USDA Biobased Certified Ropes
The increased development, purchase, and use of biobased products reduces our nation's reliance on petroleum, increases the use of renewable agricultural resources, and contributes to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts. Ravenox cotton ropes and hemp ropes are tested and USDA certified as biobased products.
USDA Biobased Hemp Ropes
Ravenox, the first American hemp rope manufacturer since 1934 and unrivaled innovator of hemp rope products in North America, announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product label. The product, Cannabis Hemp Ropes, is now able to display a unique USDA label that highlights its percentage of biobased content.
USDA Biobased Cotton Ropes
In addition to Ravenox cotton ropes being certified by the Seal of Cotton for their authentic and iconic fiber content, they are also now certified by the USDA as 100% biobased content ropes.
Ravenox cotton ropes are natural, renewable and have environmentally-friendly benefits. When it’s composted as disposal, cotton rope breaks down more readily than synthetic ropes in the environment.
As cotton technologies evolve, they create opportunities to make cotton production, manufacturing and disposal less burdensome on the earth. In just the past few decades, U.S. cotton growers have made significant reductions in water use, land use and soil loss.
Third-Party Verified Biobased Ropes
Third-party verification for a product’s biobased content is administered through the USDA BioPreferred Program, an initiative created by the 2002 Farm Bill (and recently reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill). One of the goals of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the development, purchase and use of biobased products.
The USDA Certified Biobased Product label displays a product’s biobased content, which is the portion of a product that comes from a renewable source, such as plant, animal, marine, or forestry feedstocks. Utilizing renewable, biobased materials displaces the need for non-renewable petroleum-based chemicals. Biobased products, through petroleum displacement, have played an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that exacerbate global climate change.
Biobased products are cost-comparative, readily available, and perform as well as or better than their conventional counterparts.
“We are proud to be partners with the USDA and appreciate their efforts to help support biobased products,” said Allison Contic, Vice President of Operations at Ravenox. “We are excited to offer a unique biobased hemp rope with 64% biobased content and cotton ropes with 100% biobased content. Ropes and cords from Ravenox are contributing to an ever-expanding marketplace that adds value to renewable agriculture commodities, creates jobs in rural communities, and decreases our reliance on petroleum.”
According to a report that USDA released in July 2019, biobased products contributed $459 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016 (a 17% increase from 2014) and support, directly and indirectly, 4.6 million jobs. The report’s research team estimates the reduction of fossil fuels and associated GHG emissions from biobased products equivalent to approximately 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) prevented as of 2016. The increased production of renewable chemicals and biobased products contributes to the development and expansion of the U.S. bioeconomy – where society looks to agriculture for sustainable sources of fuel, energy, chemicals, and products.
Ravenox is a USDA BioPreferred Program Champion
USDA's BioPreferred Program was first introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill with the goal of increasing the development, purchase, and use of biobased products. It requires federal agencies and contractors to give purchasing preference to biobased products.
The USDA BioPreferred Program also includes a voluntary certification and labeling initiative for biobased products. In 2021 the USDA celebrated the 10th Anniversary of their USDA Certified Biobased Product Label.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the program, Ravenox was selected as a Champion of the program, signifying our long-term commitment to using renewable materials, reducing our reliance on petroleum, supporting the bioeconomy, and bettering the planet.
About Ravenox
Ravenox is an American rope, cordage and twine manufacturer specializing in twisted and braided ropes. One of only 27 American Cordage Institute certified manufacturers providing cotton, hemp, nylon, polypropylene, polyester, Plasma, Spectra, Dyneema and other natural and synthetic ropes for a variety of applications. For more information, visit www.ravenox.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Amazon and YouTube.
ABOUT THE USDA BIOPREFERRED PROGRAM AND CERTIFIED BIOBASED PRODUCT LABEL
The BioPreferred Program is a USDA-led initiative that assists the development and expansion of markets for biobased products. The BioPreferred Program is transforming the marketplace for biobased products through two initiatives: mandatory purchasing requirements for Federal Agencies and Federal contractors and voluntary product certification and labeling. Biobased products span a diverse range of applications, such as lubricants, cleaning products, chemicals, bioplastics and ropes. The USDA Certified Biobased Product label communicates a product’s biobased content. Expressed as a percentage, biobased content is the ratio of non-fossil organic carbon (new organic carbon) to total organic carbon in a product. New organic carbon is derived from recently-created materials. The total organic carbon in a product consists of new organic carbon and old organic carbon that originates from fossil carbon materials, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas. More than 3,500 products have earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product label. To learn more about the USDA Certified Biobased Product label, please visit www.biopreferred.gov.
