Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics Now Available
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The latest version of the Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics is now available. The full document and an executive summary are available for download on this site. The Guidelines outline goals and a present a roadmap for improving the sustainability of bioplastics. They address key issues in the bioplastics lifecycle, as well as the best practices for achieving sustainability with bioplastics. The Guidelines are currently being implemented by such diverse organizations as Whole Foods, the Rynel Corp., and the Maine Bioplastics Council. The Guidelines are also being used as the foundation for the development of "Biospecs": Purchasing Specifications for Sustainable Bioplastic Products for the Food Service Ware Industry.

"Biospecs": Purchasing Specifications for Sustainable BioPlastic Products Available July 2009
jOlmstead

The Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative is working closely with the Business/NGO Working Group on Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Biomaterials and Health Care Without Harm to develop the "BioSpecs". The first public draft will be available for comment and review on the website in July 2009. Organizations or companies who might be interested in being early adopters of the “BioSpecs” should contact the SBC Coordinator.

Shifting the Market to Biobased Materials and Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Aggregating/Pooling Demand
jOlmstead

The aggregated/pooled demand initiative is a strategy to encourage a market shift towards sustainable biomaterials and biobased products production made more possible by the strength of multiple companies voicing their aggregated/pooled demand. The sustainability framework is provided by the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative’s Sustainable Bioplastics Guidelines and its upcoming Purchasing Specifications. Green Harvest Technologies; Seventh Generation, Gaia Herbs, IceStone, Organic Valley, Nature’s Path and Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Initiative have signed on. Our intent is to link the growing market demand with collaborative business strategies that are based on a commonly held set of sustainability principles.

Working Landscapes Certificate Program
jOlmstead

With the support of the SBC, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and Green Harvest Technologies are working together to develop the infrastructure and market for sustainable feedstock production for biobased plastics and materials. The Working Landscapes Certificate (WLC) Program is an innovative, market-based initiative that allows manufacturers, retailers and consumers of biobased plastics to help farmers grow biobased feedstock crops in a more sustainable manner. Modeled on the energy sector's successful Renewable Energy Certificates, the WLC program recruits farmers to grow corn (the current feedstock for most US bioplastics) according to sustainable farming criteria. The “sustainable production” aspects are then quantified and linked to the amount of corn used in the production of a bioplastic product. This approach provides bioplastic customers with an affordable option for supporting sustainable agriculture and bioplastics and farmers with the financial support needed to utilize more sustainable farming practices, without the added expense and constraints that direct sourcing of feedstocks would require from both parties. For more information, please see: www.workinglandscapes.org.

SBC Hires Coordinator
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The Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative is proud to introduce its new coordinator, Stan Eller. Stan comes to the SBC with many years of professional experience in occupational and environmental health and working to reduce toxic and hazardous materials in products and the workplace and promoting "Green Chemistry" and environmentally friendly technologies and processes. Most recently, he was the coordinator for Maine's sustainable bioplastics project, which is seeking to convert "Potatoes to Plastics".

Promoting a Sustainable Materials Agenda with the New Administration
jOlmstead

With a growing awareness of the impact of petroleum based products and fuels on the climate, the environment and public health, there has never been a more important time to push for a change to sustainable biobased materials and products. The SBC has been actively engaged in proposing to the Obama administration an agenda to promote green chemistry and sustainable materials and products. A document outlining priorities for administration and policy actions was presented to the Obama-Biden Transition Teams.

SBC Provides Technical and Policy Support to Maine's "Potatoes to Plastics" Initiative
jOlmstead

The SBC Steering Committee and staff have been working closely with the Maine Sustainable Bioplastics Initiative and the Environmental Health Strategy Center to explore the potential for producing bioplastic products from Maine-grown potatoes. The SBC Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics were used as the sustainability framework for the Maine project and the SBC is providing expertise on technical and economic issues as well as end-of-life issues for bioplastics. The SBC is also providing substantial support in structuring Maine’s newly formed Sustainable Bioplastics Council and in seeking support from Maine’s Technology Institute.