News Releases
DuPont Among the First Leading Innovators to Receive New USDA BioPreferred Label
| Contact: | DuPont | USDA | ||
| Michelle Reardon | Kate Lewis | |||
| 302-695-7068 | 202-720-0811 |
Sorona® Renewably Sourced Fiber Once Again Recognized
for Its Biobased Content and Performance
GLENWILLOW, Ohio, April 4, 2011 – DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced fiber is one of the first 11 products approved to use the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) new product label on certified biobased products. The announcement was made by U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan at the biobased product meeting held here.
“This label provides both credibility and visibility to biobased products and ingredients,” said John P. Ranieri, vice president – DuPont BioMaterials. “The label helps both government agencies and consumers easily identify and select biobased products and materials, and we look forward to promoting the label in association with Sorona®.”
Biobased products are those composed wholly or significantly of agricultural ingredients – renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. This new label indicates that the product has been independently certified to meet USDA BioPreferred program standards for biobased content. Biobased products can help increase U.S. energy independence by reducing the use of petroleum in manufactured products. They also may reduce the introduction of fossil carbon into the atmosphere, thus mitigating potential climate change impacts.
“These companies are proving that innovation and agriculture can grow together to build a foundation for future growth in rural America as we work to win the future,” said Deputy Secretary Merrigan. “Consumer cleaning products, containers and the ‘intermediate materials’ used to manufacture them – made from agriculturally sourced ingredients – help add value to commodities, create jobs in rural communities and can reduce our dependence on imported oil.”
Through implementation of the pre-existing USDA BioPreferred program, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has designated 5,100 biobased products for preferred purchasing by federal agencies. The new label makes identification of these products easier for federal buyers and will increase awareness of these high-value products in the commercial and consumer markets. The USDA estimates that there are 20,000 biobased products currently manufactured in the United States.
Sorona® is a renewably sourced polymer used primarily in fiber applications including fiber for textiles used in apparel and home, office and automotive interiors, and fiber for carpet including residential, commercial and automotive carpet and mats. Sorona® was one of the first commercial products offered by DuPont in its Renewably Sourced™ Materials Program. In addition to replacing petrochemical based ingredients with those made with renewable resources, Sorona® also provides a 30 percent reduction in energy use and 63 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to incumbent materials such as nylon 6.
DuPont is providing science-powered innovations that are addressing some of the world’s primary challenges – food, fuel and protection – associated with an ever growing population that is straining the earth’s resources. Sorona® and other DuPont innovations in this Renewable Materials Program are helping DuPont achieve one of its market-facing sustainability goals and the global challenge of reducing reliance on fossil fuels. To learn more visit www.dupont.com/Collaboratory.
USDA’s BioPreferred program created the 2002 Farm Bill to increase the purchase and use of biobased products with the federal government. Congress reauthorized and strengthened the program in the 2008 Farm Bill to further promote the sale of biobased products. With the launch of this new biobased product label, USDA’s BioPrefrred program is now comprised of two parts: a biobased product procurement preference program for federal agencies, and a voluntary labeling initiative for the broad-scale marketing of biobased products. To learn more, please visit www.biopreferred.gov.
DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
04/04/11
The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Sorona®, and DuPont™ Renewably Sourced™ Materials are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.
