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20 May 202519 May 2025

Innovative accelerated biodegradation test that cuts evaluation time by two thirds

The plastics industry is moving towards a more sustainable model, driven by circular economy principles and innovation in biodegradable and compostable materials

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Naphtha no longer competitive feedstock: Braskem

Brazil-based petrochemical producer Braskem is pursuing a strategic shift in polymers production by favoring natural gas liquid (NGL) feedstocks and moving away from naphtha

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Evaluation of the substitution of polyethylene for polylactic acid in sanitary pads through life cycle assessment

While sustainable alternatives to traditional pads exist, they are not widely adopted due to their low level of commoditization

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Stabil, leicht, CO2-speichernd: Hölzerne Hohlprofile für die Industrie nehmen Fahrt auf

Verschiedene Forschungsansätze, ein Ziel: Mit Vollholz und Holzwerkstoffen neue Anwendungsbereiche erschließen

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19 May 202519 May 2025

The development of renewable ethanol biorefineries as a strategic resource to accelerate the transition towards a competitive low-carbon economy

The debate was moderated by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Senior Network Editor at Euractiv

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16 May 202516 May 2025

Neue Lederalternative: ohne Plastik, vegan und biologisch abbaubar 

Das Darmstädter Startup Revoltech GmbH hat eine neue Lederalternative entwickelt

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Biomaterials are back on the green investment agenda

Biomaterials companies received $392 million in funds in the first three months of 2025 alone

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Houston Biomanufacturing Accelerator Partners with Pilot Facility to Expand Lab and Production Capacity

The facility will offer on-site education and workforce development, including hands-on lab training and potential instruction on relevant equipment and procedures for students and incumbent workers

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15 May 202515 May 2025

Circular Economy in Transition: Discovering new Technologies and Markets

Free nova Session on Emerging Technologies, Markets, and Strategies for a Renewable Carbon Future

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Free Webinar: Solar-driven Pyrolysis of Biomass: Insights, Experiences and Challenges

In a free webinar for students and early-career scientists on 26 June 2025 (13:00-15:00 CET), five experts from the PYSOLO project will provide insights into their current work and latest results

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Expanded PLA – a new type of molded foams

TotalEnergies Corbion and Useon Partner to Accelerate Industrial Adoption of PLA Foam Technology

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AFYREN and Südzucker Celebrate 5 Years of Strategic Bioeconomy Partnership

Afyren and Südzucker have agreed to extend their long-term partnership to advance a sustainable, biobased and circular chemical production

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Afyren und Südzucker setzen strategische Bioökonomie-Partnerschaft fort

Afyren und Südzucker haben vereinbart, ihre langjährige Partnerschaft fortzusetzen, um eine nachhaltige, biobasierte und zirkuläre Produktion von Chemikalien entsprechend den Zielen der EU für den ökologischen Wandel voranzutreiben

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Celebrating 15 Years of I’m greenTM bio-based with operation rates above nameplate capacity after expansion

Braskem has reached 275,000 tons/year of green ethylene, 37% above the production capacity compared to the initial project in 2010

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14 May 202513 May 2025

Free Deep Dive Webinar: Is There Enough Biomass to Defossilise the Chemicals and Derived Materials Sector by 2050? 

Recent RCI/BIC study shows biomass demand of the chemical industry can be met by 2050 – findings to be presented in a webinar on 26 May

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Wood Group: Projektierung der Biokunststoffanlage von Vioneo

Die Anlage kann 300 Kilotonnen hochwertiges Polyethylen oder Polypropylen pro Jahr aus grünem Methanol produzieren

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New GRECO project on greener and safer bioplastics for food packaging

21 partners that have joined forces to develop and implement “Innovative biobased, biodegradable, recyclable, safe, and circular food packaging” under the lead of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

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Scientists discover a new way to convert corn waste into low-cost sugar for biofuel

Researchers collaboration developed a process that pretreats corn stover, which allows enzymes to break down cellulosic polymers into sugar, that can then be fermented into biofuels and bioproducts

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‘Misleading’ compostability claims lead to ban of coffee product search ads

The Advertising Standards Authority found that Lavazza Coffee and Dualit would imply a home compostable packaging, but the pods pods are only certified as industrially compostable

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Multilayer biocomposite vegan leather materials derived from vegetable-tanned fungal biomass cultivated on food waste

In this study, the researchers used the filamentous fungus Rhizopus delemar cultivated on bread waste, which produces multilayer fungal biocomposites as a promising vegan alternative leather

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13 May 20257 May 2025

Solena raises $6.7m to create next-gen textiles using AI and synthetic biology

Imperial spinout will scale activity to create a new generation of sustainable, high-performance textiles using an entirely new class of fibres

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HUGO BOSS introduces NovaPoly as a yarn made from recycled textile waste

Textile waste, enhanced with a natural additive that mimics the natural behaviour of fibres in the environment, becomes biodegradable

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12 May 20256 May 2025

Country Overshoot Day on 3 May: How methane and CO₂ can help tackle plastic pollution

At Leipzig University innovative approaches are being explored to address the growing scarcity of resources in the face of a rising global population - through sustainable production processes and circular economy technologies

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Country Overshoot Day am 3. Mai 2025: Wie mit Hilfe von Methan und CO₂ der Plastikverschmutzung begegnet werden kann

An der Universität Leipzig werden innovative Ansätze erforscht, um der wachsenden Ressourcenknappheit bei gleichzeitig steigender Weltbevölkerung durch nachhaltige Produktionsprozesse und kreislauforientierte Technologien zu begegnen

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Bcomp Collaborates With Siux to Serve up Sustainable Innovation in Padel With New GEA Racket

A bold new chapter for padel begins as flax fibre composites enter the court in Siux rackets

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Exclusive: Greek startup Coffeeco Upcycle raises €715K to turn coffee waste into skincare and bioplastics

This milestone enables Coffeeco to expand across Europe and the U.S., while scaling both its flagship Auraskin product line and its revolutionary approach to circular, science-backed innovation

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Breaking the Cost Barrier on Biomanufacturing

More than 4,100 of the world’s largest companies have established emissions-reduction targets, according to the Science Based Targets initiative, with more than 2,600 of them including net zero emissions commitments

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9 May 20255 May 2025

BioMADE Finalizes $132M National Security Investment in Demonstration-Scale Biomanufacturing Facility in Minnesota

The Maple Grove facility will be key in BioMADE’s national network of pilot- to demonstration-scale infrastructure to advance U.S. biomanufacturing and enhance national security

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thyssenkrupp Uhde und Praj Industries Ltd. schließen strategische Partnerschaft, um die Produktion von Polymilchsäure (PLA) und die Kreislaufwirtschaft zu revolutionieren

thyssenkrupp Uhde und Praj Industries Ltd. schließen strategische Partnerschaft

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thyssenkrupp Uhde and Praj Industries Ltd join forces to revolutionize polylactic acid production and circular economy

The indiscriminate use of fossil-based plastics and the often irresponsible disposal, especially of single-use plastics (SUPs), call for urgent, innovative, and sustainable solutions

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Record-breaking efficiency achieved in all-organic solar cells!

International researcher-collaboration now successfully developed all-organic solar cells with the world’s highest efficiency

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8 May 20252 May 2025

OMV unveils Austria’s largest green hydrogen production plant

This innovation leads to an annual savings of up to 15,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions* equivalent to the CO2 consumption of 2,000 persons per year

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OMV startet Österreichs größte Produktionsanlage für grünen Wasserstoff

Eingesetzt wird der grüne Wasserstoff zur Produktion von nachhaltigeren Kraftstoffen und Chemikalien, darunter nachhaltiger Flugkraftstoff (SAF) und erneuerbarer Diesel (HVO)

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Braskem and Fitesa Announce the use of Braskem’s I’m greenTM Bio-Based Polyethylene Grade for Fitesa’s Nonwovens

From sugarcane to innovative solutions for the nonwoven market, evolving supply capabilities, and introducing new features to better serve our clients

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Sprießende Bio-Dämmstoffe: Ceresana präsentiert Marktstudie zu nachwachsenden Isoliermaterialien in Europa

Die Baubranche erlebt gerade eine herausfordernde Phase - die Europäische Union zählt eine optimierte Wärmedämmung zu den Schwerpunkten der Aufbaupläne für den „grünen Wandel“ bis 2026

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Sprouting Biobased Insulation Materials: Ceresana Presents Market Study on Renewable Insulation Materials

The construction industry is currently experiencing a challenging phase, in the European Union, better thermal insulation is one of the priorities of the recovery and resilience plans for the “green transition” by 2026

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Biodiesel consumption falls sharply again

UFOP is calling on the new German government to abolish the double counting of biofuels from certain waste oils and fats, naming crop types or criteria for the required certification

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7 May 202530 April 2025

Verbio in Bitterfeld: Construction progress on the new ethenolysis plant 

Construction of the new plant in Bitterfeld progressing apace / The first distillation column was built in November 2024 | Verbio will use a Nobel Prize-winning technology to manufacture renewable specialty chemicals in the future / Working for the climate: Verbio is recruiting new employees

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Verbio in Bitterfeld: Bau der neuen Ethenolyse-Anlage schreitet voran 

Baufortschritt: Der größte Teil des Stahl- und Betonhochbaus ist fertiggestellt / Ethenolyse-Anlage von strategischer Bedeutung für Verbio / Erneuerbare Spezialchemikalien auf Basis einer Nobelpreistechnologie

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Vioneo appoints Wood to design world’s first industrial scale fossil-free plastics facility

The plant has the capacity to produce 300 kilotonnes per annum of high-quality, virgin polyethylene and polypropylene plastics made from green methanol and free of fossil feedstock

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EU-Kommission startet Konsultation zur neuen Bioökonomie-Strategie

Bis zum 15. Juli werden Meinungen von Unternehmen, Forschungseinrichtungen, Bürgern und anderen Interessengruppen gesammelt

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Why paper packaging is better for the environment than plastic

Paper packaging is becoming increasingly common in stores, supermarkets and delivery services - but its environmental harm remains limited

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6 May 20256 May 2025

Monthly news from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), April 2025

Let's take a look at what happened in April 2025 at RCI:

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Final Programme Available – The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC)

World's largest conference on innovative and renewable chemicals, plastics and materials

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Neste started producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its renewables refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

This expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2027 and will increase Neste’s total global annual renewable fuels production capacity to 6.8 million tons with a total annual SAF production capability of 2.2 million tons

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Applying sustainable solutions to golf balls

The biobased material ECOTRION from SK Chemicals was applied to the 2025 Z-Star series golf balls from SRIXON, a global golf brand under Dunlop Sports Korea

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Why insect protein is creating a buzz in Brazil

Brazil's entry into insect protein is only just beginning but with scaling, it could help drive greener global food systems

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Biomaterials in construction: meet the startups reinventing our buildings

In this article, we will explore the various up-and-coming biotechs making a mark in the construction field and how biomaterials could potentially transform a carbon-intensive industry

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5 May 202528 April 2025

Ahlstrom receives home compostable certification in Australia and New Zealand for Sulpack® Flexible packaging

Sulpack® is a PFAS-free parchment paper specifically developed for fresh and greasy applications and offers a natural grease barrier for packaging

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PET-Recycling: Biochemiker gründen Startup

Hohe Wiederverwertungsquote in Rekordzeit, neu entdecktes Enzym führt zur Ausgründung von der Universität Leipzig und zur jungen Firma ESTER Biotech