Green Mountain Firewood Company Earns USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Green Mountain Firewood Company announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product label. The products:
-Green Mountain Firewood
-Green Mountain Firewood Briquettes
are now able to display a unique USDA label that highlights its percentage of biobased content. 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 thrilled that our company's fire logs and briquettes have been certified by the USDA as 100% Biobased products; it helps further validate our mission to recycle and re-purpose wood waste to create a firewood that is better for you and the environment." said Chief Operating Officer, Jack Newton.
"I learned about Green Mountain Firewood logs years ago,' said Richard Trethewey, cast member of the PBS TV show 'This Old House' and a member of the board of directors of Green Mountain Firewood. "These logs are the best logs I have ever burned in my fireplace, firepit, or when camping. They are safe and clean, burn hot, and smoke much less than other logs.'
"We applaud Green Mountain Firewood Company for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product label," said Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program. "Products from Green Mountain Firewood Company 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.
About Green Mountain Firewood Company:
Green Mountain Firewood's mission is to offer customers a safer and cleaner fire experience by providing a line of recycled, natural, chemical-free firewood products. It manufactures products in the United States using 100% hardwood waste with no chemicals or additives. Green Mountain Firewood's manufacturing process kills all insects molds and fungus, making it safe to transport without risking the spread of invasive species. Its logs and briquettes are low moisture, easy to light, safe to cook on and produce very little smoke. To learn more about Green Mountain Firewood's Certified 100% Biobased products, go to www.greenmountainfirewood.com or follow it on Instagram at @greenmountainfirewood or Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreenMountainFirewood/ 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 and bioplastics. 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, and follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BioPreferred.