3 Things You Need to Know About Bioproducts
To put it simply, bioproducts are goods and items produced from biomass. Biomass is the general term for any form of easily accessible organic material that is also seen as renewable. It ranges from things including plants, grasses, trees, and crops as well as aquatic plants along with wood and wood waste. This eco-friendly process considers a product’s whole life cycle, from its agricultural origin to its ability to regenerate. On the other hand, all bioproducts do not need to be produced utilizing cutting-edge technologies like genetic engineering. A few things you need to know about bioproducts are the purpose of bioproducts, the process bioproducts go through, and how to spot bioproducts near you.
To start, bioproducts are made to be the more environmentally friendly version of items out there on the market. What this does essentially makes everyday products biodegradable, nontoxic, and overall a better way to use everyday items without harming the environment. The amount of hazardous emissions and waste is reduced by bioproducts by utilizing a sustainable and renewable biomass source. Many countries like the United States have been shifting their focus onto bioproducts and are attempting to transition away from a finite source of fossil fuel and achieve more effective bio-based product production by reducing energy usage along the supply chain.
Understanding the process bioproducts go through is important so you are aware of how the bioproduct items you own came to be. The bioprocess is seen as the process of making anything useful by using a living entity, often things like cells, cell components, viruses, or a complete organism. The bioprocess can create anything ranging from biofuels made from algae to medicines like penicillin made from certain molds. An example would be the process of bioplastics, they are usually made by getting the sugar found in plants which are then converted into plastic to create bioplastics. The United States uses corn as the main source of that sugar. Other countries have used potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, and even sugar cane. Because of this, bioplastics are more environmentally friendly and renewable than traditional plastics.
After reading this if you wanted to start buying bioproducts here is how. Next time you go to the store or are shopping online, make sure to check around the item and look out for a label that mentions that it’s a bioproduct. If you don’t see the bioproduct label, make sure to do some research on the particular item and see what it’s made of and how it was made. A very popular bioproduct label out there is the biopreffered program, it’s a program to aid in the growth and extension of markets for biobased goods. Our country’s dependency on non-bioproducts will decline as the production, consumption, and usage of biobased goods grow, as will the utilization of renewable agricultural resources. To spot this make sure to look for their bioproduct label and if you want to look into items from this program, just check their website.
Now that you know a little more about bioproducts and how they are used to better the environment, I hope you all can make wiser decisions when it comes to buying everyday items. The more people invest in bioproducts the closer we’ll get to a society that is less harmful to the Earth.
Citation:
- Invest in bio — what are bioproducts? (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2022, from http://www.investinbio.com/products.html
- Factsheet: Bioproducts what role do — usda.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Bioproduct_Factsheet.pdf
- Muenz, R. (n.d.). A brief overview of bioprocessing. Lab Manager. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://www.labmanager.com/big-picture/bioprocessing-overview-and-trends/a-brief-overview-of-bioprocessing-25962