Acceptance of bio-based products in the business-to-business market and public procurement: Expert survey results

We present the most important results of two expert surveys of the acceptance of bio-based products in the business-to-business (B2B) sector and in the public sector. Both surveys follow a Delphi approach giving insight into key market drivers and barriers, the most important information requirements, as well as perceptions on the role of product labeling and standardization. The business survey shows that market drivers differ significantly across European countries, a point to be taken into account when developing harmonized approaches for the European Union. Furthermore, the importance of market factors also varies across sub-groups of bio-based products. The labeling of bio-based products, preferably in combination with additional environmental and sustainability criteria, receives broad support from the experts. The procurement survey identifies effective policy measures and informational needs for enhancing the uptake of bio-based products in (green) public procurement. Key findings include that bio-based products are not (yet) considered a relevant category and that bio-based content on its own is typically not viewed as a relevant justification for inclusion in green public procurement schemes. Moreover, eco-labeling schemes are important points of reference, suggesting that the incorporation of bio-based content as criteria in relevant labeling schemes could also promote the acceptance of bio-based products in the public sector.