Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - November 14, 2023) - What is Biobased? Biobased is defined as materials that are derived in whole or in part from biomass resources such as plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. Biobased by definition only accounts for carbon.
Biobased testing for various products and ingredients
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Biomass feedstocks are renewable resources because they can be replenished through new plant growth. When biomass is burned, the carbon dioxide (CO2) that was previously captured by the plants during photosynthesis is released. This makes biomass carbon-neutral, meaning that it does not contribute additional CO2 to the atmosphere and thus accelerate climate change.
On the other hand, fossil fuel feedstocks are non-renewable resources. The CO2 released when fossil fuels are burned was sequestered millions of years ago and has not been part of the active carbon cycle for a long time. This makes fossil fuels a major contributor to climate change.
It is essential that the term Biobased is used accordingly and not commingled with other sustainability characteristics in order to maintain the integrity of all biobased materials and products. Biobased does not mean biodegradable or compostable.
How is Biobased Measured?
Carbon-14 analysis is the best solution for measuring Biobased content (Renewable Carbon Content) by looking at how much carbon in a product or material comes from biomass versus petroleum-derived content. Biobased testing determines what percentage of a particular sample comes from biomass resources. It is imperative that the end product has a verifiable biobased content on the actual product.
Multiple widely accepted Carbon-14 test standards include ASTM D6866, ISO 16620, and EN 16640 for biobased carbon content.
Biobased Certification & Regulation Programs
There are various programs that recommend or require biobased testing as per one of the aforementioned standards. The following list includes examples of international certifications and regulations that widely accept the definition of biobased and require third party verification methods.
Certifications
- USDA BioPreferred® Program
- CertiPUR-US®
- TUV Austria's OK Biobased
- Din CERTCO's DIN-Geprüft Biobased
- Nordic Swan Ecolabel
- Switzerland's Bluesign
- Braskem I'm green™ seal
- Japan BioPlastics Association's BiomassPla
- Japan Environment Association’s Eco Mark Program
- Korea Bio Material Packaging Association's Biobased Label (BP Label)
- Taiwanese "Green Mark" for Plastics Products
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- UL 9798 Bio-based Product Content Validation
- UL 2783 CCD-170
Regulations
- EU Policy Framework on Biobased, Biodegradable, and Compostable Plastics
- EU Directive 2015/720 on Biobased Plastic Bags
- (EU) 2018/1702 establishing the EU Ecolabel Criteria for Lubricants
- French Decree 2016-379 on Single-use Plastic Bags
- EU Directive 2015/720 on Biobased Plastic Bags
- U.S. Renewable Chemicals Act (Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, and Minnesota)
- U.S. Plastics Pact
For additional information, please visit the specific program website directly.
About Beta Analytic
Beta Analytic is an international Carbon-14 testing laboratory and an expert advisor for multiple biobased standards. Beta Analytic is an ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited laboratory. Beta accepts samples from all over the world and is committed to high quality results in a timely fashion and excellent customer support.
Learn more at www.betalabservices.com.
Contact Beta for more details on biobased testing.
Contact Information:
Beta Analytic
305-662-7760
[email protected]
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