USDA Biobased Certification: What Are USDA BioPreferred Products?

There are a lot of sustainability certifications, memberships, and logos popping up on products we bring home—each with their own set of planetary promises and problems. And this one’s no different.

Let’s get to the bio-bottom, looking at USDA BioPreferred products and what the ‘USDA Certified Biobased’ product logo actually means for us and our planet.

Managed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the BioPreferred Program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill, aiming to increase the purchase and use of biobased products in order to boost economic development, create jobs, provide markets for farm commodities, and reduce US reliance on petroleum.

To promote safer, healthier workplaces and support Rural America, the Program thus mandates biobased purchasing requirements for federal agencies (e.g. increased purchase of USDA biobased cleaners, carpet, inks, lubricants, paints, paper, and plastics).

Government spending aside, it also paved the way for a voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products sold commercially for everyday consumers.

Defining Biobased Products

As defined by the USDA, a biobased product is a “commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is:

1. Composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials, renewable chemicals, and forestry materials; or
2. An intermediate ingredient or feedstock”

Biobased content differentiates between “new” organic carbon (plant or agricultural-based), like a tree and “old” organic carbon (fossil fuel-based), like coal. For example, some milk cartons are up to 90% biobased (paper + petroleum-based plastic coating). Styrofoam, on the other hand, is 0% biobased (made from polystyrene, a type of plastic and petroleum derivative).

Think of the USDA Biobased logo as the USDA BioPreferred logo as the same because they’re frequently used synonymously. If we get technical about it, the USDA Certified Biobased Product label was developed through the BioPreferred Program as a way for consumers to purchase products with sustainable attributes.

A business with a biobased product can apply for certification once they meet the Biopreferred program’s criteria. This involves ASTM D6866 testing, which uses radiocarbon decay analysis to measure the biobased carbon content of solids, liquids, and gaseous products—or organic carbon + fossil fuel-based carbon / total carbon x 100.

Specifically, products undergo radiocarbon dating, which provides age estimates for a carbon-based material derived from living organisms. See, a carbon molecule loses atoms roughly every 5,730 years, providing a method that can be used to date something. For those who don’t remember this lesson from high school science class, this video explains how carbon ratios can be compared to estimate something’s age and whether it contains mostly “new” (0-10 years old) biobased carbon.

You may see the USDA Certified Biobased Product label on alternative products not conventionally petroleum-derived. These mostly include bioplastics, detergents, fertilizers, inks, and lubricants.

However, USDA BioPreferred certified products span 139 categories in total, with each category having specific minimum biobased content requirements. Products that don’t fall under one of the categories must be at least 25% biobased to bear the logo.

Some of those more relevant to sustainable and ethical beauty, low waste living, and fashion include:

• Aromatherapy
• Art supplies
• Baby wipes
• Baby and kids diapers
• Baby and kids – laundry products
• Baby and kids – lotions, moisturizers, and oils
• Baby and kids – oral care products
• Baby and kids – sun care products
• Bath products
• Bedding, bed linens, and towels
• Candles and wax melts
• Cleaning tools
• Clothing
• Cosmetics
• Deodorants
• Dishwashing products
• Disposable containers
• Disposable/durable cutlery
• Disposable/durable tableware
• Eyewear
• Fabric dyes
• Feminine care products
• Footwear
• General purpose household cleaners
• Hair care products – conditioners
• Hair care products – shampoos
• Hair styling products
• Hand cleaners
• Jewelry
• Kitchenware and accessories
• Laundry products – dryer sheets
• Lotions and moisturizers
• Mattresses, mattress toppers, and pillows
• Oral care products – toothpaste and mouthwash
• Perfume
• Rugs and floor mats
• Shaving products
• Shopping and trash bags
• Sun care products
• Toys and sporting gear
• Writing utensils – pens

The full USDA Certified Biobased product list (inclusive of all categories) can be found here.

To spot certified products, you’ll see a logo with circular sun, land, and water images, the words “USDA Certified Biobased Product,” and the percentage that’s biobased (in some cases).

Some labels may bear two percentages, one denoting the biobased content of the product itself and the other of the packaging. That percentage refers to how much of the total content comes from a renewable source, or feedstocks derived from plants, animals, marine sources, or forestry sources.

So, what does ‘biobased’ mean from a sustainability standpoint? While the biobased program itself is driven by sustainability principles, it’s important to note that biobased products aren’t always the greener choice.

The test methods which ASTM D6866 standard uses to assess biobased products does not address product performance, functionality, or environmental impact. Just because it’s from renewable resources doesn’t automatically mean a USDA biobased product has a lower carbon footprint.

Corn and sugarcane are often used in biobased products—which are often genetically modified and come with pretty hefty water, fertilizer, pesticide, and energy usage. Fertilizers specifically release nitrous oxide emissions—a greenhouse gas 298 times stronger than CO₂. Being largely phosphorus-based, they also contaminate the water table and lead to eutrophication of natural waterways.

Sometimes, plants are grown specifically for use in biobased products, which may compete with food production or contribute to biodiversity loss.

Biobased materials may also require extra ingredients and processing to compete with their fossil fuel-based counterparts, resulting in a higher footprint.

Perhaps most importantly, just because something is biobased doesn’t always mean it’s biodegradable or compostable—a common confusion that may result in an end-of-life fate that’s equivalent to or worse than throwing away something made from fossil fuels. We see this with a lot of paper products like paper plates, which may still feature non-biodegradable coatings that rend them both non-recyclable and non-compostable.

That said, the shift away from fossil fuels and towards biobased products is absolutely needed and the growing number of USDA BioPreferred Certified products demonstrates the increasing awareness of this fact.

And because they displace around 300 million gallons of petroleum per year in the US alone, the USDA compared them to the removal of 200,000 cars off the road.

USDA BioPreferred products can also help create jobs. In 2015, USDA biobased products contributed $369 billion to the US economy and supported 4 million jobs.

Ultimately, to determine whether or not the benefits of a specific biobased product outweight its environmental costs, we have to take into consideration the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the product, asking questions such as:

• Does the material absorb and store CO₂ while it grows (this generally applies to only plants that grow 100+ years)?
• Are the materials grown in a sustainable way (i.e. without the use of fertilizers and pesticides)?
• Are the materials grown locally (reducing transport emissions) and in a way that doesn’t compromise biodiversity?
• Is the biobased product made from agricultural byproducts (i.e. hemp, straw stems, and wood dust)?
• What happens to the biobased product at the end of its life? Is it biodegradable? Or better, compostable?

More than 2,500 items have been deemed USDA BioPreferred products. Here are a few examples from brands we’ve covered:

• Eucalypso makes sustainable bedding from eucalyptus that is USDA Biobased Certified.
• Brush with Bamboo has a compostable toothbrush that is made with USDA Biobased Certified bristles paired with a bamboo handle.
• Desserto, the main supplier of cactus leather, offers a leather substitute that’s vegan and certified by the program.
• Seventh Generation’s liquid laundry detergent is made with 97% USDA Biobased Certified ingredients.