DALTON— Universal Textile Technologies’ (UTT) BioCel and EnviroCel polyurethane carpet backing systems were recently qualified for federal purchasing preference as designated biobased items under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred program.

“I am gratified that the federal government, the country’s largest single consumer, is supporting the diverse community of biobased products and rewarding innovation and environmental initiative,” said Tom Peeples, UTT’s president.

USDA’s BioPreferred program requires federal agencies to purchase biobased products over petroleumbased counterparts—as long as they are reasonably available, priced and comparable in performance.