DIN EN 16751:2014-07

Bio-based products from forestry and agriculture have a long history of application, such as paper, board and various chemicals and materials. The last decades have seen the emergence of new bio-based products in the market. Some of the reasons for the increased interest lie in the bio-based products' benefits in relation to the depletion of fossil resources and climate change. Bio-based products may also provide additional product functionalities. This has triggered a wave of innovation with the development of knowledge and technologies allowing new transformation processes and product development. Acknowledging the need for common standards for bio-based products, the European Commission issued mandate M/492, resulting in a series of standards developed by CEN, with a focus on bio-based products other than food, feed and biomass for energy applications. This European Standard sets horizontal sustainability criteria applicable to all bio-based products, excluding food, feed and energy, covering all three pillars of sustainability; environmental, social and economic aspects. This European Standard provides a framework to provide information on management of sustainability aspects. It does not establish thresholds or limits.