To avoid greenwashing: COSSMA

In today’s global landscape, environmental consciousness has become a priority among consumers. There’s a rising demand for biobased alternatives in both formulations and packaging. The carbon-14 analysis can be a solution to avoid greenwashing and validate biobased content.

Environmental consciousness has become a priority among consumers, shaping their preferences toward biomass-based materials and demanding greater transparency in the market. This has had a significant impact on the personal care and cosmetic sectors. The global biobased cosmetics and personal care ingredients market is expecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.72% from 2022 to 2030 and is projected to reach USD 7.75 billion by 2030.¹
As a result, numerous companies are transitioning from petroleum-based materials to biobased alternatives in both formulations and packaging. This article explores the use of carbon-14 testing as an effective tool to avoid greenwashing by verifying the biobased content of raw material and end products, which is often required by certification programmes.

Defining Biobased Products

Biobased-derived ingredients are used in different products, including personal care, household supplies, and cosmetics. Biobased products are entirely or partially made from materials of biological origin (biomass), such as plants, and renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials.2 These products offer an alternative to conventional petroleum-based products. Unlike their fossil counterparts,biobased products are carbon neutral. However, alongside the growing interest in sustainability and the growing popularity of biobased products in the market, concerns of deceptive practices such as greenwashing exist.

Graphic 1:

Biobased testing reveals the fraction of fossil and biobased carbon content in a given sample.

The Problem with Greenwashing

Greenwashing refers to the act of intentionally misleading or deceiving consumers by falsely representing a company or product, as being environmentally responsible.³ For example, a product labelled as “100% biobased” that lacks evidence to back up this claim or fails to disclose synthetic components is an example of greenwashing. This practice creates the illusion that a product is wholly derived from biomass sources, often through the use of logos, colours, and images that consumers associate with nature. Greenwashing affects consumer trust in the industry and influences purchasing decisions, especially for those seeking products that minimise environmental impact. To combat the effects of greenwashing, companies are opting for third-party testing to provide verifiable evidence to substantiate their biobased claims. Third-party certification programmes are a key strategy to provide clarity to consumers, often requiring companies to submit their end-products for laboratory analysis to qualify for certification, such as biobased testing via carbon-14 analysis.

Verifying Biobased Content Using Carbon-14 Testing

Biobased product testing is based on the scientific principle that carbon-14 (or, radiocarbon), a naturally occurring isotope, is present in all living organisms (e.g. biomass material).⁴ The amount of carbon-14 is stable within a living organism until it dies, beginning the process of radioactive decay. Therefore, carbon-14 in biomass cameasured for the duration of the isotope’s detection limit, approximately 43,500 years.⁵ In contrast, petrochemical materials do not contain any carbon-14 content because the isotope has fully decayed. Therefore, biobased testing through carbon-14 analysis is a reliable method to distinguish between biomass and fossil components in raw materials and finished products. Carbon-14 testing utilises an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) instrument to calculate the percentage of biobased carbon as opposed to fossil carbon present in a given sample. Testing is performed according to standardized methods developed for carbon-14 testing, such as ASTM D6866. This international standard applies to liquid, solid, and gaseous materials, and was initially developed in the US for the USDA BioPreferred Program.⁶ ASTM D6866 measures biobased content as a fraction of total organic carbon. In addition, in Europe EN 16640 applies to all biobased products to measure biobased carbon content as a fraction of total carbon content.⁷ Biobased testing through carbon-14 reports results as a percentage of biobased content. Products that are entirely composed of biomass sources will yield a result of 100% biobased, while products sourced only from petroleum materials will be 0% biobased. A result in between 0% and 100% indicates that the product is composed of both biomass and fossil fuel-derived materials.⁸

Benefits of Analysing Biobased Products

Measuring the biobased content of products provides accurate data that companies can use in their marketing and R&D efforts to avoid greenwashing. Test results allow manufacturers and suppliers to support their biobased claims with scientific evidence ensuring transparency for consumers and enhancing trust in the marketplace. Additionally, biobased test results help scientists in the formulation and optimisation of biobased products, as well as in phasing out the use of petrochemical components. Furthermore, companies using biomass-based materials may qualify for biobased product certifications. These initiatives allow companies to visibly demonstrate the use of biobased materials, thus strengthening brand positioning. There are several certification programmes worldwide that require or recommend carbon-14 testing to measure the biobased content of personal care products, household supplies, and cosmetics, such as the USDA BioPreferred Program.

Certification Programmes

Certification programmes establish clear criteria for companies, often including independent laboratory testing, such as carbon-14 analysis. These rigorous processes enhance trust in product claims and as a result, certifications play a key role in consumers’ purchasing decisions, particularly in the personal care industry. According to a recent survey conducted in the US, UK, and Germany, 41% of consumers say independent verification is the most trusted source of sustainability information when buying beauty and wellness items like moisturisers and skin care products.⁹ The preference for biobased certifications drives companies to submit their products for biobased testing via carbon-14 analysis.

"Greenwashing poses challenges in the personal care and beauty markets"

The USDA BioPreferred Program is a widely recognised certification scheme within the biobased industry. The programme was created to promote the purchase and use of biobased products through increasing federal procurement and a voluntary labeling initiative. As of June 2023, the programme’s catalog compiles more than 7,800 USDA Certified Biobased Products, and the number of applications is growing.¹⁰ Within the programme, there are 139 product categories open to certification ranging from intermediates such as surfactants and humectants to final products like moisturisers, shampoos, foundations, and detergents. Each category has a minimum threshold of biobased content that applicants must meet or exceed. For example, sunscreens should contain at least 53% biobased content, whereas general-purpose household cleaners should contain a minimum of 39% biobased.¹¹ The biobased content must be determined vía the ASTM D6866 standard in using a USDA-approved ISO 17025-accredited laboratory. Successful applicants can display the USDA Certified Biobased Product label on their products. The label gives consumers a visible symbol of biobased content verification facilitating informed purchase decisions. Additionally, there are other biobased certification schemes in Europe and Asia certifying a wide range of products. For example, Germany’s DIN CERTCO DIN-Geprüft Biobased programme applies to all products that have a minimum of 20% biobased content. This scheme has three levels to indicate a product’s biobased content: 20-50% biobased, 50-85% biobased, and >85% biobased content. Under this programme, ASTM D6866 testing is required to determine the biobased content.¹² In Belgium, the TÜV AUSTRIA OK biobased Program certifies bioplastics and biobased products analysed in accordance with EN 16640 testing. This programme uses a star system to classify biobased content. One star indicates 20-40% biobased content whereas four stars reveal the product contains more than 80% biobased content.¹³ Furthermore, the Japan BioPlastics Association’s BiomassPla certification applies to biomass-based plastic products. The determination of biobased content is performed following ASTM D6866.¹⁴

Conclusion

Greenwashing poses challenges in the personal care and beauty markets, particularly for consumers prioritising biobased products. Manufacturers and suppliers of these products are focusing their efforts on verifying their biomass-derived materials through biobased content testing via carbon-14 analysis to measure the percentage of biobased carbon versus fossil carbon in raw materials and finished products. Test results provide companies with accurate data to support biobased claims and qualify for biobased product certification, offering a reliable solution against greenwashing. Carbon-14 testing paired with product certification promotes transparency among consumers allowing them to more easily identify genuine biobased products in the market.

References:

1 Straits Research. “Bio-Based Cosmetics and Personal Care Ingredients Market”. 2023.
2 United States Department of Agriculture. “Biobased Products”. N.d.
3 Oxford English Dictionary. “Greenwash”. N.d.
4 Beta Analytic. “Biobased Product Testing”. January 2024.
5 Beta Analytic. “Understanding Carbon-14 Analysis”. N.d.
6 ASTM International. “Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis”. February 2024.
7 Beta Analytic. “Biobased Test Standards based on Carbon-14 Analysis”. July 2021.
8 Beta Analytic. “Understanding Biobased Carbon Content Measurement”. N.d.
9 London Research, Provenance. “Skin Deep Beauty Report 2022”. October 2022.
10 BioPreferred Program. “An Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry”. Page 25. March 2024.
11 BioPreferred Program. “Product Categories”. N.d.
12 DIN CERTCO. “Biobased Products”. N.d.
13 TÜV AUSTRIA. “OK Biobased”. N.d.
14 Japan BioPlastics Association. “About BiomassPla”. N.d.