The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and the soybean checkoff are helping consumers "go green" by creating a new website -- www.soyinside.org, that offers information about bioproducts made from agriculturally derived, renewable resources such as soybeans.
Soyinside.org is an easy to use, interactive online resource that assists consumers in finding green products. This site helps visitors find everything they need to know about bioproducts, from how they are made to which household items include soy. While the majority of the featured products include a soy-based component, there will also be other products included that are made with other agriculturally derived components such as corn.
"As more types of bioproducts become available and as consumers continue to make the right choices, bio-based solutions have the potential to replace petroleum-based materials with renewable, environmentally friendly products and resources," said Kirk Merritt, OSC executive director. "Thanks to soyin side.org, consumers now have the information they need to purchase environmentally friendly products."
This site will introduce consumers to bio-based alternatives for everything from personal-care items to paints, cleaners and other industrial products. It will also highlight bioproducts that are produced and/or offered by Ohio companies.
Soyinside.org also enables viewers to take a virtual tour of a model home to visualize numerous household products that can be substituted with an alternative. Some of the products that will be featured on soyinside.org include:
* Soy foam used in La-Z-Boy recliners and furniture.
* Environmentally friendly and biodegradable disposable paper cups and packaging.
* Soy-based paints and stains from Sherwin-Williams
Recent surveys show that nearly 88 percent of Ohio consumers would purchase a bioproduct as long as it performed as well or better than a standard-equivalent product and 60 percent say that they would purchase bio-based products even if they cost up to 10 percent more.
For years, OSC and the soybean checkoff have supported the research and development for new products and materials made from soybeans. Soy-based bioproducts are proving to be a viable and available solution to help reduce the country's dependence on petroleum.
This research-and-development effort is significantly based on the relationship OSC has developed with Battelle, a world-renowned research organization located in Columbus, OH. Because of this collaboration with Battelle, many new and exciting technologies have been developed, including a soy-based plasticizer, powder coating and polyol that are used in the production of foam, as well as soy-based toner resin for printers and copiers.
Many soy-based products perform as well or better than their petroleum-based counterparts. For example, the use of soy-based resins for powder coatings results in superior coating capabilities at a lower temperature.
For more information and to find bioproducts that meet your needs, visit www.soyinside.org.
About OSC
Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a 17-member volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program's primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development projects through the investment of farmer contributed funds. For more information, please visit www.soyohio. org.
