Carbon-14 testing, or radiocarbon, is an established method in the biobased industry. It is based on ASTM D6866 and equivalent analytic standards including ISO 16620 and EN 16640 for measuring the content of bioplastics and other biobased products. Biobased testing is applicable to materials in solid, liquid, and gaseous form and is widely accepted as an effective method for determining the source of carbon in a product. Several market applications and certifications exist for biobased content testing.
The Market Value Of Bioplastics Continues To Grow
Suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors of biobased products are steering away from petrochemical-derived materials and instead opting for biobased, or biomass-derived, materials due to environmental and sustainability concerns. The bioplastics market has been experiencing significant growth in recent years with projections to continue this trajectory. The value of the global bioplastics market was USD 6.04 billion in 2018. A compound annual growth rate of over 16% indicates the market will reach a value of USD 19.93 billion by 2026.1
Biobased packaging in particular is in high demand, including beverage bottles, food and cosmetics packaging, bags, and wrappers. 65% of the global packaging market volume in 2018 consisted of bioplastics.2 Bioplastics represent a more sustainable option to traditional plastics since they are made from plant material as opposed to petroleum-based ingredients. The transition toward renewable plastics has led to the development and implementation of global regulations with the intent to limit or ban single-use plastic products. Such regulations promote the transition to bioplastic products to ensure progress toward sustainability goals including the EU’s Single-Use Plastic Products Directive, the Packaging and Waste Directive, and France’s single use plastics decree. To ensure bioplastics meet these biobased content requirements, manufacturers can submit samples of their product components to a carbon-14 testing laboratory for biobased content testing.
Carbon-14 and Testing Results
Carbon-14 testing is based on analytical standards including ASTM D6866, ISO 16620, and EN 16640. It can be used to differentiate between biobased and petroleum-based sources of raw materials or end products. Analysis is performed using an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) instrument. The percentage of biobased material in a product’s ingredients can be accurately measured.
Measuring the biobased carbon content of bioplastics offers several advantages for biobased manufacturers. Quality assurance of product components and materials can be verified during the research and development phase of manufacturing. Biobased content is also useful to validate for marketing purposes to support and confirm biobased content claims. Additionally, test results are valuable for eco-label applications and participation in government certifications schemes, some of which require carbon-14 biobased content testing.
Biobased Certifications and Labels
Certifying packaging materials via global regulations and certifications allow manufacturers to visibly display a certification logo on eligible products which states the percentage of biobased content present. Programs that accept biobased testing via the carbon-14 method include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred® Program, the DIN CERTCO DIN-Geprüft Biobased Scheme, and the TÜV AUSTRIA OK Biobased program.
The USDA BioPreferred® Program accepts eligible products to receive and display the USDA Certified Biobased Product label. The label visually displays the product’s third-party verification status and its percentage of biobased content. To qualify, samples must be sent to an approved ISO 17025-accredited carbon-14 testing laboratory that performs biobased content testing. The label offers transparency within the market, allowing consumers to easily identify biobased products.
The DIN CERTCO DIN-Geprüft Biobased Certification requires biobased testing according to ASTM D6866, CEN/TS 16137, or ISO 16620 standard in order to qualify for its eco-label. The certification scheme accepts packaging that is partially or fully derived from biobased raw materials. Once analysis is complete, the participant is issued a certificate stating the biobased qualifications of the product. TUV Austria’s OK Biobased also certifies products and packaging material composed of biobased content. Eligible packaging materials must contain at least 20% biobased content.
Conclusion
Consumer demand for biobased plastics, especially those used for packaging, has led companies to begin to reduce the use and production of single-use plastics. As a result, more sustainable alternatives such as bioplastics are being developed and require verification of their components to ensure they are truly biobased. Regulations specify carbon-14 testing as a reliable and accurate method to verify the portion of biobased carbon content that comprises bioplastic material.