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6 November 20263 November 2026

“The key question is how we can unlock the full potential of recycling”

Brandsowner reducing their recycled-content targets / Georg Lässer: „What isn't collected can't be recycled“

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Rheom surpasses specs with launch of Benree™ and Shorai®Dura in the sustainable footwear space

100% biobased plastic passes SATRA testing with Bared Footwear and new footwear-grade biobased leather alternative delivers up to 500k Bally Flex cycles and 70k Martindale abrasion revs

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BASF strengthens U.S. production network with APG expansion in Cincinnati

By increasing production close to its North American customers, BASF can combine a reliable regional supply point with its broad APG portfolio and formulation expertise

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CBE JU at the Global Bioeconomy Summit: showcasing industrial scale-up of bio-based innovation in Europe

In the event foyer, 29 products developed by CBE JU-funded projects showed how bio-based solutions are finding applications across many sectors

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Monomaterial flexible packaging: the Bimbo Little Bites case study

CIRCULAR PACK, a joint service provided by Comexi and AIMPLAS, is a multimaterial flexible packaging replaced with monomaterial structures, tailored to each destination country

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5 November 202630 October 2026

Tomato and olive by-products become feedstock for food ingredients, cosmetics and bio-based materials: POLYMERS-5B brings its cascading biorefinery concept to Ecomondo 2026

The EU-funded project presents an enzyme-based cascading biorefinery designed to recover multiple high-value products from Mediterranean agri-food residues through a single integrated process

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BORN project completes its first year: advancing sustainable materials for the future of food packaging

BORN examines the wider use of biobased and biodegradable polymers in demanding applications

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BIOSPARK launches to strengthen Europe’s skills for the circular bioeconomy

The new Horizon Europe project will establish a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres to strengthen education, lifelong learning and collaboration across Europe’s bioeconomy sector

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Taxing virgin plastic: Member States shouldn’t wait for Brussels

The circular leverage: Could a Dutch fossil plastics tax serve as Europe’s circular blueprint?

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FRF warns EU: Netherlands and Belgium will miss single-use packaging targets

It is essential to foster a level-playing field within the Union in which all Member States move towards better packaging systems, without disparities and specific Member States failing to comply with the targets and objectives of the regulation

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4 November 20262 November 2026

Stora Enso and Shanshan Technology partner to accelerate Lignode development and advance sustainable anode materials

As part of the agreement, a demonstration line for hard carbon development will be established at Shanshan Technology’s facility in Ningbo, China

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

October Highlights: Publication of the Carbon Flows Report 2026 Update; Biotech Act II Workshop, 2nd GA of the CCA, RCI General Assembly 2026

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Why a circular economy is increasingly crucial and profitable

The International Resource Panel (IRP), established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), examines interactions between sustainability and natural resource use

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Keeping The Kiln Turning

Commercial reliability for biochar production begins with matching the equipment to the material and to the operating hours expected of it

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3 November 202630 October 2026

ReTraCC: Austria’s Flagship Project Takes on the Circular Carbon Economy

The new FFG-funded project brings together more than 30 partners from research, services and industry to transform Austria’s carbon value network, with nova-Institute contributing its expertise and a pan-European perspective

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New nova Talk Episode: Cellulose Solvent Recovery (FREE Webinar)

10 December 2026, 13:00-14:30 CET, free and online

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Bioeconomy: Commission launches public consultation on bio-based feedstock in plastic packaging

The feedback process will remain open until 13 January 2027

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2 November 202628 October 2026

Last Chance to Submit Your Abstract: CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2027

Call for Abstracts closes 16 Nov 2026

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Harnessing AI for the Bioeconomy, Part 3: Smarter Biobased Supply Chains

This article looks at current thinking on how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the sourcing, logistics, processing and traceability of biobased value chains

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Understanding the Production Process of Methanol: Routes, Inputs, and the Shift to Green Methanol

Methanol's cost, carbon footprint and supply security all trace back to how it is made, so the production process matters to producers, buyers and policymakers alike

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30 October 202628 October 2026

Join CIRCONOMY workshop “Connecting the Loops across European Circular Economy Projects”: Collaborate with European Projects to Advance the Circular Economy!

How can European projects connect their work to support the transition towards a circular economy?

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A New Approach to Sustainable Plastics

Hereon researchers improve the environmental footprint of polystyrene through innovative material additives

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Evonik, Toyotsu Chemiplas and Sanyo Chemical launch polyurethane recycling initiative in Japan

The partners aim to convert discarded foam into recycled polyols and amines for use in new polyurethane products

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29 October 202628 October 2026

Two Weeks to Go: Advanced Recycling Needs Collaboration More Than Ever

Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany and online

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nova’s experts (re)introduced: Dr Matthias Stratmann

Head of the Sustainability Department, helping organisations, strategic workshops, renewable carbon and circular material cycles

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Triton Group and TenCate Partner to Turn Retired Turf Fields Into Railroad Ties

The Triton Tie is a glass fiber-reinforced composite railroad tie as a one-for-one replacement for wood ties

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Research for the Circular Economy: “The circular economy rarely fails because of the concept itself – but rather because of data, logistics, and the willingness to change.”

Dr. Markus Hiebel and Jan-Philip Kopka at the Fraunhofer CCPE support companies in translating scientific findings into practical solutions for the circular economy

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The Chinese Tech Giants driving biobased demand

Some of the biggest biomaterials buyers in the world are Chinese consumer manufacturers, collaboration could offer a major break for biomaterials in the world’s top EV production line

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28 October 202628 October 2026

EU and UK Risk Falling Further Behind Global Agricultural Competitors, Weakening Strategic Autonomy

An economic analysis by Oxford Economics, representative polling of more than 8,000 consumers and in-depth farmer interviews across eight European markets

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Renewable Carbon Initiative presents the latest update of its comprehensive Carbon Flow Report

The report is a compilation of supply and demand of fossil and renewable carbon for the chemicals and derived materials on a global and European level

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Neste urges EU to ease rules on biofuel feedstocks amid energy crunch

Neste Calls for EU to Relax Biofuel Feedstock Rules Amid Rising Energy Prices (Corrects oil, corn and sugar price rises in final paragraph)

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Magnetic Lignin Catalyst Turns Wood Waste Into a Reusable Green Chemistry Powerhouse

Majidreza Gerami and Mahnaz Farahi describe a hybrid nanocatalyst that fuses magnetite nanoparticles, chemically modified lignin, and a Brønsted-acidic ionic liquid into a single recoverable structure

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27 October 202620 October 2026

The LYCRA Company to Spotlight Renewable LYCRA® Fiber and Textile-to-Textile Circularity at Textile Exchange Conference 2026

A third-party-reviewed life cycle assessment shows the fiber can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 45%* while maintaining equivalent stretch and recovery performance

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Stargate Hydrogen selected to continue the Legacy of the HySTAT Alkaline Electrolysers

Under the agreement, Stargate Hydrogen becomes the official manufacturer and distributor of replacement stacks and related services for more than 400 installed HySTAT Alkaline Electrolysers across 65 countries

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Cellulose fibers for high-performance dry mortars

LARGOCELL cellulose fibers are natural, water-insoluble functional fibers for mineral-based and paste-like systems, which can be flexibly integrated into existing formulations and help manufacturers specifically optimize application quality and process reliability

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Warmer CO2 Electrolyzers Turn Waste Heat Into a Chemical Industry Win

Decarbonizing the heating system is just as important as decarbonizing the electricity supply, a message that most techno-economic analyses of electrochemical processes quietly missed

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26 October 202620 October 2026

Dongsung Chemical and CJ Biomaterials Introduce First PHA-Based ECOVIVA® Hotmelt Adhesive Available in the US Market

The new Adhesive is formulated with biomass content, including CJ Biomaterials’ proprietary amorphous PHA biopolymer, PHACT™ A1000P

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BioBTX receives EU Innovation fund for its first-of-a-kind plant

The plant is expected to converting plastic waste directly into renewable aromatics at Chemie Park Delfzijl, which are essential building blocks for the plastics and pharmaceutical industries

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CO2 availability shapes acetate and ethanol production in Clostridium aceticum: a transcriptomics-guided study

New study shows how carbon availability controls the flow of carbon and energy inside one of nature’s most efficient gas-fermenting microbe

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23 October 202619 October 2026

The LEGO Group starts making selected LEGO® elements using e-methanol

The challenge has not only been identifying a renewable alternative to plastic, but also working with suppliers to integrate the new material into existing manufacturing infrastructure

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Stargate Hydrogen Launches STARDUST®: Ceramic Electrode Technology That Lowers the Cost of Green Hydrogen Without the Use of Precious Metals

Proprietary ceramic coating increases the stack efficiency to 48 kWh/kg on alkaline electrolysers with zero platinum-group metals, reducing the levelized cost of green hydrogen

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Facing challenges in the incorporation of flax fibres into recycled post-consumer polypropylene matrices

This study focuses on the mechanical properties of injection-moulded fibre-reinforced composites and on the analysis of the fibre-matrix interface

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Cotierra Secures New $3M To Advance Biochar Towards Commercial Scale

Headquartered in Switzerland, Cotierra specializes in decentralized biochar systems for agricultural value chains, helping agricultural businesses transition towards sustainable farming

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Moisture is no match for water-responsive biomaterials

Researchers have been developing new biomaterials that withstand humidity and moisture, this means they alter their properties when moist and, in some cases, get stronger

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22 October 202616 October 2026

Engineering defects in metal-organic frameworks boosts conversion of biomass sugars into lactic acid

A salicylic acid modified nickel MOF creates oxygen vacancies and exposed metal sites, enabling efficient aqueous production of lactic acid from glucose and raw biomass

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Raw Material Transition in the Chemical Industry: Former Covestro Executive Dr. Klaus Schäfer joins Cyclize in an Operational Role

Schäfer will now assume direct responsibility for integrating the technology into European chemical parks, and he will retain his role as Chairman of the Advisory Board

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21 October 202615 October 2026

Borouge International expands European recycling capacity to strengthen circular materials supply

The additional capacity is expected to come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2027 and will support growing demand for recycled materials, particularly for flexible packaging applications

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The Ministry of the Environment Selects Two Demonstration Projects for Plastic Resource Circulation: Bioethanol-Derived Feedstock and Closed-Loop Recycling of Electrical Materials

This program is designed to resolve technical challenges and carry out the demonstrations needed for commercialization, such as developing alternative materials to fossil-derived resources and advancing recycling technologies and systems for used fossil-derived resources

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Lignin-Derived Quantum Dots Supercharge a Common Photocatalyst to Turn CO2 Into Fuel

What if the carbon dioxide, responsible for warming the planet, could be captured and chemically transformed into usable fuel using nothing more than sunlight and a carefully engineered material?

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20 October 202614 October 2026

Green hydrogen from seawater – Electrolysis with Untreated Seawater: Fraunhofer Tests Materials and Membranes

In the joint research project SeaEly, Fraunhofer Institute IWES and the Fraunhofer Institute IFAM investigated the direct electrolysis of seawater and brackish water to produce hydrogen and oxygen as part of the Hydrogen Republic of Germany ideas competition