What ASTM D5511 Testing Actually Means (and Why We Put Our Pee Pads Through It)

Walk down any pet aisle and you'll see "eco-friendly" and "biodegradable" printed on plenty of boxes. Here's an uncomfortable truth: those words are often marketing, not measurement. That's why we put our Pee Pads through independent ASTM D5511 laboratory testing, and why we think you should know what that actually means.

What ASTM D5511 is

ASTM D5511 is a standardized laboratory test that measures how a material biodegrades in high-solids anaerobic conditions, the environment that resembles a modern landfill, which is where used pee pads realistically end up. Test material goes into controlled anaerobic digesters alongside microbe-rich inoculum, and the lab measures the biogas produced as microorganisms actually consume the material. Biogas out means biodegradation happening. No biogas, no biodegradation, no matter what the packaging says.

Why anaerobic testing is the honest test

Some products advertise compostability standards that assume industrial composting facilities most consumers will never use. Testing under landfill-like conditions asks the honest question: what happens to this product where it will actually go?

Our results

In independent ASTM D5511 testing, our Pee Pads showed 38% biodegradation in 75 days. That's real, measured microbial breakdown in landfill-representative conditions, in under three months, while conventional plastic-backed pads are engineered from materials that persist for centuries.

We share the actual number because that's what honest sustainability looks like: measured progress, not vague leaves on a logo.

The design behind the number

The pad's backing is made with plant-based PLA rather than conventional petroleum plastic film, part of a six-layer construction that doesn't sacrifice absorbency to get its eco credentials. You shouldn't have to choose between dry floors and a lighter footprint.

Questions we welcome

We'd rather you ask hard questions about every "green" claim, including ours. Read more about our mission, or reach out if you want details on the testing.