29 January 202629 January 2026 BASF Agricultural Solutions to acquire biological insect control group AgBiTech Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, AgBiTech has pioneered the use of nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) technology to develop insect control solutions based on naturally occurring viruses
28 January 202626 January 2026 Call for Innovations Open for CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2026 Prestigious “Best CO2 Utilisation” Innovation Award invites pioneering submissions by 6 February 2026
EmpowerDPP: Data management meets digital product passport – support for companies The introduction of the digital product passport (DPP) presents new challenges and opportunities for industry
Co-reactive secures €6.5 million in seed funding for CO₂-negative construction materials technology The capital will be used to scale the company’s CO₂ mineralization technology – which makes use of CO₂ and binds it permanently in high-performance construction materials – from prototype to industrial application
Toray’s Osaka trial shows 70% cost reduction in biogas purification With rising energy shortages and global efforts to decarbonize, the demand for more efficient gas separation methods has increased
Innovation turns food waste into healthy nutritional supplements Every day, huge amounts of food waste is tossed out, even though much of it still contains compounds linked to human health and nutrition
Microbes Convert Methane to Green Plastics, Fuel Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming impact roughly 28 times higher than carbon dioxide over 100 years, yet much of the world's methane still escapes from landfills, farms, mines, and wastewater systems into the air
27 January 202622 January 2026 Borealis Invests EUR 49 Million in Burghausen, Germany to Accelerate Design for Circularity Borealis announces a EUR 49 million strategic investment to scale up production of Borstar® Nextension polypropylene (PP) at its manufacturing site in Burghausen, Germany
Climate-friendly generation of formate and hydrogen from the waste product glycerol An electrolysis technique developed at JGU could make an important contribution to the electrification of the chemical industry
And the Winners are: CeraSleeve, ElementarHy and Primogene A jury of experts has selected three start-ups as winners of the CHEManager Innovation Pitch 2025
European biochemicals expand in Asia Large European producers are opening capacity in Asia to dodge headwinds at home
26 January 202623 January 2026 Renewable Carbon-based Materials Show Significant Lower CO2 Footprint Than Fossil Counterparts The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) published their latest report “Case Studies Based on Peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessments – Carbon Footprints of Different Renewable Carbon-based Chemicals and Materials (Second, Extended Version)”. The report was conducted by the sustainability experts from nova-Institute
Fortum produces first hydrogen at Kalla Test Center The test center is expected to be fully operational during spring 2026 and is committed to accelerating electrification across the Nordics
Three Cascade Extrusion Lines from Leistritz for Finland With the systems from Germany, Finnish recycling specialist Syklo is massively expanding its capacities for plastics recycling from post-consumer waste
Sappi introduces the market’s widest portfolio of heat-sealable papers for recyclable packaging Sappi has expanded its range of functional packaging papers with a full set of heat-sealable solutions designed for converters, printers, and brand owners who want fibre-based alternatives to plastic
Lummus Invests in InnoVent Renewables to Advance Global Tire Recycling Technology Investment strengthens collaboration and accelerates global deployment of tire recycling technology
23 January 202624 January 2026 Making CO2 valuable Novis GmbH creates added value from exhaust gases with a radically new approach. Unavoidable CO2 emissions can create added value for companies
Europe could cut bio-waste by making food producers help to fund collection The report, produced by the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and Zero Waste Europe(ZWE), shows that the EU will struggle to meet its 2030 food waste and climate targets without a new way to pay for food waste prevention and collection, and proposes introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for Food Products (EPRFP
Bio-naphtha, SAF economics drive interest in waste-carbon palm oil substitute as feedstock race intensifies: Lanzatech CEO Efforts to decarbonize aviation cannot rely solely on sustainable aviation fuel, and balancing fuel and chemical production will be crucial to improving project economics and scaling low-carbon pathways
Greentown Labs Announces Go Make 2026 with Shell and Technip Energies Go Make 2026 is seeking applications from startups with a technology readiness level of 3-8 that are developing process technology and catalytic innovations for low-carbon fuels, low-carbon gases, CO2 removal, and alternative chemical manufacturing
22 January 202621 January 2026 A new sustainable raw material for chemistry Plant residues instead of fossil fuels: A new way to produce important chemicals is being demonstrated in a current research project at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung
Avantium Receives Triple ISO Certification Achieving all three ISO certifications demonstrates Avantium’s strong commitment to operating responsibly
Vioneo drops Antwerp factory plans and opts for China The company confirmed the decision on Friday, after reports in Belgian business daily De Tijd. Vioneo said its main goal remains to produce fossil-free plastics, but building in China would make this more affordable and faster
Toray Trial Shows All-Carbon CO₂ Separation Membrane Cuts Moisture Removal Costs in Biogas Purification by 70% Global energy shortages and the push to decarbonize have increased demand for more efficient CO₂ separation
21 January 202620 January 2026 Recycling Becomes Feedstock for Europe – Encouraging Greater Autonomy New position paper by BZL and nova-Institute outlines ten policy building blocks for a defossilised and resilient European chemical industry
Mars Materials Accepted into Shell GameChanger Program to Accelerate Alternative Acrylonitrile Pathway The Shell GameChanger test program aims to validate bio-based sugar feedstock as an alternate raw material to CO2 for the MM's acrylonitrile pathway
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories takes possession of third rearing center, completing core infrastructure upgrades for 2026 production scale-up This newest facility represents the final major component of the Company’s multi-year production expansion strategy
Efficient method to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere developed at the University of Helsinki The method is based on a recyclable filtration fluid consisting of a superbase-alcohol compound. One gram of the new compound can absorb 156 milligrams of carbon dioxide
20 January 202619 January 2026 Avantium and Packamama Sign Capacity Reservation Agreement for Releaf® to Drive Sustainable Wine Packaging By combining Avantium’s breakthrough material with Packamama’s expertise in innovative, lower emissions wine bottles, the partnership aims to accelerate the development of next-generation, low-carbon footprint packaging solutions for the wine industry
World’s first dynamic green ammonia plant starts operations in Denmark Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, and its partners Skovgaard Energy, a Danish developer of green energy assets, and Vestas, the global leader in wind energy solutions, have reached a major milestone in their partnership
Sunlight-driven technology for sustainable chemistry and solar fuels Through Photons-to-Chemicals (P2C), we develop photocatalytic processes that use sunlight as an energy source
5 remarkable engineering innovations of 2025 From an autonomous drone system to wood that's stronger than steel and 6 times lighter
Hanbat National University Researchers Reveal Smart Transparent Woods That Block UV and Save Energy The transparent wood is not only promising for indoor illumination and a healthy lifestyle, but also protects privacy at night
The 2025 bioeconomy review The year’s biggest trends in biobased innovation, regulation, & investment
19 January 20262 February 2026 Making Research Visible: The Poster Session at the AI Circular Economy Conference 2026 Call for posters is open until 22 February 2026
Turning garden and crop waste into plastics A new Junior Research Group aims to make bioplastics out of organic waste such as green waste, hay and algae. The Project is receiving 2.7 million euros from the BMFTR funding
LanzaTech Achieves Guaranteed Performance at Japan MSW-to-Ethanol Plant Collaborative pilot at Kuji facility showcases robust ethanol yields using LanzaTech’s fermentation technology
Recycling mixed-fibre garments becomes a reality: RadiciGroup, The LYCRA Company and Triumph take circular fashion a step forward The process, which is both economically and environmentally sustainable, has enabled the production of an underwear set made from 100% recycled nylon and LYCRA® fibre in a closed-loop system
Study finds savings potential across the onboard carbon capture value chain Verified by DNV, the LCA quantifies GHG emissions and savings across the pilot’s entire carbon value chain, tracing CO2 captured and liquefied on an ocean-going container vessel to ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck transfers, overland transport, and its utilisation at an industrial facility
16 January 202616 January 2026 Developing CO₂-Based PLGA for high performance packaging Avantium has developed an alternative PLGA polymer synthesis technique with reactive solvents that facilitate removal of water and in this way reduce the hydrolysis back reaction that limits the molecular weight
Amcor collaborates with industry leaders for Danish food packaging recycling project Besides Amcor, the project will involve major food manufacturers and waste management specialists
CO₂-Derived Plastics Advance Toward Automotive Commercialization A recent report from Japanese news publication, Nikkei, highlights growing momentum in the commercialization of CO₂-derived plastics for automotive applications, including components evaluated by Volkswagen
Rheinmetall cooperates with German technology champions to build production facilities for CO2-neutral synthetic fuel for military use In the future, Rheinmetall intends to enable armed forces to produce their own fuel locally and independently of global fossil fuel supply chains
Innovative Start-Ups Honored at the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2025 – Power2Polymers from Germany wins top prize After a close jury decision, Power2Polymers from Germany secured the ISC3 Innovation Challenge Award 2025, endowed with €15,000, for more sustainable and high-performance polymer products for specialty applications, enabling product carbon footprint reduction by 40%
15 January 20269 January 2026 Henkel Joins GIC to Drive Chemical Value Chain Transformation New partnership connects chemical producers with downstream leader to deliver circular, low-emission solutions
14 January 20268 January 2026 ELV trilogue leads to selective circular economy Exclusion of post-industrial recyclates undermines functioning technical plastics cycles and ignores supply gap
Toxin-to-treasure: Chonnam National University scientists use engineered enzyme to turn formaldehyde pollutant into high-value chemical The study demonstrates engineered aldolase-catalyzed regioselective conversion of formaldehyde into L-glyceraldehyde
Overshoot: Returning to 1.5°C Requires Net-negative Emissions Targets For frontrunners such as the European Union (EU), this will require reframing “net-zero” as a transitional stage towards net-negative GHG emissions, and developing policy instruments that are able to deliver this