Overview
Most product categories ask whether goods are safe. This one asks whether they disappear. Saudi Arabia operates a dedicated degradable-plastic programme: for a defined list of single-use plastic items, only oxo-biodegradable product may be imported or sold, and conventional polyethylene is refused at the border regardless of how good its quality documentation is. The requirement rests on a pro-degradant additive — typically a transition-metal masterbatch that promotes oxidative chain scission — which must come from a supplier holding SASO approval and appearing on the approved additive list. Using an unlisted additive, however technically capable, does not satisfy the requirement.
The proof is tiered degradation testing to ASTM D6954, run on the finished article rather than on a resin plaque: accelerated thermal and photo-oxidative ageing to show the molecular weight falls and the material embrittles, followed by evidence of biodegradation of the fragments and an ecotoxicity check confirming the residue does not harm plant growth or soil organisms. On top of the testing, converters must be registered and each product must carry the Saudi degradable-plastic logo together with the registration number and the production date, so an inspector can trace a bag on a shelf back to an approved additive and a valid certificate. Certification runs through SABER registration with a PCoC for the product and an SCoC per consignment. General plastic goods are covered on our plastic and polymer products page and conventional packaging on our packaging products page.
Product Types
The degradable-plastic mandate applies to a defined list of single-use and short-life plastic items. The scope has been extended in stages and commonly covers:
- Shopping and carrier bags, including vest-type, patch-handle and boutique bags
- Refuse and garbage bags and bin liners in all sizes
- Bread bags, produce bags, fruit and vegetable bags and general food-service bags
- Cling film, stretch film, shrink film and food-wrapping film
- Disposable plastic tableware — plates, cups, bowls, cutlery and serving trays
- Disposable gloves and aprons for food handling and general use
- Agricultural mulch film and greenhouse film
- Laundry and dry-cleaning covers, magazine and courier wrap, and similar single-use film
- Sacks and bags of polymer strip, and pallet and packaging wrap where listed
The scope of the certificate is defined from the article type, the base polymer, the additive brand and loading, the thickness range and the HS code, so the range you export is covered. Durable plastic goods, pipes, technical components and long-life packaging are outside the degradable mandate and follow the ordinary plastics route — we confirm which of your product lines are caught by the mandate before anything is filed, because the list is item-specific rather than polymer-specific.
HS Codes
Degradable plastic articles are classified by what the article is, not by the fact that it degrades. These are examples only — the correct code depends on the exact product.
- 3923.21 — Sacks and bags of polymers of ethylene
- 3923.29 — Sacks and bags of other plastics
- 3920.10 — Plates, sheet and film of polymers of ethylene, non-cellular
- 3921.19 / 3921.90 — Other plates, sheet and film of plastics
- 3924.10 — Tableware and kitchenware of plastics
- 3926.20 — Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, including disposable gloves
- 3926.90 — Other articles of plastics
- 6305.33 — Sacks and bags of polyethylene or polypropylene strip
Applicable Saudi Requirements
Degradable plastic products are certified through SABER registration under the Saudi degradable-plastic requirements, in addition to the ordinary requirements for the article. The main requirements are:
- A valid PCoC covering the article type, the base polymer, the additive and the thickness range
- An SCoC for each shipment before customs clearance
- A pro-degradant additive from a supplier holding SASO approval, identified by brand name and approval reference on the file
- Evidence of the additive loading actually used in production, and that it matches the loading the additive supplier's approval is based on
- Degradation testing to ASTM D6954 on the finished article — accelerated thermal and photo-oxidative ageing showing loss of molecular weight and mechanical properties to the required threshold
- Biodegradation evidence for the oxidised fragments under the tiered protocol
- Ecotoxicity or plant-growth testing confirming the residue is not harmful to soil organisms or germination
- Heavy-metal limits observed in the additive and the finished article
- The Saudi degradable-plastic logo printed on the article or its retail pack
- The registration or certificate number and the production date printed alongside the logo, so the item can be traced back to a valid certificate
- Product marking and pack details in Arabic — article description, dimensions and thickness, count, manufacturer and importer
- Registration of the converter and a registered Saudi importer on the SABER platform
Technical Regulation
Degradable plastic products are assessed under the Saudi requirements for degradable plastic articles, administered by SASO and enforced through the SABER platform, alongside the ordinary requirements for the article itself (and food-contact requirements where the item touches food). Degradation is demonstrated by ASTM D6954, the standard guide for exposing and testing plastics that degrade by a combination of oxidation and biodegradation, applied as a three-tier protocol: Tier 1 accelerated abiotic oxidation (thermal ageing and ultraviolet exposure), Tier 2 biodegradation of the oxidised residue, and Tier 3 ecotoxicity of the resulting material. The Gulf and Saudi standards adopting the degradable-plastic requirements set the pass thresholds, the additive-approval mechanism and the logo and marking rules. Supporting methods include ASTM D5510 and ASTM D5208 for thermal and xenon-arc ageing, ASTM D882 and ISO 527-3 for tensile properties before and after ageing, ASTM D6866 where a bio-based content claim is also made, and gel-permeation chromatography for molecular-weight reduction. Where the article is food-contact, the overall and specific migration requirements apply as well. The exact standard set is confirmed at assessment. Our Technical Regulations guide explains how regulations are matched to products.
Testing / Standards
What is required depends on the article and how much valid data already exists. Typical work includes:
- Verification that the pro-degradant additive appears on the SASO-approved list and that the approval is current
- Confirmation of the additive loading in the production formulation against the approval basis
- Tier 1 accelerated thermal ageing and ultraviolet exposure of the finished article to ASTM D6954
- Molecular-weight reduction measurement by gel-permeation chromatography before and after ageing
- Tensile strength and elongation at break before and after ageing, to show embrittlement to the required threshold
- Carbonyl index development by infrared spectroscopy as evidence of oxidation
- Tier 2 biodegradation testing of the oxidised fragments
- Tier 3 ecotoxicity and plant-growth or germination testing on the residue
- Heavy-metal content of the additive and the finished article
- Article performance testing — thickness, load capacity, seal and handle strength for bags
- Food-contact migration testing where the article contacts food
- Logo, registration-number and production-date marking verification on the article and pack
The tiered ASTM D6954 protocol runs for a fixed and substantial period, so existing accredited reports covering the same article, polymer, additive and thickness are valuable and are accepted where they remain within validity. We review your data before arranging any new product testing, so you only test what is genuinely missing.
Documents Required
A typical degradable-plastic application uses the set below; our full documents required guide explains each item.
- Commercial invoice and packing list with the article types, dimensions, thickness and counts
- HS code of the product range
- Product specification — article type, base polymer, film thickness range and intended use
- Additive supplier's SASO approval certificate, with the additive brand name and approval reference
- Declaration of the additive loading used in production, supported by the formulation or masterbatch dosing record
- ASTM D6954 degradation test report on the finished article, covering all three tiers
- Molecular-weight, tensile and carbonyl-index data before and after ageing
- Ecotoxicity and plant-growth test report
- Heavy-metal test report for the additive and the finished article
- Food-contact migration report where applicable
- Artwork showing the Saudi degradable-plastic logo, the registration number and the production date
- Converter registration details and Saudi importer registration
PCoC Process
The Product Certificate of Conformity certifies the article against the degradable-plastic requirements. In outline:
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Scope and mandate check
We confirm which of your product lines fall inside the listed degradable-plastic scope and which follow the ordinary plastics route, then fix the article types, base polymer, thickness range and HS codes to be covered.
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Additive verification
We check that the pro-degradant additive comes from a SASO-approved supplier, that the approval is current, and that your production loading matches the basis of that approval — this is done before any testing is commissioned.
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Data review
We check any existing ASTM D6954 data against the exact article, polymer, additive and thickness being exported, rather than against a resin or a different gauge.
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Testing
An accredited laboratory carries out the tiered degradation, biodegradation, ecotoxicity, heavy-metal and article-performance testing that the existing data does not cover.
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Marking review
The degradable-plastic logo, registration number and production-date marking are reviewed on the artwork before submission, because marking is checked in the market as well as at the border.
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PCoC issued
Once the review is satisfied, the PCoC is issued on the SABER platform. It is typically valid for one year.
SCoC Process
A Shipment Certificate of Conformity is issued per consignment and is what customs checks at the border. In outline:
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Shipment details submitted
The commercial invoice, the packing list and the linked PCoC are submitted on the SABER platform for that specific consignment.
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Verification
The shipment is verified against the valid PCoC, the article types, thickness and counts are checked against the certified range, and the degradable-plastic logo, registration number and production date on the goods are confirmed, and the SCoC fee is settled on the platform.
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SCoC issued
The SCoC is issued for that shipment, allowing it to clear Saudi customs. Each new shipment needs its own SCoC.
Certification Timeline
The main variable is the tiered degradation testing, which runs for a long fixed period. Our SABER timeline guide covers this in detail.
- With an approved additive, a valid ASTM D6954 report covering the same article, additive and thickness, and finished logo artwork — a PCoC can typically be arranged within one to two weeks
- Where the tiered degradation testing has to be run from scratch, allow a substantial fixed period — the ageing and biodegradation stages run for months, not weeks, and cannot be accelerated further
- Verifying the additive supplier's SASO approval takes days, but doing it first prevents the far more expensive outcome of testing an article made with an unlisted additive
- Adding a new thickness or a new article type to an existing certified family is much faster than starting fresh
- SCoC — normally issued quickly per shipment once a valid PCoC is in place
Common Problems
- A pro-degradant additive bought from a supplier that does not hold SASO approval
- Degradation testing carried out on a resin plaque or a different film gauge instead of the finished article
- Additive loading in production lower than the loading the supplier's approval and test data are based on
- The degradable-plastic logo printed without the registration number or the production date
- No logo at all on the article, only on the outer carton
- Only Tier 1 abiotic ageing data supplied, with no biodegradation or ecotoxicity tiers
- Conventional polyethylene bags shipped for a listed item in the belief that quality certification is enough
- A product line assumed to be outside the mandate because of its HS code rather than its article type
- Food-contact items with degradation data but no migration testing
- Certificate covering one thickness while the shipment contains several gauges
We check these points up front — above all that the additive is on the approved list and that the degradation data was generated on the finished article at the gauge you ship — so consignments are not held at customs for avoidable reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is oxo-biodegradable plastic actually mandatory in Saudi Arabia?
For a defined list of single-use plastic items it is. Carrier bags, refuse sacks, food-service bags, cling and stretch film, disposable tableware, disposable gloves and agricultural film are among the items that must be oxo-biodegradable to be imported or sold. Conventional polyethylene versions of those items are refused, however good the supporting quality documentation is. Durable plastic goods are not caught by the mandate.
Can I use any oxo-biodegradable additive?
No. The additive must come from a supplier holding SASO approval and appearing on the approved additive list, and the file has to name the additive brand and its approval reference. A technically effective additive from an unlisted supplier does not satisfy the requirement. Confirm the additive's approval status before you commission any degradation testing — testing an article made with an unlisted additive is the most expensive mistake in this category.
What does ASTM D6954 testing involve?
It is a tiered protocol rather than a single test. Tier 1 exposes the finished article to accelerated thermal ageing and ultraviolet light and measures the fall in molecular weight and the loss of tensile strength and elongation, showing the material has embrittled. Tier 2 demonstrates biodegradation of the oxidised fragments. Tier 3 checks that the residue is not ecotoxic, typically through plant-growth or germination testing.
Does the logo have to be printed on every bag?
The Saudi degradable-plastic logo must appear on the article or its retail pack, together with the registration or certificate number and the production date, so that an item found in the market can be traced back to a valid certificate. Printing the logo only on the outer shipping carton is a common and avoidable failure, because marking is checked in the market as well as at the border.
Is compostable or bio-based plastic accepted instead?
Not automatically. The Saudi requirement is written around oxo-biodegradable degradation demonstrated by the tiered protocol, so a compostable material certified to an industrial-composting standard is answering a different question and is assessed on its own merits rather than treated as equivalent. If you supply compostable or bio-based product, tell us at the scoping stage so the correct route is confirmed before anything is filed.
How much does degradable plastic certification cost and how long does it take?
It depends mainly on whether valid ASTM D6954 data already exists for your exact article, additive and thickness. With an approved additive and a current tiered report, a PCoC can often be arranged within one to two weeks. Running the tiered protocol from scratch takes months because the ageing and biodegradation stages have fixed durations, so it should be started well before your first shipment. Send your article specification, additive details and existing reports for a specific quote at no cost. See our SABER certificate cost guide.
Get Your Degradable Plastic Products Certified
Send us the article types, the base polymer, the film thickness range, the pro-degradant additive brand and loading, the HS codes and any degradation test reports you hold. We will confirm which of your lines are caught by the Saudi degradable-plastic mandate, verify the additive's SASO approval before any money goes into testing, review your testing and logo marking, and coordinate the PCoC and each SCoC so your shipments clear Saudi customs without delay.