National Biobased Products Day: Building better with biology

Whether it’s bottles, baby wipes, fashion, or fuel, biology can build it better.

Biobased products, made from renewable natural materials, provide sustainable alternatives to products made from fossil fuels. As biotechnology innovation enables advances in biomanufacturing, the number of beneficial biobased products grows.

National Biobased Products Day, marked annually on March 8 since 2023, calls attention to improvements in consumables through the use of biological raw materials. The day was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred Program, which has promoted biobased products since 2002.

“The goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products,” according to the USDA. The program acts through two main mechanisms:

• Mandatory federal purchasing: All federal agencies have purchasing requirements for biobased products in categories identified by the USDA. So far, USDA has identified 139 categories of biobased products, including cleaners, carpet, lubricants, paints, and more.
• Voluntary labeling: To help Americans make sustainable purchases, biobased products earning certification can display a “USDA Certified Biobased Product” label that provides consumers with information about the product’s benefits.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) calls for expansion of the BioPreferred Program through legislation like the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and through the development of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to help clearly define biobased products so that their purchase can be better cataloged.

Grown in America; helping America grow

Along with enhancing sustainability, the bioproducts industry also provides substantial economic benefits for America.

“The industry’s total contribution to the U.S. economy in 2021 was $489 billion in value added, and it supported 3.94 million jobs,” according to a USDA report on the biobased products sector. “Each job within the biobased products industry supported an additional 1.4 jobs in other sectors.”

The raw material for biobased products, biomass, is predominantly produced through agriculture. That means biomanufacturing enjoys a resilient, renewable, domestic supply chain and generates revenue for American farmers, according to a USDA report on biomass.

“This transition within the U.S. economy also aims to create and support national security through renewable resources and energy,” USDA says.

Biotech for energy

Biorefining to produce biofuels offers sustainable, resilient energy sources. It is also an industry where the U.S. is competitive.

“Biorefining is an innovative alternative to the production of petroleum-based products, and it is an important part of the emerging biobased products industry. The global market for biorefining is expected to increase to nearly $980 billion by 2026,” according to USDA. “North America, China, and Europe lead the world market in production.”

One promising area for biofuel expansion is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is produced from renewable bio-feedstocks and offers an immediate-term solution to cut carbon emissions from air travel. SAF can be dropped into existing commercial airline engines to reduce emissions by 70% compared to conventional fuels.

Biotech companies advancing SAF include Virent, which fueled the first transatlantic flight of a commercial aircraft powered 100% with SAF, and LanzaJet, which last year opened the world’s first production facility to convert plant-based and low-carbon ethanol into SAF in Soperton, GA.

Expanding SAF use requires achieving commercial-scale production. While SAF production was expected to reach 30,000 barrels a day last year, total U.S. jet fuel consumption is about 1.6 million barrels a day, according to the Energy Information Administration.

BIO supports greater SAF production and sales. BIO is a member of the SAF Coalition, an advocacy group including participants in the airline industry, agriculture, biotech, and other stakeholders.

Both BIO and the SAF Coalition support the Farm to Fly Act, which would clarify regulation and encourage cooperation for SAF production and use. It is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KA), Chuck Grassley (R-IW), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Pete Ricketts (R-NB), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Joni Ernst (R-IW).

Plastics and fashion

Biobased products are helping address concerns about plastic pollution. Plant-based bioplastics and bioengineered microorganisms that consume plastic more quickly are among the biotech solutions outlined in an episode of the I am BIO podcast.

One promising alternative to traditional plastic is 100% biobased polyethylene furanoate (PEF), which can be used for manufacturing packaging for products meant to have a long shelf life. According to a study published in 2023, “PEF would offer 50% to 74% lower life cycle GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions after one recycling trip compared to conventional PET (polyethylene terephthalate).”

In fashion, an industry known for polluting, bioproducts are ushering in sustainable trends.

BIO member LanzaTech captures carbon from industrial waste gases and uses it to make useful products, including ethanol for biofuel, and raw material for clothing. LanzaTech’s CarbonSmart™ polyester has been used to make dresses, warm fleece, and shoes for collections by Zara, H&M Move, Adidas, lululemon, Kathmandu, REI, Craghoppers and IPSO.

Other biotech firms want to produce more sustainable fashion from natural sources like algae, fungi, yeast, bacteria, and spider silk.

As biotech continues to innovate, the types of raw materials and finished products that can be built better with biology continue to grow.