CINCINNATI, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Formica Corporation announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label for Formica® Brand Laminate.
Formica® Brand Laminate is the original high pressure laminate (HPL), invented by Formica Corporation in 1913. More than a century later, it remains a cornerstone of surface innovation, known for exceptional durability, versatility and design-forward appeal. This recognition by the USDA affirms Formica Corporation’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable materials in modern surfacing. Formica® Laminate combines timeless design with responsible innovation, offering specifiers and consumers a beautiful, high-performance product that now also carries the added assurance of renewable biobased content.
Formica® Brand Laminate can now 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, which strives to increase the development, purchase, and use of biobased products.
Biobased products empower communities in rural America, create and expand markets, and represent incredible technological advances and innovations.
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 are cost-comparative, readily available, and perform as well as or better than their conventional counterparts.
“We’re proud to have the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label on our flagship Formica® Brand Laminate,” said Jim Mizer, Head of R&D for Formica Group North America and Nemho North America. “As a company with deep roots in material innovation, this certification reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability and our responsibility to provide the design community and consumers with smart, high-performing surface solutions.” Formica Corporation’s certification is the highest certified biobased content level among major HPL manufacturers.
"We applaud Formica Corporation for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label," said Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program. "The label is intended to help spur economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities. But the label also makes it easier for consumers and federal buyers to locate biobased products and consider planet-friendlier options during purchase decisions. By having their products become USDA Certified Biobased, Formica Corporation joins an expanding list of businesses combatting inaccurate marketing claims and the practice of greenwashing, while also contributing to a thriving bioeconomy that decreases our reliance on petroleum."
In the latest Economic Impact Report released by USDA, the biobased products industry supported 4.6 million American jobs; contributed $470 billion to the U.S. economy and generated 2.79 jobs in other sectors of the economy for every biobased job. Biobased products also have a substantial environmental impact, displacing about 9.4 million barrels of oil a year, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 12.7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year.
About the USDA BioPreferred Program
With the goal of increasing the development, purchase, and use of biobased products, USDA's BioPreferred® Program was first introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized in 2018. It requires federal agencies and contractors to give purchasing preference to biobased products. The USDA BioPreferred Program also includes a voluntary certification and labeling initiative for biobased products. This is referred to as the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label.
More than 1,800 companies across the U.S. and in 47 countries participate in the Program. From farm and field all the way through the manufacturing process, the expanding market for biobased products creates jobs, supports rural economic growth in America, and has a positive impact on our planet. Have questions? Please contact: Vernell Thompson, USDA BioPreferred Program at Vernell.Thompson@usda.gov.
About Formica Corporation
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Formica Group of companies, is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA™.
Formica Corporation Commitment to Sustainable Development
Since Formica Group first joined Broadview Materials in 2019, the company has been deeply committed to the pursuit of sustainable development. Formica aspires to carbon neutrality by 2030 and has developed an action plan to achieve this target. Ensuring the company's long-term sustainability means reducing its environmental footprint. Formica's credo is “do no harm, do good, do better.” With a goal of reducing its CO2 emissions by 50 % (27,500 tonnes) by 2026, the company will cut emissions at its facilities by at least 25 % and will replace the remaining emissions with carbon offset credits. Formica Group proactively and transparently published its environmental impact data. The latest report is available here.
About Broadview Materials
Headquartered in Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch) in the Netherlands, Broadview is a holding company that pursues long-term growth and value creation through active support of its operating companies. Broadview's family of companies covers two industry clusters: energy and materials technology. Broadview's materials technology businesses include Arpa, Trespa, Formica Group, Westag, Homapal and Direct Online Services. With combined sales of €1.2 billion and 6,000 employees, Broadview is a world leader in the surface materials market.
Bill Wherle Formica Corporation william.wherle@formica.com Jenna Greene jenna.greene@clynch.com
