What Organic Waste Systems NV does

Organic Waste Systems NV, trading as Normec OWS, is a Belgian private laboratory founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ghent that provides independent biodegradability and compostability testing services. The company operates as a subsidiary within the Normec group and serves industries and government agencies across packaging, plastics, paper, consumer goods, adhesives, inks, detergents, mineral oils, specialty chemicals, and agricultural and horticultural products.

Its core offering is a one-stop laboratory portfolio covering industrial composting, home composting, soil, fresh water, marine and anaerobic degradation testing, ecotoxicity assessment, high-throughput pre-screening, sustainability assessments (carbon footprint, ISO 14040/14044 LCA, EPD, PEF, LCC, Social LCA), waste inspection, and analytical services including heavy metals, fluorine, biobased carbon content, FT-IR analysis and PFAS testing for food-contact packaging. The proprietary Normec OWS Methodology and 35+ years of domain experience underpin testing workflows recognized by all major certification bodies worldwide, with BELAC 338 accreditation.

Revenue is generated primarily through B2B professional-services fees for laboratory testing, sold under quote-based, multi-year contracts via direct enterprise and government sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is expanding its commercial surface through a new Intelligence Platform launched in February 2026 that extends the franchise into intelligence and consulting for sustainable innovation.

Name

Organic Waste Systems NV

Legal name

Organic Waste Systems NV

Website

https://ows.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Organic Waste Systems NV (Normec OWS) is a Belgian accredited laboratory that provides independent biodegradability, compostability, ecotoxicity, and life-cycle testing for industries and government agencies worldwide, as part of the Normec group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Testing Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Organics Contamination Monitoring & Compliance (QA/QC, Auditing, Reporting) (EUAIAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL), Waste & Hazardous Materials Management (incl. HazMat) (BPAHAJAK)

Keywords

• Biodegradability testing
• Compostability testing
• Laboratory testing services
• Life cycle assessment
• Anaerobic digestion testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: B2B laboratory services providing biodegradability and compostability testing for materials including packaging materials, plastics, paper, food service ware, adhesives, inks, detergents, consumer products, mineral oils, specialty chemicals, and agricultural/horticultural products. Revenue generated through testing fees for material samples.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Organic Waste Systems NV (trading as Normec OWS) is an independent Belgian laboratory providing biodegradability and compostability testing services for materials. It offers a one-stop portfolio covering degradation and toxicity testing, high-throughput pre-screening, waste inspection, sustainability/life cycle assessments, and analytical services. The laboratory supports industries and government agencies worldwide in determining optimal end-of-life solutions for their products and waste streams.

Product overview

Normec OWS operates as a one-stop laboratory offering a unified portfolio of biodegradability and compostability testing services. The core offering centers on degradation and toxicity testing, complemented by waste inspection, sustainability assessments, analytical services, and intelligence/consulting capabilities. As an independent laboratory recognized worldwide by all certification bodies, the company provides testing for thousands of material samples across packaging materials, plastics, paper, food service ware, adhesives, inks, detergents, consumer products, specialty chemicals, and agricultural/horticultural products. The company supports industries and government agencies in establishing optimal end-of-life solutions for their products and waste streams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Degradation and Toxicity Testing Comprehensive degradation and toxicity testing services covering industrial composting, home composting, soil degradation, fresh water degradation, marine degradation, anaerobic degradation, abiotic degradation, and ecotoxicity testing, targeted at enterprises and government agencies needing independent validation of material biodegradability and compostability.
• High-Throughput Pre-Screening Rapid preliminary screening service that evaluates material biodegradability before committing to full-scale testing, using Normec OWS's modular methodology to deliver consistent early-stage results to materials and packaging developers.
• Waste Inspection Services Waste composition and management practice assessment services including administrative and technical audits, litter monitoring, and sorting analysis, intended for government agencies and industries evaluating waste streams and recycling performance.
• Sustainability Assessments Comprehensive sustainability evaluation services including carbon footprint analysis, ISO 14040/14044 Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Social Life Cycle Assessment, and Circularity Index, designed for enterprises and public-sector clients needing standardized sustainability assessments.
• Analytical Services Laboratory analytical services including heavy metals and fluorine testing, biobased carbon content analysis, compost analyses, milling, FT-IR spectrum analysis, and PFAS testing for food-contact packaging, supporting material characterization needs of industrial clients.
• Intelligence and Consulting Expert consulting, education, and intelligence platform access services that support industries and government agencies in achieving sustainability goals and determining optimal end-of-life solutions for their products and waste streams.
• Intelligence Platform Platform offering launched by Normec OWS to support sustainable innovation, providing intelligence and consulting services that help clients make sustainable product and end-of-life decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tested thousands of material samples for hundreds of clients worldwide

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Normec GroupcoreOthersOrganic Waste Systems NV operates as Normec OWS, part of the larger Normec group of companies. The company maintains its identity and operations while benefiting from association with the Normec brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland: Major German testing and certification body offering environmental, materials, and sustainability testing including biodegradability services. Comparable as a broad European incumbent with similar accredited laboratory offerings.
• Intertek Group: Global testing and certification provider with extensive environmental, materials, and packaging testing services. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping biodegradability and compostability testing to multinational packaging and consumer goods clients.
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL): Global safety science organization with extensive materials, environmental, and sustainability testing services. Comparable broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in environmental and material certification for industrial and consumer clients.
• Bureau Veritas: Major global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) company providing sustainability, materials, and environmental testing including biodegradability assessments. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise testing contracts.
• Eurofins Scientific: Leading European laboratory testing group with environmental, food, and materials testing capabilities including biodegradation and compostability services. Direct comparability as a pan-European lab operator serving similar client verticals.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, and certification organization with environmental and product testing including compostability and biodegradability. Comparable broad incumbent competing in the same European testing market.
• SGS SA: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant offering biodegradability, compostability, and environmental testing services. Directly comparable as a broad incumbent that competes with Normec OWS in biodegradability testing but as part of a much larger, diversified service portfolio.

Direct peers

• Smithers: Specialized testing and consulting firm focused on materials, packaging, and polymer testing including biodegradation and compostability assessments. Direct peer as a similarly specialized materials testing laboratory serving packaging and consumer goods clients.
• TÜV Austria (OK Compost): Operates the OK Compost and OK Compost Industrial certification schemes, the dominant European certification marks for compostable products. Most direct peer given its focused compostability/biodegradability testing and certification business model.
• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization providing testing and certification including environmental, sustainability, and compostability services. Comparable as a peer offering accredited testing to similar enterprise customer segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/normec-ows

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Organic Waste Systems NV