Certification and Registration
USDA BioPreferred Program
Category:
USDA BioPreferred Program for Biobased Products
About the BioPreferred® Program
The BioPreferred® Program, managed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), aims to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. The BioPreferred Program was created under the 2002 Farm Bill and was reauthorized and expanded as part of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act (2018 Farm Bill). The purpose of this program is to stimulate economic development, create new employment opportunities, and provide new markets for agricultural products. The increased development, purchase, and use of biobased products reduces dependence on petroleum, increases the use of renewable agricultural resources, and helps reduce adverse impacts on the environment and human health.
What Are Biobased Products?
According to the USDA definition, biobased products refer to commercial or industrial products (excluding food and feed) that are composed wholly or significantly of biological products, forestry materials, or renewable domestic agricultural materials, including plant, animal, or marine materials.
Biobased products are generally alternatives to traditional petroleum-derived products and include a wide range of products, such as cosmetics and personal care products, lubricants, additives, cleaners, inks, fertilizers, and bioplastics. For the purposes of the BioPreferred Program, biobased products do not include food, animal feed, or fuels.
Biobased Building Materials
Biobased Dye Additives
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Biobased Paper Products |
Bioplastics |
Components of the BioPreferred® Program
The BioPreferred® Program consists of two parts: Mandatory Federal Purchasing and Voluntary Labeling.
About Mandatory Federal Purchasing
Products that meet the requirements of the Mandatory Federal Purchasing category are identified with the symbol “FP”. This symbol indicates that the product meets or exceeds the minimum biobased content requirements for one or more product categories established by the USDA. Federal laws, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and Presidential Executive Orders require all federal agencies to purchase biobased products in categories designated by the USDA. To date, the USDA has identified 139 categories of biobased products (such as cleaners, carpets, lubricants, and paints).
About Voluntary Labeling
Products or packaging carrying the Voluntary Label are USDA-certified biobased products. The biobased content of these products/packaging has been tested by independent laboratories through third-party testing. These products/packaging have been certified by the USDA and are authorized to display the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label.
How is Biobased Content Determined?
Biobased content can be estimated by using the ratio of “new” organic carbon (such as carbon derived from agricultural materials) to total organic carbon (“new” + “old” or petroleum-based carbon). Water and inorganic carbon (such as carbonates) are excluded from the calculation. The BioPreferred Program uses ASTM D6866 to quantify the biobased content of products during the certification process (see the appendix of this article).
Basic Certification Process
1.Apply for certification with the USDA and submit application documents.
2.Within 60 days, the USDA reviews and determines whether to accept the certification application.
3.After accepting the application, the USDA issues an application number.
4.Conduct sample testing. Testing will be performed at an independent laboratory in the United States.
5.The USDA accepts or rejects the certification based on the test results.
6.Use the label in compliance with requirements.
SATISFY provides biobased content testing and biobased-related certification services in multiple countries. Please contact SATISFY customer service for further information.
Appendix
Biobased Testing Standards Based on Carbon-14 Analysis
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Standard No. |
Applicable Scope |
Testing Principle |
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Applicable to various products (solid, liquid, and gaseous) |
Measures the percentage of biobased carbon content in the sample based on the carbon content in the sample |
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Applicable to plastic products, polymers, and additives |
ISO 16620-2: The test result is the percentage of biobased carbon content or biobased carbon content relative to total organic carbon content |
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ISO 19984 |
Applicable to rubber and rubber products, including synthetic rubber |
Measures the percentage of biobased carbon content relative to total carbon content in the sample |
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Applicable to all biobased products |
Measures the percentage of biobased carbon content relative to total carbon content in the sample |
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Applicable to solid, liquid, and gaseous products containing carbon |
This standard references the radiocarbon testing method in EN 16640 |
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EN 16766 |
Only applicable to biobased solvents |
Conducts biobased carbon content testing according to EN 16640 or EN 16785-1 |
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EN 16807 |
Only applicable to biobased lubricants |
The biobased carbon content testing method in this standard references EN 16640 and EN 16785-1 |
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EN 17228 |
Applicable to biobased plastics and plastic products. This standard references biobased carbon content testing methods ISO 16620-2, EN 16640, and EN 16785-1. |
It replaces CEN/TS 16137 and CEN/TS 16295 |
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