Plant-based
No legal definition exists for materials in either the EU or the United States. The term implies a majority plant composition to a reader while requiring nothing at all of the seller; ask instead for a bio-based percentage by weight.
Meaning by context
No legal definition exists for materials. The term is borrowed from food labelling, where it also lacks a statutory threshold.
No FTC definition. Treated as a general advertising claim requiring substantiation like any other.
Applied to any material containing plant matter at any percentage, including sheets where plant input is a minority of the weight.
Where this goes wrong
The highest-risk word in this glossary. It implies a majority plant composition to a reader while requiring nothing of the seller. Replace it with a stated bio-based percentage by weight. If you have inherited ‘plant-based’ on existing packaging, treat it as a live substantiation liability rather than a wording preference.