17 June 202411 June 2024 Fungus breaks down ocean plastic A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. Researchers from, among others, NIOZ published their results in the scientific journal Science of the Total Environment. They expect that many more plastic degrading fungi are living in deeper parts of the ocean
12 June 20245 June 2024 8th PLA World Congress again a great success All about innovation, applications, markets, and end-of-life of PLA was the foundation of a successful 8th PLA World Congress on May 28 and 29
Axalta Launches Industry First Range of ISCC Plus Certified Biobased Powder Coatings Alesta® BioCoreTM provides a sustainable alternative to incumbent products containing fossil fuel-based polyester resins
7 June 20243 June 2024 Polish Company Chespa Partners with Asahi Photoproducts and Esko to Introduce High-Quality Compostable Packaging for Food Products, on Display at drupa Plastic-free biodegradable/compostable packaging printed with specialized Chespa plant-based inks for a high level of sustainability. Print samples available for visitors on Asahi’s drupa stand
5 June 202431 May 2024 How to Make Ubiquitous Plastics Biodegradable Understanding the function of a specific bacterial enzyme has paved the way for the biotechnological degradation of styrene
4 June 202431 May 2024 Danish industrial biotechnology startup Cellugy raises €4,9M to replace petrochemicals in personal care products The company will scale up production of its EcoFLEXY dry cellulose product to industrial volumes
Plants instead of petroleum – making new bio-based material solutions tangible on a pilot scale In the INN PRESSME project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC took on the challenging task of preparing the products made from plant-based raw materials with special bio-based functional coatings for their respective requirements in use
31 May 202429 May 2024 New Market Analysis: Bio-based and Biodegradable Plastics Industries in China Policy framework, market trends, technologies and outlook for PLA, PA, PHA and PBAT
Reusable Sulapac® cups introduced in selected Burger King restaurants in Finland Restel, a Finnish restaurant and catering company, accelerates on its journey to cut down waste and emissions; kicks off a pilot with reusable cups made of biobased and recyclable Sulapac® material in selected restaurants, including two Burger King outlets
24 May 202417 May 2024 Insempra completes $20 million financing to advance the development of next-generation bio-based ingredients Series A investment round will accelerate Insempra’s market-first approach to developing superior, intrinsically sustainable ingredients for the beauty & food industries
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Develops Spunbond Nonwoven Suitable for Home Composting The newly developed biodegradable plastic’s key feature is its capacity to decompose in a home composting environment at a temperature of around 28 degrees Celsius
23 May 202417 May 2024 Stahl joins GO!PHA alliance to advance the use of naturally occurring PHAs in formulated coatings As a member of the network, Stahl to help move PHAs beyond the testing phase and accelerate the potential application of the technology in the coatings market
A573 – Italian Competition Authority: investigation opened against Novamont for alleged abuse of dominant position The company's exclusivity agreements could limit the use of alternative materials to Mater-Bi in the manufacture of lightweight and very lightweight plastic carrier bags, with anti-competitive effects, both against bioplastics manufacturers and plastic bag manufacturers that use raw materials other than Mater-Bi
Scientists have figured out way to make algae-based plastic that completely decomposes The bio-based material completely breaks down after seven months
22 May 202421 May 2024 Formerra and AFC Ecoplastics Forge New Path in Compostable Materials Certified compostable materials will help packaging meet growing eco-demands
17 May 202416 May 2024 Bioeconomy needs circularity We need circularity because it reduces the need for mining (and its energy use); and because it cuts the amount of products going to landfill
16 May 202413 May 2024 Toward a global treaty on plastic pollution Since two years, delegates gather with the goal of concluding the world’s first plastic pollution treaty, but agreement is still far away - and there is the question of how ambitious the new treaty should be
15 May 202413 May 2024 ANDRITZ production line for biodegradable wipes starts up at Teknomelt, Türkiye The new neXline wetlace CCP (carded-carded-pulp) line produces nonwoven roll goods for biodegradable, plastic-free wet wipes
14 May 20248 May 2024 What innovations for affordable biodegradable materials? In this article, we will address the financial issues that condition the widespread adoption of biodegradable materials
13 May 20246 May 2024 Industrial compostable biopolymer for greenhouse twines This means that after harvesting the twines can be collected together with the plant residues and transported to industrial composting facilities (depending on local regulations) where they biodegrade
Biodegradable ‘Living Plastic’ Houses Bacterial Spores That Help It Break Down Extra-strong spore-loaded plastic eats itself when it hits landfill
3 May 202426 April 2024 Earth Day 2024: Angel Yeast Continues to Tackle Plastic Pollution Challenges With Bio-based Material Solutions EA Earth Action has published an annual report which stated that by 2024, each person on the planet would produce 28 kilos of plastic waste
2 May 202424 April 2024 Japan’s Spiber Raises $65M to Scale Up Production of Eco Materials Made from Fermented ‘Brewed Protein’ Japanese eco materials startup Spiber has secured ¥10B ($65M) in funding to accelerate mass production of its fermentation-derived Brewed Protein for use in the fashion, automotive and personal care industries
30 April 202429 April 2024 Blooming business: the circular flower waste bioeconomy Across the world, startups are tapping into large sources of unwanted petals – from Hindu templates to florist shops – and putting them to work in making a huge range of biobased chemicals
25 April 202426 April 2024 Special discount for the Renewable Materials Conference until 6 May 11-13 June 2024 in Siegburg/Cologne (Germany) and online
24 April 202419 April 2024 Plastic waste and recycling in the EU: facts and figures Nearly a third of plastic waste in Europe is recycled. Find out more facts and figures on plastic waste and its recycling in the EU with our infographic
Sustainable construction materials using industrial CO2 emissions and citrus peels The BUILD-LIMONENE initiative to develop new additives and biodegradable materials that can be used in the construction industry and become viable alternatives to the materials currently available in the market
22 April 202417 April 2024 Nordic Bioproducts Group and Thailand’s PTT MCC Biochem Co. Ltd. forge a strategic partnership to advance bioplastic innovation for everyday items The Finnish startup has formed an MOU with one of the world’s leading bioplastic producers. This strategic collaboration aims to advance the performance and compostability of bioplastics, facilitating their use across a wide range of single-use products, such as coffee capsules, while displacing traditional plastics
Papira® supports art by Baiba Glass – with sustainable packaging and design excellence Papira® is working on scaling from pilot to industrial production and aiming to be on the market in few years, meanwhile there are selected projects and companies in order to test and prepare for implementation
19 April 202416 April 2024 Biodegradable aerogel: Airy cellulose from a 3D printer Empa researchers have succeeded in developing a Cellulose-based aerogel for 3d-printing
18 April 202415 April 2024 Avocado tree waste used to make sustainable food packaging A material derived from avocado pruning waste and bio-polyethylene combines high strength with biodegradability
15 April 202414 April 2024 PMC invests in Evovinyl™ to help bring a sustainable future to vinyl records The new material that has been developed is manufactured from sugar cane, a compostable product with no environmental impact upon disposal with a sustainable ethos throughout the production process
9 April 20244 April 2024 CJ Biomaterials Continues to Expand Applications for PHA with World’s First Completely Biodegradable Plastic Bottle Cap New eco-friendly cap introduced by Beyond Plastic can replace traditional, petroleum-based plastic caps
8 April 20243 April 2024 Borealis and AKVA group launch groundbreaking Polarcirkel™ workboat hull crafted from renewable feedstock-based plastic EverMinds™ in action: Borealis’ Bornewables™ range of renewable polyolefins enables the Polarcirkel series to maintain exceptional performance standards while driving progress towards a circular economy
Bio-based circuit boards could cut down electronic eco-toxicity The ingredients list for the most commonly used material for PCB are known as ‘FR-4’ - a mixture of woven glass fibre, epoxy resin and copper foil
5 April 202425 March 2024 Bpacks Launches World’s First Bark-Based Packaging Technology to Replace Seamlessly Plastic Materials The firm’s new technology is fully compatible with existing production streams and targets the $384 billion global plastic packaging market
4 April 202428 March 2024 Say Hello to Biodegradable Microplastics Research shows plant-based polymers can disappear within seven months
2 April 202425 March 2024 Eco-Products Introduces Compostable Paper Bags and Sandwich Wraps Ideal for supermarkets, restaurants and bakeries, the new products include a variety of BPI-Certified bags and wraps with no-added PFAS
When 3D-printed mushrooms make music: Mushroom mycelium as a sustainable high-tech material in speaker construction A team of researchers at Fraunhofer IWU is exploring another application for mushroom mycelium material: for components in high-quality transmission line speakers, with the aim to enhance their sound even further
22 March 202421 March 2024 Bright Future of Cellulose Fibres in Textiles, Hygiene, Construction and Packaging – Conference Shows Top-Innovations “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2024” award: DITF & VRETENA win with “The straw flexi-dress: design meets sustainability” against strong competition
Mycelium can help us avoid packaging waste Research project "Integrated material, process and product development methodology for product life-cycle optimized mycelium-based packaging products as part of circular economy" (MycelCycle) launches - 1.3 Million Euro Funding from VolkswagenStiftung
21 March 202415 March 2024 CARBIOS Active, the enzymatic solution for 100% compostable PLA, added to FDA Inventory of Food Contact Substances PLA packaging integrating CARBIOS Active is 100% compostable even at ambient temperatures, supporting Food & Beverage brands in achieving their sustainability commitments
15 March 202411 March 2024 Collaboration between BRAIN Biotech and AMSilk: Protein engineering successfully improves structural proteins for performance materials Both companies pursue a common strategic goal: of building a more sustainable future through bio-based solutions in the textile industry
Cosmetic industry sustainability driven by Total Energies Corbion and Sulapac Today, recycled biodegradable biopolymers, such as rPLA, stand as a commercially viable option, boasting a quality on par with virgin material
13 March 20248 March 2024 Bioplastic value chain partnership delivers new sustainable textiles TotalEnergies Corbion collaborates with Bluepha to create sustainable fibers using Luminy® PLA and Bluepha® PHA
On its journey to make clothing that leaves no trace, The North Face taps the BOTTLE Consortium to scale biodegradable polyester alternative BOTTLE researchers to determine whether novel PHA fibers are fit for outdoor apparel that is easy to recycle and limits long-term microplastic pollution
12 March 20247 March 2024 Danimer Scientific Announces Successful Expansion of Rinnovo® Demonstration Plant Capacity Newly completed demonstration plant capacity will accelerate partnership testing
NENU2PHAR project: end of project after 42 months After 42 months of dedicated effort and collaboration among 17 partners, we are proud to announce the successful conclusion of the project
Does This Patent Signal a Turning Point in Sustainable Plastics? The new US patent for a “lignin-based bioplastic material” is restrictive in its wording, but the process has potential to be far-reaching
8 March 20244 March 2024 Eunomia finds bioplastic shortcomings Consulting firm’s report lists lack of recycling infrastructure as one problematic aspect of polylactic acid bioresin