6/7

PBPC Newsletter June 7th, 2024

Welcome to the Plant Based Products Council Newsletter! If you have friends or colleagues interested in our industry, please let them know to sign up for our newsletter.

Read on for the latest in PBPC news and activities, as well as some of the amazing innovations, trends, and developments happening right now in the sustainability and bioeconomy world!

Subscribe Today

FINAL GSA RULE ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC FREE PACKAGING

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has finalized a rule that encourages Federal Supply Schedule contractors to identify single-use plastic-free (SUP-free) packaging for products supplied and purchased under Federal Supply Schedule contracts. The rule amends the GSA Acquisition Regulation and is designed to help agencies reduce purchases of single-use plastic products in their supply chains. To make it easier for buyers to make sustainable purchases, GSA intends to highlight contractors that offer SUP-free packaging with a new product icon on ordering systems, including GSA Advantage, and intends to encourage federal agencies to consider this in buying decisions. For this rule, single-use plastic packaging includes any plastic used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, or presentation of goods by a producer for a consumer with the intent of being disposed of immediately after use. Implementation of the rule advances President Joe Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan.

PBPC’S JAMAICA GAYLE HIGHLIGHTS CIRCULAR ECONOMY ADVOCACY AT CIRCULARITY 24

PBPC’s Jamaica Gayle, Director of Sustainability & Environmental Affairs, recently participated in GreenBiz’s Circularity 24 Conference on a panel titled “How to Be an Environmental Justice Champion.” During the panel, she discussed the importance of sustainability and environmental justice in the agriculture industry.

Jamaica was joined by sustainability experts who discussed the critical role environmental equity plays in the broader circular economy. Key takeaways included that fostering a culture of environmental justice can contribute to positive change and that sustainable inclusion is possible in our communities.

Left to right: Grant Rodriguez Amlani, U.S. Plastics Pact; Jamaica Gayle, PBPC; Drew Wilkinson, Climate Leadership Collective; Andy Rose, Perpetual

WORLD OCEANS DAY 2024

Did you know that up to 10 million metric tons of pollution is added to the ocean each year? June 7th marks World Oceans Day, and PBPC and our partners are proud to raise awareness about plant-based alternatives to the plastic waste that accounts for up to 80% of all marine pollution.

Learn more about how switching to plant-based products can help our waterways on PBPC.com.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Q&A WITH BETA ANALYTIC

For the latest Plant Based Leaders blog post, PBPC interviewed the team at Beta Analytic, which offers biobased content testing and analysis for products in the plant-based industry and other sectors. In this insightful Q&A, Florencia Goren, Chief Revenue Officer, and Haley Gershon, Marketing Manager, highlighted the ways Beta Analytic bolsters the plant-based product industry by helping companies support their sustainability claims, as well as how the organization works with  USDA’s BioPreferred Program.

Gershon described how the BioPreferred Program ultimately reaches the end user: “The program is a crucial means to educate consumers – it allows the amount of biobased content that comprises different products to be visibly displayed on product labels, helping to build consumers’ trust. Through this work and other efforts, USDA aims to spur the economic development of the biobased industry.”

Read the full interview on PBPC.com.

TELL LAWMAKERS: SUPPORT JOB GROWTH IN THE FARM BILL & SUPPORT AG-BASED BIOMANUFACTURING

Help PBPC send a message to lawmakers that the U.S. has the farmers and innovators and now we need the policies. Support for the ag-based bioproducts industry is crucial to the U.S. economy, environmental sustainability, and American innovation.

Two bipartisan bills that can help grow the U.S. ag bioeconomy have already been introduced in Congress:

Send a letter to your lawmakers today and urge them to include the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act, nationally uniform bioeconomy terminology, and the Ag BIO Act in the Farm Bill!

Send a Letter Now

Follow along for more Farm Bill updates on PBPC’s channels: Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and Facebook

PBPC’S MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

Interested in becoming a PBPC member? All PBPC members receive a variety of benefits that provide their organization a voice in Washington while helping them stay up to date on the latest policy developments, communicate with their audiences, access valuable insights, and more. Read about PBPC’s impact on the industry in the 2023 Annual Report. Tiered membership levels are available to fit the needs of any member of the plant-based products supply chain. Visit our website or reach out to PBPC’s Keniece Barbee to learn more.

PLANT-BASED INNOVATIONS

Almost every day we see new developments in the plant-based product space. Here are a few of our favorites that provide insights on the industry today and what’s ahead for circular innovations.

As more consumers seek environmentally friendly products, corporations are adapting to meet these demands by offering more sustainable solutions. Here are some of the top stories covering these trends and providing insights on the latest industry news.

GOVERNMENT UPDATES

With environmental reform being a top priority for the Biden Administration, there are constantly new developments in the regulatory space. Here are a few of the top happenings in the Administration, on Capitol Hill, and in the U.S. legal landscape. 

PBPC MEMBER NEWS

The dedicated work of our members toward a more sustainable future never ceases to amaze us. From setting sweeping environmental commitments, to partnering with others to make sustainable solutions more accessible, to launching new plant-based materials. Below, find some of the impressive work of our members over the last weeks.

Back