Basically any product that can be made from oil can theoretically be made from biomass. There are already a lot of bio-based products available on the market. Some examples include: apparel made from milk, wood or coffee grounds, shoes from algae, disposable tableware from palm leaves, toys from bioplastic, compostable plastic bags, personal care products from plants, natural detergents, plant-based drinking bottles, planting pots for your garden or even new glasses.
Nonetheless bio-based products may be hard to find or recognise, as few products carry a certified label or any other information indicating that they are bio-based. Marketers often do not promote bio-based products for being bio-based. They rather focus on the new and better functionalities bio-based products can provide.
Product databases can help you to get an idea of the wide variety of bio-based products already available. There are many databases that present green products and materials that also include bio-based products. But there are very few databases that cover a broad and international selection of consumer products.
The following are among the most interesting bio-based product databases:
Originally designed in the Open-Bio project, and incorporated in the InnProBio project, the recently launched InnProBio product database presents various bio-based products sorted by application area, product type and Common Procurement Vocabulary code. Products include for example office supplies, gardening equipment, lubricants or plastics plates and cutlery. In the database, users find information about the bio-based content of products, sustainability, functionality and end-of-life aspects, such as biodegradability. Claims are supported by references to standards, technical sheets and labels.
