CHICAGO, May 2 (UPI) -- Bio-based materials have been in the limelight lately because of their potential as low-emissions fuels, but their ability to cut CO2 emissions extends beyond the transportation sector, experts say.

Although ethanol and other biofuels receive the most media coverage for their ability to reduce gasoline consumption, companies around the world have been using them for some time as raw materials for a variety of other products, including textiles, plastics and cleaning solutions.

"The vision, the dream, is much bigger than fuel," said Steen Riisgaard, CEO of Novozymes, a biotech company.

By replacing the fossil fuels traditionally used to make a number of these products with more environmentally friendly bio-based materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, Riisgaard told United Press International.

And with governments around the world both considering and enacting tough climate-change legislation, including carbon tax proposals in the U.S. Congress, a number of companies may soon face mandates to decrease their emissions. At least, that's what companies like Novozymes project.