ISO 16620-1:2015

Overview

ISO 16620-1:2015 - Plastics - Biobased content - Part 1: General principles defines the general principles and calculation methods for determining the biobased content of plastic products. It sets out how to quantify biobased content using either the carbon mass (biobased carbon) or the mass of constituents (biobased synthetic polymer and biobased mass). The standard applies to plastic products, polymer resins, monomers and additives that include biobased and/or fossil-based constituents, and is intended to support environmental assessment and transparent reporting.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Three complementary reporting approaches
  • Biobased carbon content - fraction of carbon in a product originating from biomass, expressed relative to total organic carbon (TOC) or total carbon (TC). Calculations account for inorganic carbon (e.g., fillers) when appropriate.
  • Biobased synthetic polymer content - mass fraction of synthetic polymers in the product that are derived wholly or partly from biomass.
  • Biobased mass content - total mass fraction of all biobased constituents (natural polymers, biobased synthetic polymers and biobased additives).
• Calculation methods are defined on a mass- and carbon-basis using constituent carbon masses and constituent masses. The standard provides formulas and worked examples (informative annexes) covering wholly biobased and partly biobased constituents.
• Constituent classification - distinguishes biobased synthetic polymers, fossil-based synthetic polymers, natural polymers and organic/inorganic additives (fillers included).
• Scope and applicability - intended for materials and finished products where constituent origins (biomass vs fossil) can be identified and quantified.
• Normative references - links to ISO 16620-2 (biobased carbon determination) and ISO 16620-3 (biobased synthetic polymer determination); Parts 4 and 5 (biobased mass determination and declaration) are under development.

Practical applications and users

• Plastics manufacturers and compounders - to calculate and report the biobased content of resins, blends and finished articles for product labeling and internal sustainability metrics.
• Sustainability and LCA practitioners - to quantify biomass-derived carbon or mass fractions used in environmental impact assessments and inventory data.
• Procurement and product compliance teams - to verify supplier declarations and meet public/private procurement requirements for biobased materials.
• Certification bodies and regulators - to standardize claims and ensure consistent methods for biobased product declarations.
• R&D and materials scientists - to design formulations with targeted biobased content and compare alternatives.

Related standards

• ISO 16620-2 - Determination of the biobased carbon content
• ISO 16620-3 - Determination of biobased synthetic polymer content
• ISO 16620-4 (in preparation) - Determination of biobased mass content
• ISO 16620-5 (in preparation) - Declaration of biobased content
• ISO 472 - Plastics - Vocabulary

ISO 16620-1 is essential when you need a consistent, traceable method to report biobased content, compare materials, and support credible sustainability claims for plastics.