HI&I and Nonwovens
The two major parts of the Program are:
- A mandatory purchasing requirements for federal agencies and their contractors
- A voluntary labeling initiative for bio-based products
About Voluntary Labeling Initiative
As consumers consider purchasing options with sustainable attributes, USDA wants to make it easy for consumers to identify bio-based products. The USDA Certified Bio-based Product label, displayed on a product certified by USDA, is designed to provide useful information to consumers about the bio-based content of the product.
A business with a bio-based product that meets USDA criteria may apply for certification, allowing them to display the USDA Certified Bio-based Product label on the product. This label assures a consumer that the product contains a verified amount of renewable biological ingredients (referred to as bio-based content). Consumers can trust the label to mean what it says because manufacturer's claims concerning the bio-based content are third-party certified and strictly monitored by USDA.
What Are Bio-based Products?
Bio-based products are derived from plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials and provide an alternative to conventional petroleum derived products. Bio-based products include diverse categories such as lubricants, cleaning products, inks, fertilizers, and bioplastics. For the purposes of the BioPreferred Program, bio-based products do not include food, animal feed, or fuel. This document provides more information about bio-based content and how it is determined. Products participating in the voluntary labelling initiative have their bio-based content measured using ASTM D6866 as part of the certification process.
Sources: USDA BioPreferred Program webpage