Solvita® Validation / Certification

Solvita is one of the most widely recognized and most validated procedures for compost maturity testing in the world. Various official rules and/or approvals are listed in this section.

Solvita is required as a compost maturity test by Washington State DOT, Texas DOT, California Transportation Dept (Caltran), Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), CT-DOT, Kansas DOT and provisionally Mass-DOT. Solvita is a preferred test for compost products used under the recycled materials procurement guidelines. Solvita is also approved as an alternate CO2 method under the regulations of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, also by the State of Maine DEP, the Illinois EPA (approved alternate under Section 830-b), NJ-EPA and New Mexico Bureau of Mining and Minerals as an acceptable alternative to required laboratory compost respiration/maturity testing. 18 States are currently reviewing Solvita testing for possible inclusion in recommended testing protocols. Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) recognizes Solvita as an equivalent test for compost respiration. Solvita has been tested in Germany by the environmental agency LUFA (Landwirtschaftlich-Umwelt Forschungs Amt) which found "excellent corroboration of the more time-consuming Dewar Self-Heating Test". Solvita is officially recognized in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Solvita is also accepted Europe-wide in the Eco-Label program of compost characterization.

Here is the current US Status of the compost test kit within the US (gold areas are required zones; orange tentative approval: