In Finland, the SuperBark program has launched to develop new adhesives and coatings from pine and spruce bark, which are major industrial side streams for of the forest industry. Most adhesives and coatings currently on the market are produced using fossil-based and harmful chemicals. The four-year effort aims to improve the sustainability and safety profiles […]
In Argentina, an installation made of fungi aims to raise awareness of the potential for mycelium in design. Created by Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano, the project includes structures that form a gathering area. Several fungi species are included in the design. Named Fungi Kingdom – Urban Farm, the installation is located at […]
In Georgia, Danimer Scientific and Chevron Phillips Chemical have expanded their polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) development pact to include development and commercialization of cast extrusion films, blown extrusion films, injection molded parts and rotational molded parts. Specifically, the collaboration uses Danimer Rinnovo polymers produced via CPChem’s loop slurry reactor process. Rinnovo is a type of PHA synthesized […]
In Switzerland, Dow has launched a new range of propylene glycols featuring lower carbon, biobased and circular feedstocks. The PG is marketed in Europe as using a mass balance approach, which traces the flow of sustainable raw materials through a complex value chain and attributes it based on verifiable bookkeeping. “We recognize demand has increased […]
In Ireland, banana behemoth Dole is using biodegradable produce stickers on bananas sold in northern Europe, making it easier for consumers there to compost. Manufactured by Sinclair, a produce labeling solutions company located in California, the stickers are made of biobased and plastic-free ingredients and certified for use with all fruit and vegetables. “This is […]
In Massachusetts, Long Wharf Supply Co has developed a process to convert oyster shells and polyethylene terephthalate bottles into sweaters. Long Wharf Supply extracts calcium carbonate powder from the shells and processes the powder with pellets from recycled PET. The combination is then extruded into thread that is spun with cotton or lambswool. Roughly speaking, […]
In Spain and the UK, researchers at Polytechnic University of Valencia and University of the West of England have developed a fungi-based coating that could be a multifunctional sensor for electronics. They also demonstrated the potential of the material to act as living, cybernetic “skin” by making a Terminator-style robot mockup. “There’s this scene in […]
In Finland, biomaterials producer Stora Enso has advanced restructuring actions aimed at strengthening its long-term competitiveness and creating a “decentralized and more customer centric operating model.” Actions include approximately 1,150 job cuts, with about 710 negotiated so far, and closure of a pulp and paper unit at Sunila, Finland. The Sunila site has an annual […]
In Pennsylvania, a team of researchers has developed a biodegradable test for COVID-19 in the hopes of reducing the large amount of plastics waste associated with at-home testing. Developed in the lab of César de la Fuente, Presidential Assistant Professor in bioengineering, microbiology, and psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania, the test employs bacterial cellulose and […]
In Israel, cultivated chicken produced by SuperMeat has been granted kosher status by Orthodox Union Kosher, marking the first such certification for lab-grown meat. Jewish law forbids consuming any part of a living animal, and lab-grown meat is derived from the stem cells of living animals. However, SuperMeat’s poultry uses stem cells from eggs, which […]
