Seventh Generation Marks 1st Anniversary of Pioneering USDA Biobased Certification

BURLINGTON, VT -- (Marketwire) -- 04/26/12 -- Seventh Generation, the nation's most trusted brand of environmentally-friendly household and personal care products, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the USDA Certified Biobased label and its first-in-the-nation certification of 13 of the company's key offerings. To commemorate the event, the company announced its intention to ensure that all eligible formulated products will be 100% USDA Biobased Certified by 2020.

The USDA BioPreferred® program's voluntary labeling initiative helps consumers easily identify biobased goods made in whole or significant part from sustainable agricultural, forestry, and/or marine raw materials rather than nonrenewable materials like those obtained from petroleum. Products that meet or exceed the standards established for their specific category receive official certification and may display the USDA Certified Biobased Product label on their products. All biobased content claims are verified by independent labs and monitored by the USDA and ASTM International so consumers can trust the label's accuracy and every buying decision based on it.

The biobased product certification and labeling initiative, which was launched last year as a new part of USDA's BioPreferred program, initially certified 13 Seventh Generation products from the company's bathtub cleaner and dish soap to its laundry liquid, which uses a revolutionary new 100% plant-based surfactant.

"We think biobased certification has the huge potential to break through what's become a clutter of green seals and certifications that just end up confusing consumers," said Chris Miller, the company's Director of Corporate Consciousness.