University of Sheffield leads initiative to boost switch to a bio-based economy

In the UK, University of Sheffield academics, together with the Bio-Based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) and Green Rose Chemistry, have been awarded funding to scope out a UK-wide science and regulatory network to help speed up the switch to a bio-based economy.

The initiative  will bring together industrialists, academics, policy makers, government officials, retailers, consumers and funding bodies to address major challenges slowing down the development of bio-based and biodegradable plastics and chemicals.

Joanna Gavins, Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Sheffield, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to work closely with partners in industry and in regulation to break down the barriers to the development and adoption of bio-based and biodegradable materials. Language is a key part of this problem and our project will enable us to understand how we can improve communication about innovation in materials, both from business to business and from businesses to the general public.”

Chemical engineers from Sheffield will evaluate good and bad practices around how the environmental impact of bio-based and biodegradable materials are assessed. This will help the network produce new guidelines for assessing the life cycle of materials, the university said.

More on the story.