AF&PA welcomes introduction of Forest Products Fairness Act of 2013 to modify definition of "biobased" materials

WASHINGTON, DC, March 6, 2013 (Press Release) - U.S. Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Reps. Glenn ‘GT' Thompson (R-PA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) have introduced the Forest Products Fairness Act of 2013, which would modify the definition of "biobased" materials to specifically include all forest products regardless of "newness" or "market maturity" in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred Program's voluntary labeling and government procurement initiatives.

"We applaud Sens. Pryor and Blunt and Reps. Thompson and Schrader for their leadership on this important issue so that paper, wood, and pulp products qualify as ‘biobased' materials in the USDA's BioPreferred Program," said American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman. "The department has arbitrarily excluded some of the most biobased products on the market from participation in its labeling and federal procurement initiatives, and this bi-partisan legislation would allow our products to be recognized for their inherent biobased qualities."

The program was originally enacted as part of the 2002 Farm Bill to help consumers identify and use biobased products. Products with as little as 25 percent biobased content are recognized under the program's current implementation guidelines, while many paper and wood products that have up to 100 percent biobased content are not.

The bills clarify that USDA should recognize forest products as biobased and will ensure a competitive marketplace for all products with biobased content, including "pulp, paper, paperboard, pellets, and wood products" and "any recycled products derived from forest materials."