Normec OWS is the global market leader in the biodegradability and compostability testing of different types of material. We also offer a wide range of additional services such as auditing, controlling & sorting waste, life cycle assessments and other sustainability studies. We work according to the ISO 17025 quality assurance standard. Over the past 30+ years, we have built up a lot of expertise and are recognized by all certification bureaus worldwide in the field of biodegradable or compostable materials. We actively participate in many certification and standardization committees, as well as European projects and international conferences.
Normec OWS was originally founded in 1988 as Organic Waste Systems (OWS), a private company under Belgian law. Our headquarters and main laboratories are in Gent (Belgium), while a subsidiary laboratory was opened in 2021 in the USA. We also have long-lasting collaborations with partners in Japan, China, and Korea.
Since December 2022, OWS has been part of Normec Group, which tests, inspects, and certifies so that organizations can innovate safely, quickly, and (cost) efficiently. Hence, we are now called Normec OWS.
Normec OWS offers lab & consulting services to various clients from the public and private sector. Consulting services are offered in the field of biodegradation and compostability, waste composition, waste separation, recycling, integrated waste management, and related legislation in both Europe and the US. To this end, we have separate auditing, controlling & sorting, and sustainability assessment services divisions.
Normec OWS also provides contract research laboratory testing for the determination of the biodegradability and compostability of different materials under strict quality-controlled conditions.
Read a statement about our Environmental Management System.
We work with a team of enthusiastic professionals. Thanks to years of experience and broad knowledge, we can meet any challenge. Every day we go for the best quality and together we take that extra step for our customers.
Normec OWS is an active member of several normalization organizations, such as the International Standards Organization (ISO), the European Standards Organization (CEN), and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and is the official Belgian delegate on several ISO and CEN committees.
In this capacity, Normec OWS has developed several standard methods and is project leader of some new standards in development.
In addition to the aforementioned standardization and normalization groups, Normec OWS is also a member of several industrial associations and is involved as an expert in a number of certification committees active in the field of biodegradable, compostable, and/or biobased materials and products.
Here you can find an overview of the working groups in which Normec OWS participates.
As an independent laboratory, we have built an international reputation in biodegradation and composting tests.
We are recognized worldwide by all certification bodies active in the field of biodegradable or compostable materials.
More than 25 years of experience with biogas and an expert in the field of anaerobic fermentation.
We offer a tailored approach, which is catered to each customer’s specific needs.
