5 Challenges & Solutions to De-Risk Your Supply Chain
Summary
This post explores the often-overlooked issue of supply chain risk in material innovation, especially for companies transitioning to sustainable pigments. It explains how regulatory changes, transparency demands, and reliance on fossil-derived carbon black can expose brands to instability and reputational damage - and what to do about it.
When we talk about innovation in materials, we often focus on performance or sustainability. But there’s another, less discussed dimension: supply chain risk.
Every ingredient in a supply chain carries risk — feedstock availability, reformulating costs, evolving regulations, data verification on carbon footprint and toxicity, and brand reputation. For decades, black pigments derived from fossil carbon have been a blind spot. As governments tighten chemical regulations, shipping routes strain under global instability, and consumers demand transparency, the pigment at the beginning of your process can suddenly become the weakest link in your entire value chain.
It’s also worth remembering that “biobased” alone doesn’t guarantee safety or supply security. Many biobased pigments still rely on heavy, CO2 intensive pre-processing and furnace black processing, re-introducing the very risks they claim to solve. BioBlack™ is different: we don’t pre-process the wood, we don’t add any chemicals, and our manufacturing process is fully circular and runs on renewable energy. Its 100 % biobased content is verified through independent testing, and every stage of production — from feedstock sourcing to pigment finishing — happens within the United States. That combination of renewable inputs, verified data, and domestic manufacturing makes BioBlack a uniquely low-risk, high-trust solution.
The Challenge: Feedstock Unpredictability
Since traditional carbon black pigments are mostly made from petroleum feedstocks — materials inherently tied to the volatility of fossil fuel markets – every fluctuation in oil price, trade wars, or refinery output echoes down the pigment supply chain, introducing unpredictability into manufacturing costs. One example is that carbon black is more difficult to find in Europe as sanctions against carbon black oil from Russia have limited supply. Carbon black oil is also hard to store because it is chemically reactive, unstable in storage and heat, highly prone to oxidation, sludge formation and polymerization in storage. Its high volatility is flammable and can emit VOCs.
The Solution: Wood Waste is Globally Abundant and Stored Indefinitely
Because BioBlack is made from abundant wood waste rather than petroleum, it’s insulated from oil-market shocks and geopolitical disruptions. Brands benefit from a more stable cost structure and a supply chain grounded in renewable, circular feedstocks rather than finite fossil ones. Global pigment supply chains are long, complex, and fragile. Shipping delays, tariffs, and policy changes can strand manufacturers mid-production. Meanwhile, BioBlack’s robust global distribution and modular manufacturing means it can be a viable alternative to carbon black anywhere in the world with minimal effort.
This regionalized model strengthens operational resilience: fewer customs hurdles, shorter lead times, and reduced exposure to shifting international trade policies. In an age of escalating trade barriers, local production is not just a sustainability story — it’s a reliability story.
The Challenge: Reformulating Costs
The economic case for safer, renewable pigments is clear. Reformulating around restricted substances is costly and will need to be re-done sooner than later; being forced to recall products or update formulations can devastate margins.
The Solution: Future Proofing Formulations
By adopting BioBlack now, brands avoid the costly cycle of reformulation that comes with unstable or noncompliant materials. When a pigment’s chemical profile shifts — due to new regulatory bans, feedstock shortages, or supplier inconsistency — entire product lines must be re-engineered, retested, and recertified. Each reformulation can delay launches, create waste, and erode consumer trust.
BioBlack’s verified formulation, made from certified wood waste and produced in the U.S. under consistent quality and environmental standards, removes that uncertainty. Its stable domestic production also reduces financial exposure to international tariffs, logistics spikes, and emerging carbon-related taxes worldwide — ensuring brands reformulate once, and only once, for a more resilient supply chain.
Just as importantly, BioBlack positions companies to participate in emerging green-procurement programs and sustainability-linked financing opportunities — channels that increasingly require verified low-emission, biobased inputs. As we noted in “Reversing the Toxic Legacy of Black Pigments”, replacing fossil carbon with renewable carbon is no longer just a sustainability goal; it’s a financial strategy for resilience.
The lesson is simple: risk lives everywhere in a supply chain, even in color. By choosing BioBlack, brands are doing more than adopting a sustainable pigment; they’re reinforcing the integrity of their entire operation. In a world defined by uncertainty — regulatory shifts, tariff disputes, environmental scrutiny — that’s the kind of resilience that lasts.
The Challenge: Global Regulations
Around the world, regulations governing chemicals and materials are advancing rapidly. Frameworks like the EU Green Deal, REACH, and California’s Proposition 65 are redefining what “safe” and “sustainable” mean at the ingredient level. Traditional carbon black pigments, with their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nano-sized particles, fall squarely in the path of these tightening standards. In a recent conversation, one of the largest retailers in the United States confirmed that carbon black pigment is a risk to its supply, and its ability to meet emissions reductions and toxicity regulations.
The Solution: Non-toxic Pigments
BioBlack is inherently non-toxic, non-nano, and USDA Certified 100 % Biobased, providing a clear pathway through an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Its ability to meet global regulations reduces cross border compliance risks, while offering the transparent documentation that brands need for modern environmental reporting and ingredient disclosure. What once felt like a compliance burden becomes, with BioBlack, a competitive advantage.
The Challenge: Science-Based Targets
The environmental footprint of traditional black pigments is steep — both in emissions and in public perception. As companies work to meet science-based targets and disclose lifecycle data, fossil-derived ingredients represent an outsized liability.
The Solution: Verified Emissions Reductions
BioBlack was engineered to solve emissions challenges — and the data proves it. According to Nature Coatings’ third party and peer-reviewed 2023 LCA, which includes all life cycle stages from cradle-to-gate, the carbon footprint of 1kg of packaged BioBlack 13 pigment powder is 0.847 kg CO₂ eq per kg of pigment. The calculation includes raw materials, acquisition, transport, product manufacturing with 100% renewable energy, and packaging.
On the other hand, based on available and public data, the combustion process alone of conventional fossil-fuel carbon black is 2.32 kg CO₂ eq per kg. This calculation does not include fossil fuel mining and extraction, transport, or packaging. Therefore, there is a minimum 64 percent reduction in emissions, saving at least 1.49 kg CO₂ eq for every kilogram of carbon black replaced.
When biogenic carbon uptake is included, BioBlack achieves a net carbon footprint of –2.247 kg CO₂ eq per kg, meaning it stores more carbon than it emits over its life cycle. In addition, its formulation is free of PAHs, VOCs, PFAS, and nanomaterials, which are increasingly restricted in global environmental and regulatory frameworks. By using BioBlack, brands gain a quantified, ISO 14040-, 14044-, and 14067-aligned proof point for decarbonization efforts.
Our independently prepared LCA — conducted by Accend AS using the IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method — confirms measurable emissions reductions under a cradle-to-gate system boundary powered by 100 percent renewable wind electricity. This transparency helps brands substantiate climate claims, simplify ESG and sustainability reporting, and minimize exposure to greenwashing risk by anchoring statements in verified data.
The Challenge: Brand Reputation
Every pigment tells a story, whether brands intend it or not. Using fossil-based carbon black can send an outdated message — one of opacity and environmental compromise. As we discussed in “Black Cosmetics Without Toxic Baggage”, consumer awareness is growing around the hidden toxicity and fossil origin of conventional pigments.
The Solution: Eliminate Greenwashing
BioBlack gives brands a verifiable, data-backed alternative in a market where “bio-based” doesn’t always mean better. Many pigments marketed as sustainable still depend on imported or fossil-derived ingredients, offering little transparency into their true impact. BioBlack is different: it’s made entirely from 100% FSC®-certified recycled wood waste, produced in the U.S. under strict environmental standards, and verified through a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment.
Every step of our process — from sourcing to manufacturing — is fully traceable and supported by lab data and ISO-aligned LCA documentation. This transparency allows brands to substantiate their climate claims with real numbers, not marketing slogans. In a world of greenwashed “bio” products, asking for carbon data, feedstock proof, and verifiable third-party standards isn’t just smart — it’s essential. BioBlack makes that verification simple, turning measurable truth into a powerful brand asset.
