In Tennessee, a producer of compostable packaging solutions has broken ground on a $350-million expansion of its Vonore Sustainable Biomaterials Campus. Genera’s products are made from locally grown regenerative grasses. The expansion adds more than 150,000 square feet to Genera’s existing facility and will house more than 60 robotic thermoforming machines, a fleet of autonomously […]
In Norway, Circa Group, Vataset Teollisuus Oy and Kemijarvi Biorefinery have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to study building a Circa Furacell production facility at the Kemijarvi Biopark in Northern Finland. The plant would manufacture platform chemical levoglucosenone, biochar and solvent Cyrene from biomass feedstocks. Vataset is developing the Kemijarvi site as a comprehensive biopark […]
In Brazil, agribusiness giant ADM is expanding its ability to supply renewable feedstocks by expanding its oilseed crush capacity at multiple facilities and acquiring a producer of refined glycerin. ADM expects to add 400,000 metric tons of crush capacity per year across its Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul; Porto Franco, Maranhão; and Uberlandia, Minas […]
In Germany, Heidelberg University and chemical giant BASF have extended their joint catalyst development agreement for five more years. The research, being undertaken at Heidelberg’s Catalysis Research Laboratory, will develop catalysts that use raw materials more efficiently, reduce the CO2 footprint of products and production processes, develop new processes for chemical recycling, and work on […]
In Germany, sportswear brand Puma has successfully completed a biodegradability trial for its Re:Suede sneaker, which features Zeology suede, thermoplastic elastomer, and hemp for padding, laces, and lining. The Re:Suede initiative distributed 500 shoes to testers for a six-month period of regular wear. Subsequently, 412 of these shoes were returned to Puma and directed to […]
A collaboration between researchers from Sweden, Denmark and China has successfully converted birch leaves into carbon quantum dots suitable for use in semiconductors. The team, led by researchers at Umeå University, also produced a prototype semiconductor using the material. The dots were found to be a suitable replacement for semiconductor materials that require extensive mining […]
In San Francisco, BioFluff has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to develop and scale its protein technology for 100% plant-based fur alternatives. The round was led by agrifood tech investor Astanor Ventures and follows last year’s $500,000 funding from SOSV, PDS Limited & Joyance Partners. “We were impressed by the passion and determination of […]
In Helsinki, Neste Corporation and laboratory equipment manufacturer Eppendorf have partnered to produce and sell lab consumables made from renewable raw materials. Under the terms of the agreement, Neste will supply its Neste RE™ material to Eppendorf as an alternative to conventional fossil feedstock in the manufacturing of lab consumables. Made from cooking oil, Neste […]
In the UK, UK-based healthcare solution provider Eco-inject has announced it will use INEOS Styrolution’s NAS® ECO bio-attributed polymers for a line of single-use autoinjectors. Specifically, Eco-Inject will use NAS ECO 21 BC70. NAS ECO 21, a styrene acrylic copolymer that meets the demands of applications requiring a strong, stiff, water-clear plastic resin with excellent […]
In the Netherlands, PANGAIA, a global collective dedicated to sustainable fashion, has entered into an agreement to procure plant-based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) from Avantium’s inaugural production facility. The collaboration signifies a significant step toward advancing environmentally friendly practices in the apparel industry. PEF, a plant-based polymer derived from furandicarboxylic acid, boasts versatile applications, including but […]
