Natural Pet Partners · Sustainability
What the label tells you: USDA Certified Biobased identifies the measured share of a product’s organic carbon that comes from renewable biological sources. It does not establish biodegradability, compostability, or a lower overall environmental footprint.
For property managers, HOA boards, and municipal buyers, a dog waste bag’s environmental label needs to stand up to a practical question: what does it actually verify?
Terms such as “biobased,” “biodegradable,” and “compostable” describe different things. Understanding the difference helps you choose a bag for your stations, document purchasing decisions, and give residents accurate disposal instructions.
What the USDA Certified Biobased label verifies
The USDA BioPreferred Program uses third-party testing under ASTM D6866 to measure biobased content. The test compares carbon from recently living biological sources with carbon from fossil sources.
The method uses radiocarbon analysis. Recently living material contains measurable carbon-14; fossil carbon has no measurable carbon-14 for this purpose. The result expresses biobased carbon as a percentage of the product’s total organic carbon. Water and inorganic carbon are excluded from that calculation.
The percentage on a USDA Certified Biobased Product label therefore describes the origin of organic carbon. It is not a percentage of the bag’s total weight, and it should not be restated as an equivalent percentage reduction in oil use or greenhouse gas emissions.
Biobased, biodegradable, and compostable
A bag can contain renewable material without being designed for composting. These terms should be evaluated separately.
| Claim | What to check | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| USDA Certified Biobased | The certified percentage and the label for the specific product; testing uses ASTM D6866. | That the bag biodegrades, composts, or has a lower total lifecycle impact. |
| Commercially compostable | A separate certification and its conditions. BPI’s commercial scheme uses ASTM D6400 as its base standard. | That the bag is suitable for home composting, a landfill, or every composting facility. |
| Biodegradable | The conditions, timeframe, and evidence supporting the claim. | A defined disposal route or a particular biobased percentage. |
BPI explains its compostability certification schemes, including the distinction between commercial and home compostability. Even when a bag has a compostability certification, confirm that your receiving facility accepts both the bag and pet waste.
Follow your local waste service’s instructions. Do not place a biobased bag in a composting or recycling stream simply because it contains plant-derived material.
Natural Pet Partners’ commercial biobased bags
NPP offers biobased bags in roll and header formats for commercial pet waste stations. Choose the format that matches your dispenser, and check the current product label or request its certification documents for the verified biobased percentage.
- Biobased roll bags: 8 × 13 inches, 200 bags per roll, and 2,000 bags per carton. The roll format works with compatible commercial dispensers, including NPP’s Spartan and Foot Soldier stations.
- Biobased header bags: a pull-strap header format for compatible commercial dispensers. Check the product page for current pack sizes and dimensions.
NPP’s biobased bags are not sold as compostable. Certification of renewable content and certification of compostability answer different questions.
What to ask before placing an order
Independent documentation is useful only when it matches the product you are buying. Before approving a bag for your property or purchasing program:
- Match the documents to the SKU. Ask for the label, current certificate, and specification sheet for the exact bag.
- Check dispenser fit. Confirm the bag format, opening, roll or header dimensions, and capacity.
- Check performance. Evaluate seam strength, dispensing, and handling during everyday use.
- Compare equivalent quantities. Review cost per bag, carton counts, delivery costs, and available ordering options.
- Confirm disposal instructions. Make sure staff and residents know which waste stream accepts the filled bags.
A clear specification gives your team a consistent way to assess suppliers. It also helps keep sustainability reports focused on the particular attribute the certification verifies.
Frequently asked questions
Is USDA Certified Biobased the same as biodegradable?
No. The USDA label verifies biobased content. It does not establish how quickly a product breaks down or under what conditions.
What does ASTM D6866 measure?
It uses radiocarbon analysis to measure biobased carbon relative to total organic carbon. It does not test compostability.
Are NPP’s biobased dog waste bags compostable?
No. These biobased roll and header bags are not sold as compostable. Follow the disposal instructions from your local waste service.
What biobased percentage should I use in a purchasing specification?
Use the verified percentage on the label and certification documents for the exact product you plan to buy. Request the documents rather than applying one percentage across different brands or bag formats.
Get the certification documents
Need supporting documents for an RFP or sustainability report? Ask our team for the certification and specifications that match your selected NPP bags.
