15 February 20245 February 2024 Letter to the CBE JU community Nicoló Giacomuzzi-Moore will be the new Executive Director for the CBE JU
Borealis appoints Mirjam Mayer as Vice President Circular Economy Solutions Prior to Borealis she gained extensive experience as a consultant with McKinsey for several years
14 February 20244 February 2024 Green Methanol for the Circular Economy – New Catalyst Developed at LIKAT This process is highly selective (it produces virtually no by-products) and completely dispenses with fossil raw materials
Sonichem is leading a £600K Innovate UK-funded consortium to revolutionise the automotive industry with sustainable, bio-based materials One emerging solution to this problem is biorefining, which offers a method of processing low-carbon feedstocks into intermediate chemicals that can be made into renewable plastics for vehicles
Transforming textile waste Berlin-based start-up Re-Fresh Global today launches the EPR-Promise campaign in preparation for the EU EPR 2025 regulation on sustainable circular economy in the textile industry
Bayreuth scientists find a close-loop recycling process for one of the most widely used plastics A pioneering development enables the targeted replication of the chemical structure of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a plastic that has been difficult to imitate until now, and shows great potential for sustainable alternatives in the plastics industry
13 February 20244 February 2024 Aston University scientists to tackle challenges of converting rice straw into the next generation of biofuels Plant dry matter such as rice straw is seen as a better alternative to current crops because it doesn’t affect food security
12 February 20243 February 2024 Breakthrough for an Alternative to Crude Oil & Palm Oil: COLIPI Receives €1.8 Million Seed Funding for Further Development of CO2-Neutral Climate OilTM Start up is going to enter the market with its Climate Oil and scale precision fermentation processes to 10 cubic meters the pilot scale
Products made from oxo-degradable plastic: the General Court endorses the prohibition on the placing on the market The European legislature did not make a manifest error when it adopted a prohibition in line with the objective of protecting the environment and human health
France made composting compulsory. What does it mean for the bioeconomy? France already has had the third highest rates of circular material usage in the EU after the Netherlands and Belgium in first and second place
9 February 20242 February 2024 Drax to launch new business focused on becoming the global leader in large-scale carbon removals New research published today by Foresight Transitions highlights the critical and cost-effective role that BECCS will play in aiding the United States in the delivery of its ambitious decarbonisation
“All Set for Carbon Capture in Rakkestad” KANFA is awarded the first full-scale carbon capture plant for a Waste-to-Energy facility
King’s scientists discover enzyme used in laundry detergent can recycle single-use plastics New method of chemical recycling achieves full degradation of plastics within 24 hours
8 February 20247 February 2024 Navigating a Renewable Carbon Future with the Program of the CO₂-Based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2024 Redefining CCU Technology and Empowering Power-to-X Solutions
Carbon in concrete: Building on CO2 A team led by Pietro Lura is developing a process for integrating biochar into concrete
Linde Starts up Supply of Clean Hydrogen and Captured Carbon Dioxide to Celanese Celanese will use the captured carbon dioxide and resulting clean hydrogen, along with other carbon dioxide sources, as feedstock to produce green methanol
7 February 202431 January 2024 BASF and Envision Energy enter a collaboration to drive sustainable energy solutions E-methanol holds significant potential as sustainable energy carrier replacing fossil fuels in various industries
Playmobil’s toddler portfolio undergoes rebranding Playmobil has rebranded its toddler line as Playmobil Junior and now solely relies on plant-based materials for all its products
bse Methanol selected as technology supplier for Project Green, Nigeria Nigeria imports 100 per cent of its methanol
Local Manufacturing of Sustainable Packaging: A Win-win for Business and the Environment Consumers are showing a growing preference for sustainable products, and are even ready to pay a premium for them. Research indicates that around 65% of consumers globally would choose sustainable products and services if available, and a significant majority are open to spending more on eco-friendly options
TIPA to show pioneering compostable solutions at Packaging Innovations Global packaging developer, TIPA, is set to preview its pioneering range of compostable packaging solutions in Birmingham, UK, this February
5 February 202429 January 2024 Braskem and Shell join forces to produce circular polypropylene from mixed plastic waste Shell will upgrade a variety of pyrolysis oils into virgin-quality circular feedstocks at the Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk, Netherlands and supply the Braskem plant in Wesseling, Germany
2 February 202429 January 2024 UBQ Materials Unveils its Diversified Product Portfolio, Expanding Range of its Globally Patented Waste-to-Materials Technology New Portfolio Empowers Businesses to Select the UBQ™ Line that Meets Both Environmental and Performance Requirements
Roquette Isosorbide Achieves ISCC PLUS Certification International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS for POLYSORB® isosorbide and the following product grades: POLYSORB® PSA, POLYSORB® LP, POLYSORB® PA
Chemicals Industry needs Sustainable Feedstocks to complete their net-zero journey Although chemicals industry strategies include energy efficiency, CCS, green energy and advanced recycling, these measures alone will not get firms to net zero
BASF and Inditex make a breakthrough in textile-to-textile recycling with loopamid, the first circular nylon 6 entirely based on textile waste The technology behind loopamid enables recycling of polyamide 6 discarded textiles into new, virgin-quality synthetic fibers and materials
1 February 202424 January 2024 Collaborative Project PRIMED: Redesigning the Primary Sector for Maximizing Bioeconomy Development The consortium of 12 European partners will develop diverse fair value chains to convert underutilized biomass resources into value-added bio-based products
Pryme N.V. produces first oil Pryme produced the first lots of pyrolysis oil by chemical recycling of post-consumer and post-industrial waste
BP pushes to extend definition of ‘advanced’ biofuels as green aviation targets loom Oil giant BP Europe is pushing for a revision of the EU’s rules for biofuels, fossil fuel alternatives made from crops, animal fats, and waste, to allow more crops into the EU’s definition of ‘advanced’ biofuels that can be used for aviation
31 January 202423 January 2024 Precision Textiles Teams with REPREVE® for Industry First Collaboration to Satisfy Consumer Demand for Eco-Friendly Mattresses First-of-its-kind collaboration within the industry will make Precision Textiles the only bedding component manufacturer to use REPREVE® recycled performance fiber in its nonwoven products
INEOS polymer used to create world’s first sustainable gas pipeline ISCC have certified that the production of the pipes laid by GRDF met ISCC Plus standards
How can bananas build a more equitable bioeconomy? As the search for circular textiles at scale intensifies, banana waste could be one of the raw materials ideally placed to supply the demand
30 January 202422 January 2024 K-water, BKT, and Capture6 announce their strategic partnership to remove CO₂ while recovering freshwater and minimizing brine discharge in South Korea Partners agreed to build the world’s first-of-its-kind facility for water recovery and carbon removal using a seawater desalination plant
IEA: Global renewable energy sources grew by 50% in 2023 IEA’s latest Renewables report includes biogas for the first time - Improvements needed for renewable hydrogen and biofuels
29 January 202426 January 2024 Four Weeks Left to Submit Your Innovation to the ”Renewable Material of the Year 2024“ The Innovation Award, sponsored by Covestro, is part of the Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), 11-13 June 2024, Siegburg/Cologne
Monthly news from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), January 2024 You may find our recent member survey about the Transition to Renewable Carbon, you may participate at a RCI-workshop on 2050 scenario, or a free RCI webinar in February, or at the pitching session of the European Chemistry Partnering in Frankfurt
The Collaboration of Vivobarefoot and Balena Revolutionising the Footwear Industry with a vision for Biodegradable 3D-printed Shoes
What Role Could Biodegradable Materials Play in Building and Construction? This article discusses the role of biodegradable materials in building and construction and how building design can be made more circular using these materials
26 January 202418 January 2024 Potential of waste and residues: DBFZ publishes database on available resources in Germany and the EU The database provides detailed information on the availability of various biomasses, including biowaste from private households, cereal straw and industrial residues
Researcher appointed global Bioeconomy Youth Champion Dr Angelique Greene of Scion Research was appointed as Bioeconomy Youth Champion for Asia-Pacific by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy
Novel Chemical Recycling System for Vinyl Polymers of Cyclic Styrene Derivatives Researchers propose a new strategy for obtaining monomer precursors via depolymerization of cyclic α-substituted styrene-based vinyl polymers
mBlack, a 100% bio based material derived entirely from renewable resources Its biobased nature aligns seamlessly with the demand for eco-friendly alternatives, positioning the company at the forefront of the material innovation in beauty packaging
Resynergi Raises $6.4M in Series B Funding Co-led By Transitions First and Lummus Technology To Scale Plastic Recycling Technology Marked as a significant advancement in plastic circularity, company's groundbreaking Pyrolysis technology converts plastic waste to clean, high-quality, environmentally friendly reusable material
25 January 202429 February 2024 Six Weeks Countdown to the International Cellulose Fibres Conference, 13-14 March 2024, in Cologne and Online Networks for Eco Fibres Converge in CologneCellulose-Fibres Conference 2024
Textile Recycling 4.0 A second life for clothes: Researchers are developing new processes to enable automated sorting of used garments and textile waste
‘Let recycling play a fuller part’ A profound shift in how Europe approaches recycling would support the EU’s broader industrial and environmental agenda, according to the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC)
A recipe for sustainable bioeconomy: collaborate, engage locally, involve consumers The JRC put together policy makers, primary producers, consumers and businesses, tasking them with imagining the bioeconomy of the future. Policy recommendations from this exercise are now out
Fungi, coffee, and pineapples – rethinking device materials Don't throw those coffee grounds away, developers are rethinking device materials to lower the environmental impact of future products
24 January 202417 January 2024 Making SAF from sewage James Hygate, Firefly CEO spoke with Air Cargo Weekly to share how his company is making a splash in the sustainable fuels space
New seaweed farm off the Norwegian coast seeks to remove CO2 from the atmosphere Norway has embarked on a pioneering journey to explore the vast potential of large-scale seaweed cultivation as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for ocean-based carbon removal