BIOBASED vs. RECYCLED: Same Planet, Different Games

Everybody’s slapping leafy badges on plastic and calling it salvation. Cute. If you want claims that survive regulators, retailers, and that one friend who reads standards for fun, you need to know the difference between biobased and recycled content—and how to use both without flying your brand straight into the sun.

The 10-second split

  • Biobased = where the carbon came from (recently living stuff).

  • Recycled content = what the material went through (diverted from waste and used again).

That’s it. Different doors into the same sustainability party.

What “biobased” actually means

Think carbon from plants, microbes, algae, forestry—carbon that was recently hanging out in the atmosphere, not Jurassic leftovers. Labs prove it with radiocarbon (^14C) tests like ASTM D6866 (or ISO equivalents) to tell you what percent of your product’s carbon is from renewable sources.



Examples that won’t get you booed off stage:

  • Sugarcane or corn-based packaging

  • Bamboo or hemp textiles

  • Bioplastics built from ag byproducts

Important: Biobased does not automatically mean biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, or safe for forest creatures that wear tiny hats. Different claims. Different evidence.

What “recycled content” actually means

Material that was headed for the bin—post-consumer or post-industrial—got intercepted, processed, and turned into your stuff. Standards like ISO 14021 define the terms; certifications audit the chain of custody so you’re not just high-fiving your factory scrap pile and calling it a day.


Examples that actually count:

  • PET bottles reborn as new bottles or fleece

  • Aluminum cans melted and remade

  • Paper built from post-consumer waste

Also important: Recycled tells you nothing about fossil vs plant origin. It’s a waste-diversion story, not a family tree.

Greatest hits of confusion (don’t be that brand)

  • “Biobased = biodegradable.” No. Some biobased plastics don’t degrade outside a lab; some fossil-based ones do under the right conditions. Chemistry matters, not vibes.

  • “A ^14C test proves it’s recycled.” Nope. It proves renewable carbon share. Recycled content needs chain-of-custody verification, not a carbon dating selfie.

  • “Recyclable everywhere!” Not in California unless real programs actually take and process it. Labels are getting audited like expense reports.

How to prove it (and sleep at night)

Biobased content

  • Test: ASTM D6866 / ISO 16620-2 (^14C).

  • Optional label: USDA Certified Biobased Product showing the verified percentage.

Recycled content

  • Definitions: ISO 14021.

  • Verification: programs like UL 2809, EN 15343/RecyClass, RCS/GRS, or SCS depending on your sector.

Mass balance (when everything’s mixed like a festival beer cup)

  • Audited bookkeeping to allocate certified inputs to outputs. Look for ISCC PLUS or similar, and know which claim model you’re using. It’s math with guardrails.

The rulebook is not sleeping

  • FTC Green Guides (U.S.): “Say what you mean, prove what you say.” Broad “eco-friendly” puffery is a fast track to awkward conversations.

  • California SB 343: “Recyclable” means actually recyclable in CA systems—by real people, in the real world.

  • EU consumer law: Tougher on vague green claims and mystery labels. If your claim needs a decoder ring, fix it.

When to use which (and when to use both)

  • Go biobased when your target is lowering fossil carbon at the feedstock stage and your buyers care about renewable content. Pair your claim with the verified percentage.

  • Go recycled when you’re chasing waste diversion, circularity metrics, or retailer mandates. Be crystal clear on post-consumer vs pre-consumer.

  • Go hybrid when you can: biobased and recycled in one product (e.g., biobased PET with PCR). That’s origin plus diversion—two wins, one label panel.

Claim language that won’t get shredded

  • Biobased (good): “Contains 62% biobased carbon (ASTM D6866-verified).”

  • Recycled (good): “Made with 35% post-consumer recycled plastic (third-party validated).”

  • Avoid: “Eco-friendly,” “planet-safe,” “green AF.” Save the poetry for your brand book.

Reality check on impact

Recycled content usually crushes virgin on energy and emissions (aluminum is the poster child). Biobased can lower fossil CO₂ inputs, but watch land use, processing energy, and end-of-life. If you’re serious, run an LCA for your actual application. Assumptions are where good intentions go to die.

TL;DR road map

  1. Pick your bullseye: renewable carbon, waste diversion—or both.

  2. Get the right proof: ^14C for biobased; chain-of-custody for recycled.

  3. Say it cleanly: percentages + standards > planet-hugging adjectives.

  4. Mind the laws: U.S., CA, and EU are tightening the screws.



Location: Seattle, WA, USA

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