Biological Preparations is proud to share that our palm oil-based BioHygiene products are now officially certified by the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil).
Palm oil is an integral part of everyday life, found in countless products from food to personal care items. However, its production has raised significant environmental and social concerns. To address these issues, the concept of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil has emerged as a crucial initiative, with the global non-profit RSPO leading the charge for sustainable palm oil practices worldwide - an initiative we are proudly part of.
Why Certified Sustainable Palm Oil?
Palm oil is one of the world's most versatile vegetable oils, which is why it appears in around 50% of packaged goods in supermarkets, from pizzas to shampoos. With its broad range of properties and functions, palm oil has become a preferred ingredient for many manufacturers. In 2023 alone, 77 million metric tons of palm oil were consumed globally.
However, this versatile oil has also been linked to significant environmental and social issues, including the deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse regions, a high carbon footprint, the exploitation of workers, child labour, and the decline of already endangered species, like orangutans.
These devastating impacts are not inherent to the palm oil plant itself but result from how these plants are cultivated. The global demand for palm oil has led many opportunistic farmers and large conglomerates to clear land for these crops, often at the expense of precious rainforests. This is why switching to alternative vegetable oils isn’t a viable solution. In fact, palm oil supplies 40% of the world’s vegetable oil while using just 6% of the land dedicated to oil crops. Switching to alternatives like soybean, coconut, or sunflower oil would require 4 to 10 times more land, worsening the environmental crisis.
This is why it is crucial for companies, governments, and consumers to actively support sustainable palm oil, making the work of the RSPO vital.
RSPO: Promoting Sustainable Palm Oil
Established in 2004, the RSPO was created to address the growing concerns surrounding palm oil production. This global non-profit organisation unites stakeholders across the palm oil supply chain to promote more sustainable and less harmful palm oil practices.
The RSPO sets standards for farmers and provides best practice guidelines for companies sourcing palm oil. Their holistic approach aims to eliminate deforestation, address human rights issues, and enhance transparency within the palm oil market. By adhering to these standards, palm oil can remain a viable ingredient for many products without causing harm to our environment or exploiting people.
Biological Preparations is RSPO Certified
This year, announced that Biological Preparations is now a member of the RSPO, demonstrating our commitment to supporting sustainable palm oil and aligning with the values of the RSPO. We are even more excited to share that we are now officially RSPO certified. Achieving RSPO certification requires us to demonstrate full traceability of the ingredients we use across our supply chain to the RSPO. Initially BioHygiene products that use palm oil derived materials will be RSPO certified and carry the RSPO logo, with a staggered roll out covering all customer ranges planned.
Biological Preparations has always utilised plant-derived raw materials in its products, with a long-standing commitment to sourcing from RSPO-compliant sources. To earn this certification, we implemented a comprehensive RSPO policy that encompasses procedures across our entire supply chain. This certification reflects a company-wide commitment, with involvement from our supply chain, logistics, production, technical teams, and distribution. We are proactive in ensuring our suppliers adhere to RSPO standards, working exclusively with active RSPO suppliers, and ensuring that over 95% of our palm oil meets the stringent criteria for the Mass Balance (MB) model.
“As a business we are thrilled that the work of the RSPO fully aligns with our core values and company ethos. Our mission is to help protect people and the planet in a responsible and sustainable way. By ceasing deforestation, sustainable palm oil production is having a positive impact on climate change. Forests, especially tropical ones, store much more carbon than oil palm plantations – around six times the volume. Our commitment to utilising RSPO materials is helping to protect forests and prevent land conversion into oil palm plantations. In turn, this is proactively protecting carbon storage and reducing carbon emissions, which is absolutely pivotal as we journey towards carbon zero”.
Dr. Carolyn Jones, Director of Innovation and Chemistry
As a business deeply committed to sustainability, biodiversity protection, and the well-being of people, achieving RSPO certification is a significant milestone for us. It underscores our dedication to ensuring that even naturally derived products have minimal negative impacts and highlights our long-term commitment to sustainable practices across our supply chain.
If you would like to learn more about our RSPO-certified products, please reach out to our team here.
