Guardian Infill Earns USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Guardian Innovations, LLC Earns USDA Certified Biobased Product Label
Peachtree Corners, GA. November 21, 2024 — Guardian Innovations, LLC announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label for Guardian Biobased TPE Infill.
Guardian Innovation’s TPE Infill has been cooling fields throughout North America since 2016. This is a bio-based sustainable infill manufactured in the USA. The unique shape of the infill allows for ideal compaction for optimal energy restitution, ball rebound and rotational resistance. The closed pore system provides a clean install with minimal splash and no added maintenance. The material is intended to last the life of the field, pulled up and recycled for additional use.
Guardian TPE Infill is engineered to guarantee a standard production every run. The Class 1 fire rating, flame retardant and dust free features are idyllic for indoor facilities. Rainbow Trout Certification and 1.18 Specific Gravity provide a sense of security in cases of water runoff. 30% air is puffed into each individual pellet for improved GMAX, 1+ meter HIC and reduced abrasion.
The Guardian Biobased TPE Infill 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 help address climate change by offering renewable alternatives to petroleum-based products; sequester carbon dioxide, lowering the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere that contribute to climate change; create and expand markets; are generally safer for people and the environment than their petroleum-based counterparts; 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.
“This certification not only underscores the superior quality of our products but also helps customers understand the value we bring to the market. It reaffirms our commitment to sustainability and safety in every aspect of our design.”
“We applaud Guardian Innovations, LLC for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label. 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, Guardian Innovations, LLC 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 Guardian Innovations, LLC
Erin and Lee Hanson started Guardian in 2011 with one goal in mind – innovating equipment to better serve athletes. Their 25+ years of experience owning and operating a material science and technology company enabled them to create Guardian Infill along with Guardian Caps, PEARL lacrosse balls, and LOOP soft-shell headbands. This project stems from their passion for player safety, foundation in material sciences, and the generally accepted physics behind impact reduction.
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.
