What does USDA certified biobased product mean?

The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is designed to provide useful information to consumers about the biobased content of the product. The label assures a consumer that the product contains a USDA-verified amount of renewable biological ingredients.

What is biobased content?

Biobased content is how much “new” or recent organic carbon is in an object or substance, compared to the amount of “old” organic carbon it contains.

What is mandatory federal purchasing?

Federal law and the Federal Acquisition Regulation direct that all federal agencies purchase biobased products in categories identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Is it biobased or bio based?

Biobased materials refer to products that mainly consist of a substance (or substances) derived from living matter (biomass) and either occur naturally or are synthesized, or it may refer to products made by processes that use biomass.

How does the USDA BioPreferred program catalog work?

Please refresh. USDA’s BioPreferred ® Program Catalog assists users in identifying products that qualify for mandatory federal purchasing, are certified through the voluntary labeling initiative, or both. Companies with biobased products voluntarily submit their product information for inclusion in this Catalog.

Can a federal agency purchase a biobased product?

Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Presidential Executive Orders direct federal agencies and their contractors to purchase biobased products in categories identified by USDA. Many retailers and service providers carry biobased products.

What can the BioPreferred program do for You?

The BioPreferred program offers resources to businesses with biobased products including; a voluntary labeling process, a catalog of biobased products, training, and information on marketing of biobased products in the federal government.

What does it mean to be biobased by USDA?

USDA lists the product’s biobased content as “meets minimum” for a particular category. This symbol indicates that a product or package is USDA Certified Biobased. The biobased contents of these products/packages have been third-party tested at independent laboratories.