ACT Ecolabel
The ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label was designed to address the need of both scientists and procurement specialists for clear information about the environmental impact of laboratory products. By emphasizing Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency (ACT) around manufacturing, energy and water use, packaging, and end-of-life, ACT makes it easy to choose more sustainable products.
The certification process entails third-party verification of the sustainable impacts of a product, its operations, and its end of life. Most categories are graded on a scale of 1-10 with lower numbers indicating a lower overall environmental impact.
All Planet-Safe® labels can be found in the ACT Label Database.
BioPreferred
Managed by the USDA, The BioPreferred Program leverages mandatory federal purchasing programs to decrease US reliance on petroleum and increase the use of renewable/sustainable products. To make it easier for consumers to identify these biobased products, a voluntary labeling initiative was created to display on certified products and product listings.
To achieve BioPreferred status a product must undergo ASTM D6866 testing to confirm it contains the required minimum amount of biobased content. A Radiocarbon measurement determines the overall amount of biobased carbon and reflects it as a percentage. Planet-Safe® Labware became the first laboratory consumable to receive BioPreferred status in February of 2024 with a rating of 98%.
Compostability
The standard used to determine if a plastic product can be aerobically composted in a municipal or industrial facility is ASTM D6400. To be considered industrially compostable, a plastic product must reach a minimum disintegration of 90%, based on weight loss, after being tested for a maximum of 84 days in a laboratory scale disintegration environment.
As shown below, Planet-Safe® Cell Culture Dishes will breakdown under the appropriate conditions within 21 days, reaching 90% prior to day 77, and will reach 100% disintegration prior to day 84. Since Planet-Safe® 96-Well Cell Culture Microplates are a more robust item, disintegration begins prior to day 21 and reaches 90% prior to day 84. Though the evaluation is ended after 84 days, extrapolating the data shows that 100% disintegration will be reached by day 88. This is represented in Fig. 1 by the green and white line.
Phytotoxicity
Industrial compost containing biodegraded Planet-Safe® labware is safe and will not hinder plant growth. Compost mixtures containing biodegraded Planet-Safe® material were evaluated for seed germination per ASTM D6002, and plant growth per OECD 208.
To determine any resulting reduction in germination or healthy growth, three replicates each of six different material mixtures were used to grow both barley and cress. The figure below shows the average germination of each mixture indicating the percentage of seeds that sprouted and produced healthy plants showing no residual negative effects.
