As product sustainability becomes an increasingly important marketing tool for environmentally conscious consumers, businesses are looking for clear and reliable ways to demonstrate this. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred® Program promotes the purchase and use of biobased products and aims to boost jobs and markets for farming commodities. As consumers become more aware of building sustainably, the sources of the materials also come into play and the USDA BioPreferred Program’s construction and renovation product categories reflect this.
The aim of the USDA BioPreferred Program is to promote the use of biobased products, giving businesses the opportunity to differentiate their biobased products to consumers. According to the USDA BioPreferred Program, a biobased product does not encompass food, feed or fuel. Biobased products serve as an alternative to traditionally petroleum-derived products and should be made from plants and agricultural, marine or forestry renewable materials.
The Program allows businesses to apply for the USDA Certified Biobased Product label to put on their products when they fulfill minimum biobased content levels. This label can help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. These biobased content requirements are set out in the USDA BioPreferred Program mandate.
To apply for the Program, businesses must submit all requested product information along with a biobased content test according to ASTM D6866, a standard which measures the percentage of biobased carbon content in a product as a fraction of the total organic carbon.
The USDA BioPreferred Program has defined many product categories used in construction and renovation, promoting building with more sustainable materials. Biobased materials do not have to mean a compromise on price or quality, as seen in the use of a carpet with soy-based backing highlighted as providing an option of equal quality and competitive price in the industry. The product categories defined for the construction industry are summarized in the table below.
ISO 17025-accredited Beta Analytic provides high-quality biobased testing for the USDA BioPreferred Program using the required ASTM D6866 analytical standard.
In 2004 Beta Analytic joined the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) as co-author of ASTM D6866 for biobased content analysis. Beta Analytic is not affiliated with ASTM or the USDA BioPreferred Program. All inquiries about the program should be sent to the Program.
Beta Analytic welcomes inquiries on how to submit samples for testing. Please contact the lab for price inquiries.
References:
United Soybean Board. Georgia Association of County Commissioners Uses Carpet with Soy-based Backing. United States Department of Agriculture. Downloaded from BioPreferred Success Stories section (accessed July 2017).
United States Department of Agriculture. Date unknown. Frequently Asked Questions (accessed July 2017).
United States Department of Agriculture. Date unknown. Product Categories (accessed July 2017).
Related Topics:
USDA Certified Biobased Label for Deodorants
Bed Linen and Towel Manufacturers – Why get a USDA Certified Biobased Label?
Personal Care Products in the USDA BioPreferred Program
This entry was posted on Monday, August 21st, 2017 and is filed under USDA Biopreferred Program .