A new Ohio law encouraging state agencies and colleges to "go green" has prompted creation of a website designed to link potential buyers with companies - many of them Ohio-based - that make or sell products made from renewable resources.

The From the Earth website, http://fromtheearth-bioproducts.com, is sponsored by the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association and features what the group calls "bioproducts."

It's in response to a state law that requires state agencies and state colleges and universities to give buying preference to products made with agricultural materials such as soybeans and wood pulp when available.

Ohio's law is the first in the country, said Tadd Nicholson, director of government and industry affairs for the Ohio Corn Marketing Program and the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program.

"Bio-based products have less impact on the environment than petroleum-based counterparts because they are biodegradable, (are) comprised of renewable resources and have decreased disposal and cleanup costs," Nicholson said.

The law is designed to spur growth in the state's bioproducts industry in addition to boosting Ohio's thousands of grain farmers.

"Ohio is really a pioneer in this area," Nicholson said.

The list of makers or marketers of bags, cleaners, disposable cutlery and other products made with soybeans, corn or wheat runs into the dozens. Half a dozen or so are based in central Ohio.

Steve Grossman is vice president of one: Industrialbag.com.

The company distributes BioBags: compostable products that come in a variety of sizes, from 96-gallon waste containers to dog-waste bags.

It's too early to track results from the company's participation on the website, he said. The site was officially introduced Feb. 18.

"But our sales are increasing, inquiries are increasing," he said. "To what degree we owe that to From the Earth, I don't know."

He acknowledges that his products are more costly than the conventional bags available. But as interest in BioBags increases, he expects prices will come down.

"It's no different than when the first color TV came out ... or first anything," Grossman said. "The more and more they're consumed ... you'll see the price come down. And this is starting to happen."

He said he's seen prices fall 10 percent to 15 percent.

Univenture's presence on the website includes a handful of items, including clear name-badge covers that are ubiquitous at conventions. The difference: Its covers are made from a film that contains corn.

The products represent only a small part of the company's product lines and sales, said Jim Geers, director of sales for the Marysville-based company.

"It's going to take some time to develop," he said. And for buyers wanting to be environmentally sensitive, "sometimes there's a cost difference" in choosing the "green" alternative. "They've got to get over that."

The From the Earth website is searchable in several ways, including by product and company name, with items divided into categories including "cafeteria and food service" and "office supplies." Information about individual products includes a clickable link to the company that makes or distributes them and includes icons indicating whether it has an Ohio tie and whether it's made with corn, wheat or soybeans.

To be listed, products must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred program, which means they are tested to ensure that the amounts of grains and other renewable products meet federal standards.

Those standards vary by product. The USDA says disposable containers, such as those used for food, must contain at least 72 percent biobased content to qualify for the program, while the percentage for disposable cutlery is listed at 48 percent. The agency's standards statement indicates that products seeking BioPreferred status that aren't among the specific items listed must at least contain 25 percent biobased content.

The From the Earth website and many of the products listed there are aimed at industrial and commercial users, but consumers can and do buy some of the products, said Grossman of Industrialbags.com.

In the past month, Grossman said he's seen "15, 20, maybe 25 inquiries for relatively small quantities." And while consumers can buy items via the Industrialbag.com website, the BioBag name also can be found at Whole Foods. (The BioBag container of 35 large dog waste bags was selling for $5.49 last week at the W. Dublin-Granville Road location.)

"We see a lot on the horizon," he said. "We got involved at the right time."