13 January 202612 January 2026 Driving Sustainable Transformation Through Data: How Digital Twins and Data Spaces Reshape the Process Industry Interview with Rosario Othen & Florian Pohlmeyer, RWTH Aachen University (ITA)
PerPlacsBio Launched: Biodegradable Plastics Transform Agriculture and Forestry University of Münster, Rottenburg University of Applied Forest Sciences and the nova-Institute launch PerPlacsBio project – Exploring bio-based and biodegradable plastics for agriculture and forestry
£6.23 Million in Funding for Celtic Renewables from Scottish Government Celtic Renewables will put the funding towards the planning and construction of a new £120 million industrial-scale biorefinery at Grangemouth
12 January 202612 January 2026 Monthly News from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), December 2025 December Highlights: RCI is New Member of the Critical Chemicals Alliance, OK renewable Label, Upcoming Exciting Projects, New Partner Molecule Group (US), Upcoming 10th ECP
LOOM Carbon and RTI International announce strategic collaboration to transform global textile waste Partnership to scale breakthrough process converting unrecycled textiles into various sustainable materials at RTI’s Pilot Xcelerator facility
Mycelium-Based Biomaterials Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) have emerged as a novel and disruptive class of biomaterials and mycelium transforms low-value organic byproducts into biodegradable, structurally robust materials with foam-like properties
Circulose and Birla Cellulose Announce Partnership Agreement to Advance Circular Textiles Circulose will supply pulp made with 100% recycled textile waste to Birla Cellulose, and Birla will produce viscose staple fiber made with CIRCULOSE® pulp
9 January 20266 January 2026 SKZ launches new research project “CloseT” for sustainable recycling of used textiles Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research IFAM they will develop an innovative process for recycling mixed waste textile fibers
8 January 202627 December 2025 Innovation center for textile circular economy inaugurated DICE is to become the leading national and international innovation and demonstration center for research and development of environmentally friendly processes for the production of chemical pulp
Solinatra and Paques Biomaterials partner to advance biopolymer compounding for sustainable Single-Use Plastic applications Under the agreement, Paques Biomaterials will supply PHBV biopolymers for use in Solinatra’s material portfolio, following a phased joint development programme from lab validation through industrial pilots
Breakthrough in bio-composite recycling: from post-consumer waste into lactic acid – at scale The closed-loop pilot from TripleW and Sulapac also shows that the transition from single-use to reusable cups can be achieved in a circular manner without relying on fossil-based plastics
7 January 202627 December 2025 Borealis Partners with BlueAlp to Advance Chemical Recycling Borealis today announced a strategic partnership with BlueAlp, a leading chemical recycling technology company headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands
‘Game changer’ in lithium extraction: Researchers develop novel electrochemical reactor This breakthrough holds significant potential for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles
Leading fashion brands step up to unlock the next chapter of Circulose Several leading fashion brands are now partnering with Circulose to part from a proven, scalable solution for replacing virgin cellulose fibers such as viscose and lyocell
6 January 202627 December 2025 Moving towards a more circular automotive sector with agreement on end-of-life vehicles* With this Regulation, a proportionate set of criteria are defined to determine whether a used vehicle should be considered as an end-of-life vehicle and is therefore covered by the requirements of the new Regulation
An interview with Takashi Matsumoto, Business Director AGC Vinythai. “The bioeconomy can have a real impact on how we make and consume products in Asia” With a total potential of nearly 80 million tons agricultural feedstock per year, the bioeconomy presents a real opportunity for Thailand
Celanese Achieves ISCC Carbon Footprint Certification for POM ECO-C Grades, Expanding Circular Economy Leadership This certification is the result of Celanese’s major investment in Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technology at its Clear Lake, Texas facility - one of the world’s largest active CCU plants
5 January 202619 December 2025 Unless we rapidly ramp up CO₂ removal, climate neutrality by 2045 will be scarcely achievable To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, current global levels of CO₂ removal must be at least doubled by 2050
Turning diaper waste into new value: BASF, Essity and TU Wien pioneer circular solutions The groundbreaking gasification pilot project proves that used diapers and other absorbent hygiene products can be transformed into valuable raw materials for new chemical products – no complex pre-treatment required
Melt&Marble Secures €7M to Scale Designer Fats in Beauty and Food The new funding will take Melt&Marble from demo to market-ready, with its first ingredients set for commercial launch in personal care applications in 2026
19 December 202517 December 2025 A new approach to carbon capture could slash costs Chemical engineers have found a simple way to make capturing carbon emissions from industrial plants more energy-efficient
Global hydrogen market: Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde sign framework agreement on the use of ammonia cracking technology Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde have signed a framework agreement that lays the foundation for the construction of commercial ammonia cracking plants
18 December 202517 December 2025 From Waste to Value: Borealis Helps Spark EU-Funded Project ELECTRO to Transform Hard-to-Recycle Plastics into Valuable Resources Borealis is a proud partner of Project ELECTRO, a cutting-edge EU-funded initiative driving Europe toward a climate-neutral, circular plastics system
€170.7 million for new bio-based innovations The 2026 work programme introduces 13 topics ranging from industrial flagship biorefineries to research actions that strengthen feedstock diversification, circular design, biotech scale-up and market uptake
Andreas Künkel Receives The Meyer-Galow Award For Business Chemistry 2025 Biodegradable polymers play a crucial role in the production of sustainable products and thus in a functioning circular economy
Futerro officially submits permit applications for its future biorefinery in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine With this submission, Futerro initiates the necessary administrative process for the establishment of its integrated biorefinery, the first of its kind in Europe
17 December 202515 December 2025 Understanding the Trade Impacts of Sustainability Certification: Insights from the STAR4BBS White Paper The White Paper is based on a systematic review of 563 publications, of which 21 quantitative studies met the criteria for detailed assessment
Michelin, IFPEN, and Axens Announce Successful Progress in BioButterfly™ R&D Project: the most mature technology to produce biobased butadiene from bioethanol Michelin, IFPEN, and Axens are pleased to announce significant advancements in the BioButterfly™ project, supported by ADEME, Région Nouvelle Aquitaine and Bordeaux Metropole, which aims to produce bio-based butadiene from bioethanol
SK Chemicals achieves Korea’s first vertical integration in recycling through in-house feedstock sourcing The Feedstock Innovation Center (FIC) will process waste plastics into feedstock
Hemp-based Leather Alternative Featured in Leica’s latest Watch Strap LOVR comes from European hemp residues combined with plant-based additives
Borealis and Borouge launch Recleo™, a global brand for cost-effective, mechanically recycled solutions Recleo is backed by Borealis and Borouge’s global network and decades of expertise, ensuring consistent quality and reliable supply. Recleo complements the Borcycle™ M portfolio of premium mechanically recycled polyolefins
16 December 202515 December 2025 Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Recycling AI has already become a core enabler in industrial recycling
Arena Launches the First Swimwear Collection with Bio-based and Renewable LYCRA® Ecomade Fibre A dive into innovation, performance, and sustainability with the Vitalife collection
15 December 202510 December 2025 Commission presents new Bioeconomy Strategy to drive green growth, competitiveness and resilience across Europe The EU will move forward towards a more circular and decarbonised economy and can decrease dependence on fossil imports
An interview with Nicolò Giacomuzzi-Moore, Executive Director at CBE JU. “We have no time to waste if we want to maintain the leadership in the circular bioeconomy” The new Bioeconomy strategy comes in a new context, in which the bioeconomy is at the heart of EU policies for green growth and European competitiveness
DevvStream and Southern Energy Renewables Announce Business Combination Targeting Low-Cost Production of Carbon-Negative SAF and Green Methanol The new platform’s anticipated SAF pathway, combined with DevvStream’s environmental‑asset capabilities, is aimed at reducing the cost burden that slows alternative fuel adoption today
12 December 202511 December 2025 CO2-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2026: Preliminary Program Now Available Leading global event on Carbon Capture and Utilisation to discuss green hydrogen strategies, cost-competitive e-fuels, CO₂-to-polymers and materials in Cologne and online on 28–29 April 2026
Nobel Prize for MOFs: Nanostructures enable large-scale extraction of carbon dioxide from the air Thanks to their structure, MOFs are ideally suited to extract gases such as CO₂ or water vapor in confined spaces, or to catalyze chemical reactions
SOLRESS Drives Safe and Sustainable Bio-Based Solvents from Second-Generation resources These bio-based solvents will be tested in sectors such as paints and coatings, cosmetics and industrial material processing
A new certificate for the renewable carbon economy: ‘OK renewable’ from TÜV AUSTRIA This unique new label shows for the first time the share of fossil carbon in manufacturing and/or in products that has been replaced by biomass, CO₂ and recycling, and expresses it as a single, easy-to-understand product property
11 December 20258 December 2025 Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” Innovative solutions for circular product design
SBTi publishes new pathways to accelerate chemicals sector’s net-zero transition The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has today published new pathways and supporting criteria for the chemicals sector, providing chemical manufacturers with the practical tools needed to lead the net-zero transformation
Toray Develops Recycling Technology that Retains Carbon Fiber Strength and Surface Quality Toray applied innovated a decomposition agent that breaks down degradation-resistant, three-dimensionally crosslinked thermosetting resins at lower temperatures than conventional methods
Solar-driven PHB synthesis from wastewater by engineered semiconductor–bacteria biohybrids Successfully scaling up this technology could disrupt traditional wastewater management by transforming treatment plants into net-positive biofactories
10 December 20255 December 2025 European Bioplastics Celebrates 20 Years of EBC and Calls for Unity in the Sector to Accelerate the Bioeconomy Transition European Bioplastics concludes its 20th edition of the European Bioplastics Conference – two days of insightful presentations, panel discussions, networking, and market data analysis
GreenDot expands in Italy with subsidiary led by Luca Galimberti Green Dot Global Sàrl has incorporated GreenDot Italy S.p.A.
Sustainable Chemistry Start-Ups Shine at Impact Festival Breakthrough Start-Ups Honored at the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2025 – Power2Polymers from Germany wins top prize
EU centres competitiveness in new bioeconomy strategy The EU wants biobased and circular scaleup to boost regional competitiveness
Pegasus Materials Debuts Bio-based Specialty Materials for Electronics, Aerospace, and 3D Printing Pegasus’s two new materials enable slimmer USB-C connectors, high-speed memory modules for data center servers, and field-ready 3D-printed components, supported by expanded Seed funding