Cargill's BiOH Polyols business announced that it is spearheading an education campaign to help furniture and mattress retailers respond to consumer demand for home furnishings made with BiOH brand polyols, a renewable component made from soybeans which is used in upholstered seat cushions and bedding foam.
The education campaign for retailers includes sales staff training materials, tools for in-store events, a guide to renewable content in foams, and various marketing communications.
For its campaign kick-off, BiOH® Polyols was represented this month, along with Boston-based retail partner Circle Furniture, at D2E Boston, a Down:2:Earth sustainable living expo for the eco-conscious consumer. Exploring a more sustainable lifestyle that combines style and innovation, D2E features options for consumers who want to align their dollars with effecting environmental change.
Additionally, at this spring’s High Point Market, BiOH® Polyols will sponsor a Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) industry panel, “Sustainability and Social Network Media Marketing in Home Furnishings,” a seminar presented by the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC), BiOH, and Natura World set for April 27th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC), Space C703. which will discuss how social media can facilitate retail and consumer education.
“Research indicates that consumers are hungry for accurate information regarding environmental claims,” said Jessica Koster, BiOH Polyols marketing manager, “They want to make fact-based purchase decisions and are skeptical about greenwashing.”
Renewable, soy-based BiOH polyols are purchased by foam manufacturers to replace a portion of the traditional, non-renewable petroleum polyols. The percentage depends upon the type of foam used and how it is manufactured. Over time, the goal is to replace a higher percentage of petroleum while still maintaining foam performance.
Lowering the percentage of petroleum components is positive for the environment and reduces dependence on crude oil. For every 1 million pounds of BiOH polyols used in furniture and mattresses, over 92,000 gallons of petroleum are saved.
Furniture and bedding manufacturers may specify foam made with BiOH polyols from many leading foam manufacturers for use in their consumer products. Several companies have adopted foams made with BiOH polyols including major furniture brands such as American Leather®, Klaussner®, Lane® and Lee Industries. Mattress makers already focused on environmentally-friendly options such as Natura World have embraced soy-based foam as well.
“We know that many retail stores are unaware that furnishings they already carry on their sales floors contain soy foam with BiOH polyols,” added Koster. “This represents a large untapped opportunity for retailers to address customers who want to make more responsible product choices.”
More consumers systematically purchased green products in 2008, as compared to 2007, according to an independent study published by the Boston Consulting Group in January. Because of raised awareness about environmental issues, this trend is expected to grow.
ABOUT BiOH Polyols: Cargill’s BiOH® polyols business markets renewable-based products to manufacturers of polyurethane foam for use in home furnishings and other consumer products. Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed.
ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION:
Many industry leaders have taken positive steps over the past few years in adopting foam products for their upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows or toppers that are made in part with biobased ingredients – reducing the amount of petroleum-based chemicals the industry consumes. Due to the rapid growth of this trend and a desire by many organizations to market their use of biobased foams, there is a risk across the home furnishings and bedding industries that inaccurate claims around the use of plant-based, soy-based or biobased materials in foams are being made. This puts responsible companies at risk that their reputations could be tarnished if misleading claims are discovered in the industry – leading to consumer distrust of any environmental claims.
Greater transparency on the amount of biobased or renewable content in foam products is an important issue to push forward in the home furnishings and bedding industries. Cargill led efforts to promote the renewable content test methods in biobased polyols and in polyurethane foams in the spring of 2008 and will continue to lead educational efforts across the industry. This resource kit has been created to help manufacturers and retailers better understand the facts, testing resources, and marketing opportunities.
What does “renewable” or “biobased” content mean?
Renewable or biobased content is the percentage of material in a product that is made from modern plants (like soybeans) or animals. The alternative is non-renewable content that comes from fossil fuels. Polyurethane foam was traditionally made from petroleum-based chemicals. Following the launch of soy-based BiOH polyols in 2005, the flexible foam industry has started to replace a portion of the petrochemicals with biobased materials that come from renewable resources.
How do you get renewable content in foams?
First, let’s start with how foam is made. Polyurethane foam is made by combining two main ingredients – polyols and isocyanates. These two chemicals have traditionally been made from petroleum-based materials. Today there are polyols made from renewable sources such as soybean oil that are used to replace a portion of the petroleum polyols in the foam. The remaining ingredients are petroleum-based.
The amount of renewable content in foams can be estimated with the following:
- The percentage of polyol of the total ingredients used in the formulation. This is generally around two-thirds, or approximately 67% of the total flexible foam recipe.
- The total percentage of renewable content in the polyols used to make the foam is calculated by two factors.
- The % of renewable content in the biobased polyol can be measured using the same test methods for foams. BiOH polyols have the highest levels of renewable content in the flexible foam industry with biobased content >95%.
- The % of biobased polyol used in the formulation replacing petroleum polyols can range up to 40% depending on the type of foam and specific performance needs.
Renewable content in foam products can be estimated by multiplying these factors.
How can I measure renewable content in my foam products if I want third party verification to support my marketing claims?
A standard ASTM test method (ASTM D6866-06a) exists for measuring renewable content in your foam products. External testing laboratories can perform this test on a 1 gram or larger sample of foam. The method utilizes the same technique used by archeologists to determine how old a fossil is: carbon dating.
Polyurethane foam chemistry is built out of carbon. This is true for both petrochemicals and renewable chemicals. The difference between the two is where that carbon comes from. Renewable chemicals derive their carbon from plants that pull CO2 gas out of the air while they grow, thus reducing this green house gas. Petrochemicals, by contrast get their carbon from petroleum that made of carbon fixed millions of years ago.
By utilizing this methodology one can accurately make claims on the amount of renewable content in an article and verify those claims.
Where can I test my foam products?
Foam products can be tested at this laboratory: Beta Analytic Inc., 4985 SW 74 Court,Miami, Florida 33155 USA, Tel: 305-667-5167, Cel: 305-508-4907,Fax: 305-663-0964, www.betalabservices.com/biobased.html
What will the results look like?
The results will show you the percentage of biobased content versus the percentage of fossil based content in your foam products. Below are two examples of results.
Percentage of biobased content
Percentage of biobased content in a commercial foam sample in BiOH 5000 polyol
How much does it cost?
The price can vary depending on the lab, and how fast the results are needed. However, testing typically costs $600 per foam sample.
How accurate are the results?
The test results in a high level of accuracy. Results are within a +/-3% margin of error.
Why is it important to measure renewable content in foams?
Consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical of environmental claims and are looking for verification of claims to prevent “green washing.” When companies are promoting their use of foam products made with biobased ingredients, they are making a promise that reflects on their brand. Sharing the levels of renewable content in your foam products provides an opportunity to educate consumers on your strides to replace petroleum materials and supports your marketing efforts. It demonstrates your willingness to be transparent and authentic.
Additionally, it protects your brand and puts your organization on the offensive by proactively reporting the biobased content in your foam. This standard testing methodology for measuring renewable content in products is publicly available, and consumer reporting groups or consumers themselves could begin testing products and framing the results with their own perspectives.
Why isn’t there more renewable content in foam products today?
As outlined in a previous question, the amount of renewable content in a foam formulation is first limited by the amount of polyol used in the foam formulation – approximately 67%. Therefore, if ALL of the polyol in the flexible foam recipe was replaced with BiOH® polyols, the max amount of renewable content in foams would be 67%. Our goal is to develop new biobased polyols that can replace all of the petroleum polyols to get renewable content to those high levels. However, first generation technology in the market today can only replace a portion of the polyol in the foam recipe to ensure that the foam products perform and last.
How can I get more information on this topic?
The Cargill BiOH team is willing to answer any additional questions you have on this topic. For more information, contact us at: bioh@cargill.com 1-877-765-9246