A.I.S.E. and its members are taking steps to introduce renewable alternatives in their products and packaging to drive towards greater circularity on the road to carbon neutrality.
We have developed high-level principles to support companies operating in the European detergents, cleaning and maintenance products industry sector using, or intending to use bio-based materials in final products and/or packaging material. A.I.S.E. Guiding principles on sustainable sourcing of bio-based materials.
In addition to A.I.S.E.’s guiding principles, there are several other existing sets of guidance developed by value chain partners that can be immensely helpful for companies to put these principles into practice. These include certification schemes through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). RSPO is a not-for-profit organisation working worldwide to drive change by developing and implementing global standards for sustainable palm oil.
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification
The international Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is an independent multi-stakeholder initiative and leading certification system supporting sustainable, fully traceable, deforestation-free and climate-friendly supply chains. ISCC certification contributes to environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production.
Existing standards
There is a series of harmonised EN standards for bio-based products. The most relevant are listed here, more information is available via the CEN website
- EN 16751:2016 – Bio-based products – Sustainability criteria
- EN 16785-1:2015 – Bio-based products – Bio-based content – Part 1: Determination of the bio-based content using the radiocarbon analysis and elemental analysis
- EN 16640 : 2017 – Bio-based products – Bio-based carbon content – Determination of the bio-based carbon content using the radiocarbon method
- EN 16848:2016 – Bio-based products – Requirements for Business to Business communication of characteristics using a Data Sheet
- EN 16935:2017 – Bio-based products – Requirements for Business-to-Consumer communication and claims
- EN 16785-2:2018 – Bio-based products – Bio-based content – Part 2: Determination of the bio-based content using the material balance method
- prEN 17035-2018 – Surface Active Agents – Bio-based surfactants – Requirements and test methods
- CEN/TR 17341:2019 – Bio-based products – Examples of reporting on sustainability criteria
Useful resources
- Forum Waschen – Factsheet on the use of palm (kernel) oils in detergents, cleaning and maintenance products in Germany (Sept. 2017) Download
- EU Commission Expert Group on Bio-based Products – Position on Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan Review and Revision (Aug. 2017) Download
- WWF – Deforestation and forest degradation–stepping up EU action (Feb. 2019) Read more
Stakeholder groups
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