Soy biobased products can also offer environmental and health benefits, such as lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs, explained here by EPA), reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, as well as irritation from odors, and more. Manufacturers of both industrial and consumer products use soybean oil and meal to replace petroleum and other volatile or hazardous ingredients and also increase product performance.Soybean oil is one of the most versatile of the natural oils. Its molecular structure and suitable fatty-acid profile can be readily modified for many applications. The versatility of these U.S. soybean components makes product applications remarkably wide-ranging, including rubber, fiber, coatings, solvents, plastics, lubricants and adhesives.
In addition to helping manufacturers reduce their dependency on petrochemicals and insulate themselves from price fluctuations for raw materials, soybeans enable manufacturers to replace possible carcinogens and satisfy consumer demand for sustainable, environmentally-friendly products.* For example, soy replaces formaldehyde in many adhesive products. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, according to the International Agency for Cancer Research.
The soy checkoff partners with manufacturers to commercialize new soy-based products, giving farmers and others even more opportunities to buy products that contain U.S. soy. USB’s Soy Products Guide contains 1,000+ soy-based products currently on the market – from flooring and roofing products to candles and personal care items. Checkoff-supported research has demonstrated that soy works as a cost-competitive replacement for petrochemicals in manufacturing. This expedites commercialization of soy-based products.
Biobased soy product success stories are a fun read – and run the gamut! Reliable, sustainable soy products are being produced and used by individuals, governments, universities, NGOs and companies ranging from Aveeno to IKEA! Environmentally-friendly products and uses include the following, to name just a few!
