USDA to Hold Webinar on Biobased Products in Operations, Maintenance, and Cleaning

Following the success of its webinar on the BioPreferred Federal Procurement Preference Program in November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide another technical seminar on December 6, 2011, 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST via live streaming. The webinar will focus on biobased products in operations, maintenance, and cleaning.

USDA Turns Spotlight on Michigan’s Biobased Industry

On August 22, 2011, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack toured MBI International, a bio-manufacturing research facility located in Lansing, Michigan, as part of the government’s efforts to support the creation and production of biobased products in order to create jobs, add value to agricultural commodities, and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. [...]

USDA Adds 14 Biobased Categories for Preferred Federal Purchasing

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the designation of 14 additional biobased product categories which are eligible for federal procurement preference. The USDA’s BioPreferred program’s Round 7 finalization adds 2,500 biobased products for a total of more than 8,900 products now offered for preferred purchasing consideration by federal government agencies and contractors.

OFGEM Approves Carbon-14 Method for Renewable Energy Content Determination

The UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) will allow electricity generators using waste-derived fuels to use the Carbon-14 technique to determine the renewable energy content of the fuel. Under this method, post-combustion flue gases will be analyzed for their carbon-14 content and not the solid waste feedstock.

US EPA Proposes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards, 2013 Biomass-Based Diesel Volume

WASHINGTON, January 21 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the 2012 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). EPA continues to support greater use of renewable fuels within the transportation sector every year.

Beta Analytic to Participate in Future of Bioplastics Discussion at BioPlastek 2011

Darden Hood, Beta Analytic Inc.’s president, will join the discussion on the future of bioplastics at BioPlastek 2011, an interactive forum on bioplastics to be held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York from June 27 to June 29, 2011. As the ASTM D6866 testing expert in the panel, Mr. Hood aims to dispel misconceptions [...]

UK DfT Recommends Carbon-14 Analysis to Measure Biofuel Renewable Content

In the consultation document published by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) regarding the implementation of the transport elements of the EU Renewable Energy Directive, the DfT is proposing to determine the renewable portion of partially renewable fuels through carbon-14 dating techniques.

Beta Analytic Joins Back-to-back Plastics Conferences in Guangzhou, China

Fuming “Steven” Liu, Beta Analytic’s China Operations Manager, has promoted biobased content testing via ASTM D6866 at the Third China International Symposium on the Application of Biodegradable Plastics held in Guangzhou, China. Mr. Liu also visited the the China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex for the 25th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries [...]