Are Biobased Products Better for the Environment?

For years, the USDA BioPreferred® Program has promoted the benefits of using renewable biobased materials in manufactured products, chemical intermediates, finished goods and packaging. Due to the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration, more attention is being placed on quantifying evidence. Consumers, manufacturers, and stakeholders alike are asking hard questions: How can we prove that biobased products are better for the environment? How do we measure the impact on climate change?

Over the coming months, we are committed to furthering these discussions and fostering a collective understanding of these issues by sharing and developing a variety of thought leadership articles.

No single factor can determine the environmental benefits of biobased materials and products. Instead, as the Plant-Based Products Council (PBPC) notes in a recent blogpost, it is critical to take a wide view across a broad range of factors. The following is an edited excerpt from the post which explores the complex equation involved:

• Carbon dioxide: Biobased plastic alternatives are made from plants, which remove existing carbon from the atmosphere and decrease the overall levels of carbon in the atmosphere. Plastics derived from fossil fuels are made from carbon that has been buried deep in the ground for millennia, and the eventual release of which contributes to an increase in the overall level of carbon in the atmosphere.
• Energy: The production of biobased feedstocks requires only the sun’s energy. And once harvested, manufacturers of biobased alternatives can sometimes generate their own power using carbon-neutral biofuels. Fossil fuel extraction and petrochemical production often utilize fossil fuels to power their operations. Of course, bioplastic production itself is not carbon-neutral, but can be far less harmful to the environment than petrochemical production.
• Water: Producers of biobased products are also constantly working to reduce water use. Manufacturers can recycle the same water multiple times before returning it safely to the environment. For instance, the typical pulp and paper mill in the U.S. reuses the water involved in production 10 times and about 88 percent of the water used is discharged back to its source after meeting the most stringent water quality and treatment standards. Meanwhile, many fossil fuel-based plastics are made from natural gas, which is extracted through fracking, a controversial and water-intensive process.
• End-of-life: About 79 percent of all plastic ever produced is currently in a landfill or the environment. Compare that to most biobased plastics and packaging, which more often than not are either biodegradable or compostable. Biodegradable biobased products can be broken down over time by natural forces. Composting means they can be broken down using a controlled balance of heat, moisture, nutrients, and oxygen in an appropriate composting facility by the same microorganisms that break down other plant and food stuff.

Continue reading at the source (Plant Based Product Council.)