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10 July 20266 July 2026

Plastic bottles could find new life in batteries as graphite

A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers

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Plastikflaschen könnten als Graphit in Batterien ein neues Leben finden

Forscher verwandeln PET-Abfälle in synthetischen Graphit um, der natürlichen Graphit in seinen Eigenschaften übertrifft

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FUELGAE reaches key milestones in advancing sustainable biofuels from microalgae across Europe

The project is driving forward low-carbon fuel production pathways by integrating microalgae cultivation, CO2 capture, and advanced biofuel conversion technologies

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Cefic calls for EU-wide harmonised End-of-Waste criteria for chemical recycling

In the absence of harmonised EU-wide criteria for chemical recycling, Member States continue to apply different interpretations of when waste ceases to be waste

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Technip Energies, Alterra und Neste bringen Nerea™ auf den Markt, eine standardisierte modulare Lösung für das chemische Recycling von Kunststoffen 

Nerea™ ermöglicht Entsorgern, Projektentwicklern sowie Akteuren aus Raffinerie- und Petrochemie, die zirkuläre Kunststoffproduktion mit höherer Planbarkeit zu skalieren

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Technip Energies, Alterra and Neste launch Nerea, a standardized modular solution for plastic chemical recycling

Nerea™ enables waste operators, project developers, refining and petrochemical players to scale circular plastic production with enhanced predictability

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Fighting fire with plants

The world’s first plant-based firefighting gel is here

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9 July 20268 July 2026

CO2-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2027 – Call for Abstracts Now Open

Leading international conference on CO₂ utilisation invites contributions on the latest advances in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), Power-to-X, and CO₂-based products and materials

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CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2027 – Abstracts für Präsentationen können ab sofort eingereicht werden

Die führende internationale Konferenz zu CO₂ als Rohstoff für Kraftstoffe und Chemikalien lädt ein, neueste Entwicklungen und Innovationen im Bereich Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) aus Politik, Forschung und Industrie vorzustellen

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Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The new rules include chemical and mechanical recycling technologies to help Member States meet the recycled-content target set under the Single-Use Plastics Directive

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Nachhaltig kicken auf biobasiertem Kunstrasen

Zum Start der Fußball-EM haben Forschende des Innovationsraums BIOTEXFUTURE ihren biobasierten Kunstrasen BioTurf in Aachen vorgestellt. Das innovative Grün ist eine nachhaltige Alternative zum Kunstrasen aus fossilen Rohstoffen

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SOUL: 11 Biodegradable-in-Soil Solutions with Over 95% Renewable Content

These solutions are designed to deliver high performance during use and fully biodegrade at the end of their life cycle

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Australia opens the world’s first carbon refinery

With the Myrtle ‘carbon refinery’ global industrial companies can rapidly validate MCi’s platform against their own feedstock, emissions profile and commercial requirements

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Die chemische Zukunft entsteht im Labor: exære gewinnt die From Lab to Market Challenge 2026

ReduCO₂ aus München erhält Sonderpreis für die Umwandlung von CO₂ und Wasserstoff in Batterie-Graphit

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The future of chemistry is taking shape in the lab: exære wins the From Lab to Market Challenge 2026

ReduCO₂, based in Munich, received a special award for converting CO₂ and hydrogen into battery graphite

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Mass-balanced bio-methanol from Equinor ASA – shipping fuel with 95 percent lower CO2

Mass-balanced bio-methanol from Equinor ASA supplies methanol-fuelled car carriers with up to 95 percent lower lifecycle CO2 emissions compared with conventional fossil methanol. This fuel deal keeps the Equinor ASA share price on many investors’ radar (ISIN NO0010096985)

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8 July 20261 July 2026

hephaistos.bio obtains CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to bring tailor-made enzymes to resilient and sustainable chemical manufacturing

The young company aims to help pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturers reshore production to Europe by enabling more cost-competitive and sustainable manufacturing processes using custom enzymes

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Referentenentwurf eines Gesetzes zur Änderung des Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetzes

Mit dem Gesetzentwurf sollen weitere Maßnahmen zur Fortentwicklung des Kreislaufwirtschaftsrechts, insbesondere zur Stärkung der Abfallvermeidung und Verbesserung der getrennten Sammlung ergriffen werden

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Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Gold Hydrogen Sign MOU to Assess the Feasibility of a Green Methanol Project Utilizing Natural Hydrogen in South Australia

The Ramsay Project aims to pursue the commercial extraction of natural hydrogen and helium resources discovered underground in South Australia

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CERT Systems Named a Winner in Tencent’s CarbonX 2.0 Global Climate Initiative to Scale CO2-to-Ethylene Technology

Standing out as the sole Canadian representative among 16 global cohort winners, CERT Systems receives catalytic funding and scaling resources within the Carbon Utilization (CarbonXmade) stream

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Zwischen Preisdruck und Nachhaltigkeit – Wie sich Handel und Konsum verändern

Neue Podcast-Folge der Effizienz-Agentur NRW

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CityUHK JC STEM Lab of Circular Bio-economy showcases research milestones: Developing smart building skins and eco-friendly hydrogen production technology

A research team led by Professor Lee Duu-Jong, has successfully developed a bio-inspired "all-weather building skin" that cools in sunlight and harvests energy from rain

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Closing the Plastics Loop: Can Chemical Recycling Deliver on the Promise?

Chemical recycling has an important role to play within the broader plastics recycling ecosystem alongside mechanical recycling and more advanced technologies like dissolution or solvolysis

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7 July 202630 June 2026

Siemens and Ucaneo partner to scale direct air capture

Together, the companies are creating a standardized and globally replicable automation platform that will enable rapid deployment by Ucaneo and its licensed operators worldwide

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Siemens und Ucaneo bringen Direct Air Capture auf industrielles Niveau

Gemeinsam entwickeln die Unternehmen eine standardisierte und weltweit replizierbare Automatisierungsplattform, die Ucaneo und seinen lizenzierten Betreibern weltweit schnelle Einsätze ermöglicht

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Kemira and IFF joint venture relocates planned biobased materials manufacturing site to Hanko, Finland

The IFF Hanko site specializes in industrial enzymes for the home and personal care, and food and beverage sectors

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New European Bauhaus, Biomaterials and Lightweight Structures: An Industrial Agenda for Decarbonising Construction

This article explores the role that biomaterials and lightweight composites can play in the transition of rethinking materials, standards, testing methodologies and product models

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Oldenburger Schülerinnen gewinnen ALTANA Sonderpreis Chemie

Ihr Konzept setzt auf Weizenstärke statt Kunststoff - so sollen im Take-away-Bereich weniger Plastikabfälle entstehen

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Oldenburg High School Students Win ALTANA Special Prize in Chemistry

Their concept relies on wheat starch instead of plastics, aiming to reduce plastic waste in the takeout sector

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How bio-concrete and potato plastic are saving the Dutch wetlands

Biomaterials are rebuilding habitats that protect against climate change

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6 July 202630 June 2026

For a sustainable connection: An assessment of recycled and bioplastics for electromechanical assemblies

INNOVENT and febana Feinmechanische Bauelemente GmbH investigated how electromechanical assemblies comprising plastic and metal components can also be manufactured using bio-based and recycled plastics

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Für eine nachhaltige Verbindung: Einschätzung von Recycling- und Biokunststoffen für elektromechanische Baugruppen

INNOVENT untersuchte mit der febana Feinmechanische Bauelemente GmbH, wie sich elektromechanische Baugruppen aus Kunststoff und Metall auch aus Bio- und Recyclingkunststoffen zusammensetzen lassen

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Hoogesteger signs capacity reservation agreement for releaf® with Avantium

Under the agreement, Hoogesteger secures access to future production volumes of releaf from planned licensed plants

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UPM and ANDRITZ partner to advance tailored tissue innovation

A strategic, multi-year cooperation agreement to enable tissue manufacturers to develop and optimize next-generation tissue products and processes

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UPM und Andritz bündeln Kompetenzen in der Entwicklung von Tissueanlagen

Ziel der Zusammenarbeit ist es, Tissue-Hersteller bei der Entwicklung neuer Produkte zu unterstützen und Innovationsprozesse entlang der Wertschöpfungskette voranzutreiben

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IFF’s 2025 Do More Good Report Highlights Progress in Nature-Based Innovation

Driving growth for high-performance, sustainable solutions, while enabling customers to avoid 27.2 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions

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CircuTech wins BISC-E NL 2026

CircuTech tackles one of the textile industry’s toughest problems: how to make waterproof, breathable fabric without PFAS

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3 July 202629 June 2026

Celanese and Siegwerk Collaborate to Advance More Sustainable Printing Ink Solutions with Bio-Based Ethyl Acetate

50% bio-based content helping to reduce the use of fossil-derived raw materials compared to conventional alternatives

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Celanese und Siegwerk arbeiten gemeinsam an der Entwicklung nachhaltigerer Druckfarbenlösungen auf Basis von biobasiertem Ethylacetat

50% biobasierte Inhaltsstoffe tragen dazu bei, den Einsatz fossiler Rohstoffe im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen Alternativen zu reduzieren

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Natur Tec India and Bayer to Develop Compostable Seedling Cups

The collaboration aims to eliminate single-use plastic nursery cups with alternative compostable seedling cups, while ensuring full compatibility with widely used nematicides and fungicides

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World-first for Power-to-Liquid: ERA ONE receives ISCC EU certification

The first Power-to-Liquid plant in the world whose synthetic fuels are fully recognized as RFNBO

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Weltpremiere für Power-to-Liquid: ERA ONE erhält ISCC-EU-Zertifizierung

Die weltweit erste Power-to-Liquid-Anlage nach dem Fischer-Tropsch-Verfahren, deren synthetische Kraftstoffe vollständig als RFNBO anerkannt sind

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UB study produces a biodegradable bioplastic with a low environmental impact using a modified bacterium

Genetic modification of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis opens up a route of great industrial interest for producing a sustainable and cost-effective plastic — PHB — from potato starch in a single step

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Glasgow turns cement waste into carbon-negative building material

Ureaka as a University of Strathclyde spinout combines circular chemistry with mineral processing to create supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from waste streams

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2 July 202630 June 2026

Elkem Silicones becomes Bluestar Silicones, unveiling its identity for the next chapter 

The company returns to a well-established brand name, while introducing a new visual identity and reaffirming continuity for customers, partners and stakeholders

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Elkem Silicones wird zu Bluestar Silicones und präsentiert sein neues Erscheinungsbild für das nächste Kapitel

Das Unternehmen kehrt zu einem bewährten Markennamen zurück, führt gleichzeitig eine neue visuelle Identität ein und bekräftigt damit die Kontinuität gegenüber Kunden, Partnern und Interessengruppen

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Monthly News from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), June 2026

May Highlights: Four New RCI Projects, Involvement in core groups of CCA WGs, WG Policy Work, Ambassador Activities in Brussels

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Alder BioInsights News Review – Biobased Products, June 2026

Review of the latest news and select key announcements and commentary from across the biobased products sector

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LG Chem and POSCO Holdings Join Forces for CCU Technology Demonstration Project

LG Chem is accelerating its efforts toward carbon neutrality by entering into a full-scale partnership with POSCO Holdings

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Maßgeschneiderte funktionalisierte Gelatine – reproduzierbar hergestellt

Am Fraunhofer IGB haben Forscher mithilfe automatisierter Prozesse Modifikationen des Biopolymers unter definierten Bedingungen skaliert und hiervon reproduzierbare Qualitäten für Bemusterungen entwickelt