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2 July 202627 June 2026

AIMPLAS: What is the difference between ‘biodegradable’ and ‘compostable’?

A biodegradable product is one that can naturally break down through the action of microorganisms present in the environment, a compostable product is one that can biologically degrade under composting conditions

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Japan researchers turn discarded udon noodles into biodegradable paper

A university in Kagawa is turning one of the western Japan prefecture's most famous foods into an unlikely new material, using discarded udon noodles to create biodegradable "paper"

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1 July 202627 June 2026

Last Chance to Submit: Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 to Showcase Innovations – Call for Abstracts

Closing the loop by setting the stage for recycling innovation at Europe’s largest event on advanced recycling technologies. Call for Abstracts is still open

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Innovative CO2 capture using energy-efficient adsorbers

The SAFE-CO2 project team, led by Dr. Thomas Schiestel at Fraunhofer IGB, are now pooling their expertise to develop corresponding membrane modules adsorbers that have a high CO₂ capacity

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Innovative CO2-Abscheidung mit energiesparenden Adsorbern

Das Projektteam um Dr. Thomas Schiestel am Fraunhofer IGB richtet seine Aufmerksamkeit darauf, neue thermoresponsive Membranadsorber zu entwickeln, die eine hohe CO2-Kapazität aufweisen

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IMG Group establishes “Everbio Innovation Hub” for circular polymer technologies

One focus is on solutions for demanding packaging applications in several industries, designed to produce PET flakes with a purity level of more than 99.9 percent, thereby enabling closed-loop recycling

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SynPet Receives Permit for Antwerp Advanced Recycling Project

The permit represents a significant de-risking event for the project and clears the way for the next phase of development

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First Independent Certification Standard for Responsible Chemical Recycling Released by SCS Standards and Assurance Systems

Standard underpins new certification to build trust in chemical recycling of plastics.

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Chinaplas 2026: Record Attendance with More Than 350,000 Visitors

International visitors, as well as attendees from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, accounted for 24.68 percent of total attendance

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Chinaplas 2026: Rekordbeteiligung mit mehr als 350.000 Besuchern

Der Anteil internationaler Besucher sowie Teilnehmer aus Hongkong, Macau und Taiwan lag bei 24,68 Prozent

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30 June 202626 June 2026

Econic Introduces Polyols for Polyurethane Dispersions Made from Captured Carbon

New High-Performance CO2 Polyols Enter The Market Through The Company’s Manufacturing Partners In The US And China

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PureCycle Advances Food-Contact PCR Solutions to Support New Jersey’s 2027 Recycled Content Requirement

Food-contact rigid containers incorporating at least 20 percent PureFive® resin have been produced by Amcor

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Covestro Takes Bio-Based Aniline Production Process to Next Level as EU-funded Project Kicks Off

Covestro has launched Bio4PURConti (Bio-Based Continuous Production for Sustainable Polyurethane Industry), acting as project coordinator of the pioneering EU-funded initiative

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Covestro treibt Produktionsprozess für bio-basiertes Anilin voran – Startschuss für EU-gefördertes Projekt

Covestro hat Bio4PURConti (Bio-Based Continuous Production for Sustainable Polyurethane Industry) gestartet und übernimmt die Rolle des Projektkoordinators der wegweisenden EU-geförderten Initiative

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BlueAlp and LBC Tank Terminals secure EU Just Transition Fund

€1.5 million grant supports FEED phase of advancing industrial-scale chemical recycling and value chain integration

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Bundestag beschließt neue Verpackungsregeln: Startpunkt für chemisches Recycling und Ökomodulierung, doch Industrie braucht stärkere Investitionssignale

Plastics Europe Deutschland bewertet insbesondere die Einführung einer Verordnungsermächtigung zur Ökomodulierung im neuen §26a positiv, allerdings sieht der Rechtstext keine verbindliche Steigerung der technologieoffenen Quote in §42 vor

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29 June 202626 June 2026

UP Catalyst Advances Plans for Commercial Graphite Production in Finland

UP Catalyst produces battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes from captured CO₂ emissions using CO₂ molten salt electrolysis technology

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VTT and Mitsubishi Electric establish core technology for Direct Ocean Capture

As global climate targets become increasingly ambitious, interest in scalable CDR solutions continues to grow

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Turning industrial waste into green value: GlyCO2Chem project brings circular carbon chemistry to life

The initiative aims to transform industrial by-products into high-value sustainable chemicals whilst reducing carbon emissions and creating new value chains for the green economy

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Italian compostables rethink strategy

Weak volumes, regulatory uncertainty and import competition are pushing the industry to redefine its positioning

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Diving deeper into the EU’s latest guidance on the PPWR

On 5 June, the European Commission published a Commission Notice providing further clarity about the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in practice

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Zirkulär oder abgehängt? Der Circular Economy Act kommt

Nachhaltigkeit war gestern, Zirkularität ist morgen: Wie der anstehende EU Circular Economy Act Märkte, Lieferketten und Geschäftsmodelle beeinflusst

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26 June 202623 June 2026

Bacterial factories: A key to climate-friendly chemistry 

The chemical industry is involved in virtually every product we use in daily life. However, it is also responsible for a significant share of global CO₂ emissions. ETH researcher Ronja Rappold wants to change that. As an ETH Pioneer Fellow, she is developing microorganisms that convert CO₂ into useful chemicals as part of her planned ETH spin-off Teno Bioworks

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Bakterielle Fabriken als Schlüssel für klimafreundliche Chemie

Die chemische Industrie steckt in fast allen Alltagsprodukten ist aber zugleich für einen erheblichen Teil der globalen CO₂-Emissionen verantwortlich. ETH-Forscherin Ronja Rappold will das ändern. Als ETH Pioneer Fellow entwickelt sie mit ihrem geplanten ETH-Spin-off «Teno Bioworks» Mikroorganismen, die CO₂ in nützliche Chemikalien umwandeln

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Baden-Württemberg hat Potenzial für eigene nachhaltige Kraftstoffherstellung 

Das vom Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE oordinierte Projekt »E-Fuels fürs LÄND« untersuchte die Herstellung von E-Fuels mit maximaler Wertschöpfung in Baden-Württemberg

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Ru-based catalyst drives electrified lignin upgrading into high-value fuels

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation offers a promising way to upgrade lignin under mild conditions using electricity instead of high-pressure hydrogen gas

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Ein auf Ru basierender Katalysator treibt die Aufbereitung von elektrifiziertem Lignin zu hochwertigen Kraftstoffen voran

Eine Bi-Ru-Grenzflächenstruktur unterdrückt die Bildung von Wasserstoffgas und lenkt den aktiven Wasserstoff auf die Spaltung von Ligninbindungen

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Moeve Receives Expoquimia 2026 Best in Class Award for the Construction of Spain’s First IPA Plant

Moeve has received Expoquimia 2026’s Best in Class Award for the construction and commissioning of Spain’s first isopropyl alcohol (IPA) plant

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SpotON auf textiles Pflanzsubstrat von Eschler Textil GmbH

Nachhaltige Innovation für den hydroponischen Anbau: Wiederverwendbares textiles Pflanzsubstrat

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25 June 202623 June 2026

Cooking plastics into oil

UvA pilot plant brings advanced plastic recycling technology closer to industry

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Gemischte Kunststoffabfälle ohne Sortierung in Öl umwandeln

Pilotanlage der Universität Amsterdam bringt fortschrittliche Kunststoffrecycling-Technologie der Industrie näher

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AirPlant™ One Opens in Moses Lake: America’s First Commercial E-Jet® Fuel Plant Begins Operations

Alaska Airlines and Microsoft join Twelve to mark commercial operation of AirPlant One — the first plant in the United States to produce E-Jet fuel from CO₂, renewable electricity, and water at scale

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Commission steps up action on Europe’s bioeconomy

The new initiatives are part of a push to boost the bioeconomy industry

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Chemists achieve breakthrough: Editing molecules instead of rebuilding them

Modern drug research enables simple testing of hundreds of variants of a molecule

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Chemiker*innen erzielen Durchbruch: Moleküle “editieren” statt neu bauen

Moderne Wirkstoffforschung macht einfache Testungen von hunderten Varianten eines Moleküls möglich

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Joint Effort for Sustainable Innovation ISC3 and Carbon13 Partner to Protect Climate and Environment

Carbon13 and ISC3 share a mission to foster sustainable innovation that remains competitive over the long term

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Partnerschaft für mehr Nachhaltigkeit: „ISC3“ und „Carbon13“ unterstützen gemeinsam Start-ups

Beide Organisationen wollen ihre Kompetenzen und Netzwerke bündeln, um Innovationen zu identifizieren, die einen Beitrag zum Klima- und Umweltschutz leisten

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24 June 202623 June 2026

Rethinking fluorine analysis in the era of petrochemical circularity

A central pillar of this circular approach is the conversion of plastic waste into useful raw materials

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Pyrolyseöl statt Rohöl: Schnellere Fluoranalyse senkt das Risiko für Raffinerien

Neue Methode löst eine zentrale analytische Herausforderung

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UQ tech turns captured CO₂ into valuable chemicals

University of Queensland researchers have developed a new method to produce industrial chemicals commonly used in agriculture, textiles and pharmaceuticals with only carbon dioxide (CO₂), water and electricity

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Carbon-efficient upcycling of agrifood waste into fatty acid ester by engineered Clostridium tyrobutyricum

An integrated multimodule engineering strategy was developed in C. tyrobutyricum for the high-efficiency de novobiosynthesis of the biofuel butyl butyrate

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Sustainable Chemistry Changemakers: The Path to a More Sustainable Future

Natupla: From ISC3 Start-up of the Month to a Pioneer in Starch-Based, Biodegradable Plastics

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Stärke statt Plastik: Kolumbianisches Start-up verpackt Obst neu

Natupla: Vom ISC3 Start-up des Monats zum Vorreiter für stärkebasierte, biologisch abbaubare Kunststoffe

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23 June 202619 June 2026

Evonik facilitates the chemical recycling of plastics

Evonik develops solutions to enhance the chemical recycling of plastics, offering specialized catalysts and adsorbents to improve the quality of pyrolysis oil

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Evonik vereinfacht das chemische Recycling von Kunststoffen

Evonik entwickelt Lösungen, die das chemische Recycling von Kunststoffen entscheidend voranbringen können

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Interzero opens new site in Dessau and plans production of food-grade PP regranulate

Food-safe recyclates from household lightweight packaging collections – Interzero breaks new ground

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Interzero eröffnet neuen Standort in Dessau und plant die Produktion von food-grade PP-Regranulat

Lebensmitteltaugliche Rezyklate aus dem Gelben Sack – Interzero leistet Pionierarbeit

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Shillong researchers turn banana peels into biodegradable plastic

Plastic pollution is a serious environmental problem. It affects soil, water, animals, and ecosystems

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B4Plastics Breakthroughs “From Lab to Life”

This month’s newsletter brings the launch of the most sustainable filament to date

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22 June 202619 June 2026

KAIST Produces Eco-Friendly Core Nylon Precursors Used from Clothing to Automobiles with Microbes​

KAIST researchers have developed a technology that can produce key nylon precursors in an eco-friendly way using microbes