Standards for the Operation of the Logo

Biodegradable Plastics
April 2000

(1st Edition)

October 2009

(Revised)

July 2012（Revised）

June 2006(1st Edition)

Biomass Plastics

October 2009

(Revised)

September 2011

(Revised)

July 2012

November 2018

（Revised）（Unification & Revised）

June 2021(Revised)Japan BioPlastics Association

1. Standards for the Operation of the Logo
(1) The decision of this committee with regard to the identification of Biodegradable Plastics andBiomassPla will be final. Those wishing to have permission to use the logo must comply with theinstructions of this committee regarding the identification of the relevant Biodegradable Plastics
and BiomassPla.
(2) Those wishing to have permission to use the logo must submit an application form to provide thiscommittee with advance notification of the usage details and obtain permission to use the logo.
(3) If identifying the logo, the registration number must, as a general rule, be quoted(4) Those who have received permission to use the logo are prohibited to transfer the permission toother parties without approval. The customers, who use the internal material or parts with the logo
on their own products, do not have to submit the application form. Those who have the registry
number of the logo should inform this committee the fact with documents in advance.
(5) Those who have received permission to use the logo must submit the relevant product to thiscommittee. In the case the product sample could not be submitted, the applicant should fulfill thecommittee’s instructions.
(6) The period of validity for use of the logo is three years from the date on which permission to use
it is granted. However, this does not apply if an application to continue using the logo is madeduring the period of validity.
(7) If the usage details relating to the symbol change, advance notification of the details of the changemust be submitted to this committee.
(8) If the details of the composition (components, configuration) of the Biodegradable Plastics andBiomassPla have changed and, as a result, differ from the content of the product that has beenauthorized by this committee to use the logo, use of the logo on the product concerned must besuspended immediately. However, this does not apply if a new application is submitted forpermission to use the logo, providing the details of the change in advance, or this committee iscontacted with these details in advance and its approval secured.
(9) If questions arise regarding the use of the logo, this committee should be consulted and its
instructions provided.
(10) If the “biomass-based plastic ratio” of BiomassPla is indicated on the logo, it should be displayed
in a manner that conforms to the provisions stipulated separately.
(11) If it is recognized that a question has arising regarding the content of matters recorded in thedocumentation introducing products on the market that have secured approval to use the logo, theparty that submitted the application regarding the relevant product is required to respond toinquiries from the Logo Management Subcommittee within three months and is obliged to clear
up any questions raised.

(12) In relation to the previous item, if a response is not received within three months, the Logo
Management Subcommittee may invalidate the relevant company’s license to use the logo. In thiscase, this committee will notify the logo user of the revoking of its permit to use the logo andpublish this fact on the website of the JBPA.
(13) All matters relating to the use of the logo are the responsibility of the party that has received
permission to use the logo.
(14) In the event that those who have received permission to use the logo resigned its membership of
this association, its permission to use the logo will be invalidated from the date on which it cancels
its membership. This committee will publish this fact on the website of the JBPA.

2. Applications to use the Logo
(1) Those wishing to receive permission to use the logo for the first time, or wishing to change thecontent of the application regarding a product that has already acquired the right to use the logo,must submit an application that complies with this committee’s identification standards andoperational standards.
(2) JBPA regular members, supporting members and logo members (including time-limited symbolmembers) can apply to use the logo in line with the following requirements.
(i)

All constituent materials (components) of the product for which the application is being submitted
shall be specified on the application form (Form X-1 for Biodegradable Plastics or Form X-2 forBiomassPla ), along with the quantities thereof.

(ii) As for the application of Biodegradable Plastics , a circle should be placed in the remarks columnof Form X-1 concerning the main biodegradable polymer. If the item uses multiple biodegradable
polymers, the biodegradable polymer that accounts for the greatest quantity shall be classed as
the main biodegradable polymer. The main biodegradable polymer will be listed on theBiodegradable Plastics product database and published on the JBPA website, etc.
(iii) In the case of the application of BiomassPla, the Biomass-based plastic ratio should be displayed
the numbers truncating the numbers beyond the second decimal point, which is derived from theBiomass-based plastic ratio of the constituent materials listed in BiomassPla Positive List of Class
A, C, E, and F.
(iv) The measured values or rationally estimated values of specified toxic substances (Appendix 1)
contained in the G Biodegradable Plastics and of specified toxic substances (Appendix 3)

contained in the BiomassPla for which the application is being submitted shall be specified on
the application form (Form X-1 and X-2). If providing measured values, an analytical reportdetailing such matters as the method of measuring the content shall be appended; if providing
estimated values, the rational grounds for these shall be clearly demonstrated.
(v) If there are any special notes concerning the method of forming (processing) the Biodegradable
Plastics and BiomassPla for which the application is being submitted, these shall be stipulated on
the application form (Form X-1 and X-2 respectively).
(vi) Details concerning the use (text of explanatory, note of the relevant portion etc.) and scope(display media or place, etc.) of use shall be stipulated on the application form (Form X-1 and X2).
(vii) The applicant shall submit the application form to this committee along with a sample of the
Biodegradable Plastics or BiomassPla for which the application is being submitted, or announce
the time of submission to the Committee.
(viii) The results of the screening process will be notified to the applicant by means of a license touse the symbol issued by the committee (or, in the event that permission is denied, the reasonsfor denial will be stipulated).
(ix) The application form, appended documents and submitted Biodegradable Plastics andBiomassPla will be stored by the Committee under the strictest security, and confidentiality
relating to the content of the application will be strictly observed. However, GreenPla andBiomassPla (product names) that use the logo may be introduced on the JBPA website.

3. Standards for Acceptance of Use of the Logo on Limited Parts(1) Composite products consisting of Biodegradable Plastics and materials not registered on the PLthat satisfy the following conditions shall be permitted to use the logo, but only on theBiodegradable Plastics part.
(i)

In the case of composite products that contain materials that are not registered on the PL but are
generally deemed to be biodegradable (it is necessary for the applicant to provide a rational
explanation concerning the biodegradability), where it is easy to identify the biodegradable
plastic part, the use of the logo on the biodegradable plastic part will be permitted.
Those permitted to use the logo must indicate the part to which the logo applies (or does notapply). Moreover, those permitted to use the logo are also responsible for the safety andbiodegradability of the parts to which the logo does not apply.

(ii) Even if the composite product contains non-biodegradable materials, use of the logo on thebiodegradable plastic part will be permitted, where it is easy to distinguish the biodegradable
plastic part from the part made from non-biodegradable materials and to physically separate thetwo. When applying, the applicant must prove that identification and separation are easy.
Those permitted to use the logo must indicate the part to which the logo applies (or does notapply).
(2) Even if a product as a whole does not achieve the standards for accreditation as BiomassPla, if itis easy to identify the part of BiomassPla from the other parts, permission can be granted for theuse of the logo on the BiomassPla part.
Applicants must verify at the time of application that it is easy to identify the part in question.
Those who are permitted to use the logo must clearly indicate to which part the logo is applicable(and to which parts it is not).