USDA Certified Biobased Products
Overview of the Program
Authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill), and expanded by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), Congress directed the establishment of a preferred Federal purchasing program and a voluntary labeling program for biobased products.
A biobased product is defined by the two above referenced Farm Bills as ‘a product determined by the Secretary (USDA Secretary of Agriculture) to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and aquatic materials), forestry materials or an intermediate ingredient or feedstock’. USDA is the lead agency for both the voluntary labeling and Federal preferred purchasing programs.
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
The USDA certified biobased product label has been specifically designed to empower consumers to readily identify products with verified biobased content. Other products that claim to contain biobased content can be uncertified, or certified under ASTM 6866 or alternative standards. They can contain lower or insignificant levels of biobased content and may not be required to disclose these levels on their labels.
To allow consumers to be confident that the stated percentage of a product’s biobased content is accurate, the USDA BioPreferred brand and stringent labeling process reflects and builds upon the credibility, integrity and trust of the USDA. Further, the label requires minimum content levels considered to be meaningful, as well as disclosure of the percentage biobased content.
Sound 3300 Oil Eliminator HD Analysis
The analysis of the Sound 3300 Oil Eliminator HD was performed in accordance with specified procedures in ASTM Method D6866. The biobased content of 87% on our product means that 87% of the organic carbon is from biorenewable resources (recent plant and/or animal matter) and only 13% of the organic carbon is from fossil carbon resources (e.g., coal and petroleum).