Biobased Technology: transparent insight into biobased raw materials
Biobased Technology: transparent insight into biobased raw materials for paints and coatings
Renewable raw materials are playing an increasingly important role within the paint and coatings sector. At the same time, there is a growing demand for clear and substantiated information. After all, what exactly does ‘biobased’ mean? How is such a percentage determined? When is a product permitted to carry this label?
Biobased Technology provides a transparent overview of the proportion of biobased raw materials. Products bearing this label contain at least 25 per cent biobased raw materials. This proportion is independently determined via a C14 analysis in accordance with the NEN-EN 16640 method.
This provides a clear and verifiable picture of the proportion of renewable raw materials actually present in a paint product. This helps professional painters and consumers compare products in a transparent and reliable way.
In a nutshell: What is Biobased Technology?
- ‘Biobased Technology’ is a designation for products containing at least 25 per cent biobased/renewable raw materials.
- The biobased content is independently determined via a C14 analysis in accordance with the NEN-EN 16640 method.
- The measurement shows what proportion of the carbon present comes from renewable sources.
- Biobased Technology provides transparent and verifiable insight into product information.
- The biobased percentage indicates the origin of the raw materials, but does not automatically reflect the product’s full environmental impact.
When is a product eligible for the Biobased Technology label?
Not every product containing biobased raw materials automatically qualifies for the Biobased Technology label. To be entitled to bear this label, a product must meet a number of clear criteria.
To qualify for the ‘Biobased Technology’ label, a product must:
- contain at least 25 per cent bio-based raw materials;
- have been independently analysed;
- have a verifiable biobased percentage;
- communicate transparently about the established proportion.
This creates greater clarity – not only regarding the presence of bio-based raw materials, but also regarding how the percentage was determined.
Overview of products featuring Biobased Technology
The Ralston range includes various products featuring Biobased Technology.
The determined bio-based content is stated separately for each product. This makes it immediately clear what percentage of bio-based raw materials is present and how this was determined. This provides clear product information, based on measurable data and an independent assessment method. The exact proportion of bio-based raw materials is listed on the individual product pages.
What are bio-based raw materials?
Bio-based raw materials are raw materials that are wholly or partly derived from renewable sources. Examples include vegetable oils, natural resins, biomass and other raw materials that regrow or are renewable.
These raw materials differ from fossil-based raw materials such as crude oil, natural gas and coal. In paints and coatings, bio-based raw materials can be used as an alternative to some of the traditional fossil-based raw materials. The proportion of bio-based raw materials can vary from product to product.
What are fossil raw materials?
Fossil-based raw materials are those derived from crude oil, natural gas or coal. These natural carbon sources have been used for many years in the production of all kinds of materials, including paints and coatings.
As fossil-based raw materials are non-renewable, there is growing interest in alternatives from renewable sources. Bio-based raw materials can replace some of the traditional fossil-based raw materials, depending on the application and product composition.
Ralston products containing more than 25% bio-based raw materials
Wall paint >25%
Varnish >25%
Primer >25%
Ralston products containing more than 40% bio-based raw materials
Varnish >40%
Stain >40%
Products containing more than 80% bio-based raw materials
Wall paint >80%
Why is a minimum threshold of 25 per cent applied?
A ‘Biobased Technology’ logo only becomes meaningful once it is clear from what level it applies. For this reason, a minimum threshold of 25 per cent is applied within Biobased Technology. This choice ensures that the designation ‘ ’ signifies more than just the presence of a limited quantity of biobased raw materials.
A clear lower limit:
- prevents confusion regarding very small percentages;
- makes products more comparable;
- supports transparent and consistent communication;
- helps ensure product information is interpreted correctly.
This creates greater clarity for everyone who assesses, prescribes or uses products.
A reliable claim starts with a reliable measurement method.
That is why the biobased content is not derived from assumptions or theoretical calculations. For products featuring Biobased Technology, an independent C14 analysis in accordance with NEN-EN 16640 is used.
This method examines the product itself and determines what proportion of the carbon present comes from renewable sources. This yields an objective measurement result that is verifiable and reproducible.
What does a C14 analysis involve?
The C14 method uses carbon dating to distinguish between fossil and bio-based carbon. This makes it possible to determine what proportion of the carbon present comes from renewable raw materials.
The analysis:
- measures the actual proportion of renewable carbon;
- examines the end product itself;
- distinguishes between fossil and bio-based carbon;
- provides an objective and verifiable result.
What is NEN-EN 16640?
When comparing results, a uniform measurement method is essential. EN 16640 is a European Standard.
NEN-EN 16640 describes how the proportion of bio-based carbon in a product is determined. Thanks to this standardised approach, the measurement result can be independently verified, repeated and compared.
The C14 method and mass balance: two different approaches
The C14 method (NEN-EN 16640 / EN 16785-1) and the mass balance method (EN 16785-2) are both used to provide insight into the use of renewable raw materials, but they do so in different ways. The C14 method analyses the end product itself and measures the actual proportion of renewable carbon present in the product. This means that the biobased content is physically measured and objectively determined.
The mass balance method works differently. This is an administrative allocation method that tracks raw material flows within the production chain. On this basis, a proportion of bio-based raw materials is allocated to a product. This method is mainly used for chain assurance and the certification of raw material flows.
In short, the C14 method analyses the end product, whilst the mass balance method tracks the raw material flows within the supply chain. Both methods have their own applications, but whereas the mass balance method relies on administrative allocation, the C14 method measures the actual proportion of renewable carbon present in the end product.
Why clear information about bio-based raw materials is important
Nowadays, when comparing products, people often look beyond technical performance alone.
Information on raw materials, composition and the measurement methods used is also playing an increasingly important role in specifications, project dossiers and product comparisons.
That is why it is not enough for information to be merely available. It must also be verifiable and properly substantiated. A clear lower limit, an independent analysis and a standardised measurement method help to support that transparency.
What does a bio-based percentage do and not do?
A biobased percentage provides insight into the origin of raw materials. It shows what proportion of the carbon present comes from renewable sources.
At the same time, that percentage does not tell the full story about a product. Characteristics such as technical performance, service life, maintenance intervals and raw material usage remain at least as important.
Anyone assessing products should therefore take several factors into account at the same time.
Biobased Technology within the Ralston range
Biobased Technology highlights which products contain a verifiable proportion of biobased raw materials and how that proportion was determined.
By using an independent measurement method and a clear threshold, product information is generated that is transparent, verifiable and comparable.
This provides a clear picture of the proportion of renewable raw materials in a product, based on measurable data and an independent analysis.
Frequently asked questions about Biobased Technology
Biobased Technology is a designation for products containing at least 25% biobased / renewable raw materials. The biobased content is independently determined using a C14 analysis in accordance with NEN-EN 16640.
Biobased raw materials are raw materials derived from renewable sources, such as vegetable oils, biomass or other natural raw material streams.
The bio-based content is determined using a C14 analysis. This method determines which proportion of the carbon present comes from renewable sources and which proportion comes from fossil raw materials.
A C14 analysis measures the actual proportion of renewable carbon in the end product. A mass balance method tracks raw material flows within the supply chain and assigns a proportion to specific products on an administrative basis.
No. A biobased percentage provides insight into the origin of raw materials. For a broader assessment, other factors also play a role, such as lifespan, maintenance intervals, raw material use and CO₂ impact.
The 25 per cent threshold ensures that the ‘Biobased Technology’ designation is based on a meaningful proportion of biobased raw materials and not on a very limited quantity. This makes it clear when a product actually demonstrably contains biobased raw materials.
Want to know more?
Discover our wall paints featuring Biobased Technology
