑14與可生物降解分屬「比例、量測、環境行為」三個層次。

Figure 1 | Biobased content, carbon-14, and biodegradability belong to three different levels: proportion, measurement, and environmental behavior.

最重要的邏輯是：生質含量描述「來源」，碳‑14是辨識來源的「尺」，可生物降解則描述「生命週期末端的行為」。三者可以同時成立，也可以彼此完全獨立。

The most important logic is that biobased content describes origin, carbon-14 is the measuring stick used to identify that origin, and biodegradability describes behavior at the end of the life cycle. All three can apply at the same time, or they can be completely independent of one another.

1｜生質含量：先問分母是「碳」還是「總重量」

1 | Biobased Content: First Ask Whether the Denominator Is Carbon or Total Weight

ASTM D6866 所報告的 biobased carbon content，通常是生物質衍生碳占總有機碳（TOC）的百分比。若配方含有礦物填料、金屬、無機阻燃劑或其他不含碳成分，這個百分比並不必然等於產品總重量中的生質質量百分比。

The biobased carbon content reported under ASTM D6866 is generally the percentage of biomass-derived carbon relative to total organic carbon (TOC). If a formulation contains mineral fillers, metals, inorganic flame retardants, or other carbon-free components, this percentage is not necessarily equal to the biobased mass percentage of the product's total weight.

因此，「69.4% 生質碳含量」最精確的意思是：在檢測所涵蓋的有機碳中，約 69.4% 顯示為近期生物來源。若要主張整體產品的生質質量含量，需採用相對應的質量平衡、元素分析與標準方法，例如 ISO 16620‑4 的方法框架。

Accordingly, the most precise meaning of "69.4% biobased carbon content" is that approximately 69.4% of the organic carbon covered by the test was identified as recent biogenic carbon. A claim about the biobased mass content of the entire product requires corresponding mass-balance calculations, elemental analysis, and standard methods, such as the framework in ISO 16620-4.

2｜碳‑14：為何能看出「現代碳」與「化石碳」？

2 | Carbon-14: Why Can It Distinguish Modern Carbon from Fossil Carbon?

圖 2｜原始報告以碳循環與衰變概念說明 ¹⁴C 檢測原理。資料來源：峰暉塑膠提供之簡報。

Figure 2 | The original report explains the principle of carbon-14 testing through the concepts of the carbon cycle and radioactive decay. Source: presentation provided by Found Fair Plastic.

宇宙射線作用於大氣氮後形成碳‑14（¹⁴C），它進入二氧化碳，再由植物光合作用進入生物圈。生物存活時會持續交換碳，因此保有接近當代大氣的 ¹⁴C 訊號；死亡後交換停止，¹⁴C 以約 5,730 年半衰期衰變。石油、煤與天然氣歷經數百萬年，¹⁴C 已低到難以檢出；相較之下，近期生物質仍保有可量測訊號。

Cosmic rays interact with atmospheric nitrogen to form carbon-14 (¹⁴C). It enters carbon dioxide and then moves into the biosphere through plant photosynthesis. Living organisms continuously exchange carbon and therefore retain a ¹⁴C signal close to that of the contemporary atmosphere. After death, this exchange stops, and ¹⁴C decays with a half-life of about 5,730 years. Petroleum, coal, and natural gas are millions of years old, so their ¹⁴C levels are too low to detect readily; recent biomass, by contrast, still retains a measurable signal.

實務上，實驗室可用加速器質譜（AMS）等方法量測樣品的 ¹⁴C 訊號，並與現代參考值比較，以估算 contemporary／biogenic carbon 的比例。ASTM D6866 明確指出，此方法只處理生質碳含量；不評估環境衝擊、功能性能、法規符合性或生物降解性。

In practice, a laboratory can measure a sample's ¹⁴C signal using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) or another method and compare it with a modern reference value to estimate the proportion of contemporary or biogenic carbon. ASTM D6866 explicitly states that the method addresses only biobased carbon content; it does not assess environmental impacts, functional performance, regulatory compliance, or biodegradability.

量測結果要注意的四件事

Four Points to Note When Interpreting Measurement Results

· 取樣必須具有代表性：多層材、油墨、膠黏劑或不同批次可能造成結果差異。

Sampling must be representative: Multilayer materials, inks, adhesives, or different batches may produce different results.

· 數值具有量測不確定度：ASTM D6866 提及整體實驗室間不確定度可達約 ±3 個百分點，應避免過度解讀小差距。

The value has measurement uncertainty: ASTM D6866 notes that overall interlaboratory uncertainty may reach approximately ±3 percentage points, so small differences should not be overinterpreted.

· 標示應說明基準：寫清楚是 biobased carbon content、organic carbon basis，還是 total mass basis。

The claim should state its basis: Clearly identify whether the figure is biobased carbon content, an organic-carbon basis, or a total-mass basis.

· 碳來源不等於碳足跡：是否真正減碳仍需用生命週期評估（LCA）納入農業、能源、運輸、加工及報廢情境。

Carbon origin is not the same as carbon footprint: Whether emissions are truly reduced must still be assessed through life-cycle assessment (LCA), including agriculture, energy, transportation, processing, and end-of-life scenarios.

3｜可生物降解：不是材料名稱，而是一組「條件＋時間＋門檻」

3 | Biodegradability: Not a Material Name, but a Set of Conditions, Time Limits, and Thresholds

高分子可生物降解，指其在特定環境中經微生物作用，最終轉化為二氧化碳（好氧）、甲烷（厭氧）、水、無機鹽與生物質。材料碎裂、崩解或肉眼消失，只表示尺寸變小，並不等於聚合物已完成礦化。

Biodegradation of a polymer means that microorganisms act on it in a specific environment and ultimately convert it into carbon dioxide under aerobic conditions, methane under anaerobic conditions, water, inorganic salts, and biomass. Fragmentation, disintegration, or disappearance from view only means that the material has become smaller; it does not mean that the polymer has been fully mineralized.

所以「可生物降解」必須同時說明環境（工業堆肥、家庭堆肥、土壤、淡水或海洋）、溫度、含水量、微生物條件、試驗期限與通過標準。可堆肥是可生物降解的特定子集合，通常還要同時滿足崩解、重金屬限制與堆肥品質／生態毒性要求。

A biodegradability claim must therefore specify the environment (industrial composting, home composting, soil, freshwater, or marine), temperature, moisture content, microbial conditions, test duration, and pass criteria. Compostability is a specific subset of biodegradability and generally must also satisfy requirements for disintegration, heavy-metal limits, compost quality, and ecotoxicity.

圖 3｜來源與終端行為是兩條獨立軸線；例子僅代表典型材料結構，實際宣稱仍以配方與測試結果為準。

Figure 3 | Material origin and end-of-life behavior are two independent axes. The examples represent only typical material structures; actual claims must be based on the formulation and test results.

常見的錯誤等號

Common False Equivalences

· 生質塑膠 ≠ 可生物降解塑膠：Bio‑PE、Bio‑PET 仍具有與石化同類聚合物相近的耐久性。

Biobased plastic ≠ biodegradable plastic: Bio-PE and Bio-PET still have durability similar to their petrochemical counterparts.

· 化石來源 ≠ 一定不可分解：部分 PBAT 配方可符合特定工業堆肥規範。

Fossil origin ≠ necessarily nondegradable: Some PBAT formulations can comply with specific industrial-composting standards.

· PLA ≠ 任意環境都會快速分解：通常需工業堆肥的溫濕條件與時間窗口。

PLA ≠ rapid degradation in every environment: It generally requires the temperature, humidity, and time window of industrial composting.

· 氧化碎裂／物理粉化 ≠ 完成生物降解：必須以碳轉化與標準化試驗證明。

Oxidative fragmentation or physical pulverization ≠ complete biodegradation: Carbon conversion and standardized testing are required as evidence.

報告案例：GTE‑8075 的 69.4%／70% 應如何解讀？

Report Case Study: How Should the 69.4% and 70% Figures for GTE-8075 Be Interpreted?

圖 4｜原始簡報展示 GTE‑8075 的 USDA Certified Biobased Product 標示，標示值為 70%。資料來源：峰暉塑膠提供之簡報。

Figure 4 | The original presentation shows the USDA Certified Biobased Product label for GTE-8075, with a stated value of 70%. Source: presentation provided by Found Fair Plastic.

峰暉塑膠簡報載明，GTE‑8075 經 Beta Laboratory 生質碳含量檢測為 69.4%，並展示 USDA Certified Biobased Product 70% 標示。這兩個呈現方式可合理理解為檢測值與認證標示的取位／標示差異；正式對外宣稱仍應以現行有效證書的品項、配方、標示規則與有效範圍為準。

The Found Fair Plastic presentation states that Beta Laboratory measured the biobased carbon content of GTE-8075 at 69.4% and also shows a USDA Certified Biobased Product label stating 70%. These two presentations can reasonably be understood as a difference between a measured value and the rounding or display convention used for certification labeling. Any formal external claim should still follow the product, formulation, labeling rules, and scope covered by the currently valid certificate.

簡報中未完成的新聞稿範本含有日期、主管姓名與聲明占位符，本文未將其視為可引用證據；對外發布前應以官方認證資料重新核對。

The unfinished press-release template in the presentation contains placeholders for the date, executive's name, and statement. This article does not treat those placeholders as citable evidence; the information should be checked against official certification records before external publication.

材料性能與環境宣稱，必須分開驗證

Material Performance and Environmental Claims Must Be Verified Separately

圖 5｜GTE‑8075 技術資料頁列有硬度、流動性、密度、拉伸、伸長與撕裂等性能。資料來源：峰暉塑膠提供之簡報。

Figure 5 | The GTE-8075 technical data page lists hardness, flow, density, tensile strength, elongation, tear strength, and other properties. Source: presentation provided by Found Fair Plastic.

依簡報技術資料，GTE‑8075 為粒狀、半透明材料，列示 Shore A 75、熔融指數 4.7 g/10 min（ASTM D1238，2.16 kg、190°C）、密度約 0.90–0.93，以及拉伸、伸長與撕裂等數據。這些資訊用於初步評估加工與機械性能，與生質來源證明屬於不同證據鏈。

According to the presentation's technical data, GTE-8075 is a translucent pelletized material with a listed hardness of Shore A 75, a melt flow index of 4.7 g/10 min (ASTM D1238, 2.16 kg, 190°C), a density of approximately 0.90-0.93, and data for tensile strength, elongation, and tear strength. This information supports a preliminary assessment of processing and mechanical performance and belongs to a different evidence chain from proof of biobased origin.