Daily News

Two designers wanted to develop a toothbrush that combined sustainability and the best possible materials. It turned out to be much more difficult than first thought—but they came across biobased Vestamid Terra from Evonik.

Stand-up paddling has become a popular sport. However, conventional surfboards are made of petroleum-based materials such as epoxy resin and polyurethane. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI, want to replace plastic boards with sustainable sports equipment: They are developing a stand-up paddle board that is made from one hundred percent renewable raw materials.

Avantium N.V, a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, announces that Nils Björkman has been nominated for appointment to its Supervisory Board for a term of four years. The Supervisory Board will propose this appointment to an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM), to be scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2021.

To enable the introduction of biobased polyesters into the high-performance applications sector, such as automotive and electronics, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is developing a new generation of biobased polymers using the isoidide molecule.

Parent companies, Cargill and GC, have authorized NatureWorks to invest in excess of $600 million in the new fully integrated 75,000 ton per year facility, which includes lactic acid, lactide, and polymer manufacturing sites planned for construction beginning in the second quarter of 2022.

As a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, BIO-FED is the specialist for innovative and application-oriented biocompounds. The product portfolio of biodegradable and/or biobased compounds under the trade name M·VERA® is constantly being expanded with new products. Depending on the requirements profile, these compounds are either biodegradable in various environments or suitable for long-term use – and completely or partially made from renewable raw materials.

The two companies have highly complementary technologies. Benefits expected from the acquisition are lower-cost biodegradable products, faster production times and more flexibility in product assortment.

Faca, a packaging manufacturer headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, has introduced a new line of products – jars and bottles – made from 100% plant-based raw material.

Sustainability leader Genomatica, headquartered in San Diego, has closed $118M in Series C funding to accelerate the global commercialization and expansion of sustainable materials, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100 million tons per year.

Pregis, a leading global manufacturer of protective packaging, has obtained “industrial compostable” certification for its Flo-Pak Bio product line of loose fill products—The Bio One (green, using natural food coloring) and The Clean Bio One (white) chips.

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has announced that its Functional Forms plant in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, has been accredited under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS scheme for providing a new range of Lexan film and sheet products based on certified renewable feedstock

With its acquisition of a significant minority stake in the Slovak company Panara a.s., the global packaging specialist, the ALPLA Group, is stepping up its activities in the research field of alternative, sustainable raw materials for packaging. Panara's core business is the development of fully bio-based and biodegradable plastics.

Every year, B Lab, the global nonprofit network that certifies and mobilises Certified B Corporations, recognizes the top-performing B Corps creating the greatest impact through their businesses.

The ALPLA Group, a global packaging producer and specialist in recycling, is consolidating its biodegradable packaging solutions under a single label called Blue Circle Packaging label.

Researchers at Göttingen University have developed a plant-based, environmentally friendly material as an alternative to polystyrene.

Roquette, a producer of plant-based ingredients, a pioneer of plant proteins and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients, announced today that it has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product label for its bio-succinic acid, marketed under the name Biosuccinium.

Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, and India Glycols Limited (IGL), a leading company in the manufacturing of green technology-based chemicals, today announced the successful creation of their 51-49% joint venture for renewable ethylene oxide (EO) derivatives after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals. The joint venture will operate under the name Clariant IGL Specialty Chemicals Private Limited.

As part of a series of visits to innovative industry champions in Eastern Germany, the Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, toured has now also UPM's state-of-the-art biochemicals facility in Leuna, Germany.

With the launch of its new Kynar® PVDF range, Arkema is further advancing its sustainability ambitions wih what it claims is a ‘major innovation’.

LyondellBaselland Neste today announced a long-term commercial agreement under which LyondellBasell will source Neste RE, a feedstock from Neste that has been produced from 100% renewable feedstock from bio-based sources, such as waste and residue oils and fats.

Basaltex, pioneers in innovative uses of basalt fibres, has achieved a significant milestone in developing and testing a new composite material solution comprising fibres of basalt combined with EconCore’s patented honeycomb technology.

Cargill and HELM are entering into a joint venture, Qore, to help leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-based intermediates, enabling them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Dot Bioplastics, Inc. held a groundbreaking ceremony last week, celebrating the start of construction on its expansion project at the Green Dot facility in Onaga, Kans.

Today the US Patent Office announced a grant for one of PulPac´s most general patents, stating that Dry Molded Fiber is invented and duly owned by the Swedish scale-up company. The United States is the world´s second largest packaging consumer market, after China.

Regina has chosen new DuPont Delrin® Renewable Attributed resin for its chains and modular belts for bottling, packaging, and glass manufacturing conveyor applications.

Quadpack, an international manufacturer and provider of enhanced packaging solutions for beauty brand owners and contract fillers, has unveiled its most circular pack yet, a 50ml jar in Sulapac biocomposite material, with upgraded barrier technology.

As a member of BioChem Europe – a subdivision of Cefic – HCS Group will help shape and contribute to the future of renewable chemicals in Europe.  

Leading specialty chemicals innovator Perstorp is pioneering in the PVC market with the introduction of a general-purpose plasticizer partly based on renewable raw material using a traceable mass balance concept.

Norway’s largest manufacturer and supplier of plastic pipe systems, Pipelife has today launched a new generation of pipes made from BIOVYN.

Good Natured Products Inc., a North American leader in earth-friendly plant-based products, today announced that, through wholly owned subsidiaries, it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire all of the operating assets of Ex-Tech Plastics Inc. a manufacturer of high quality, rigid plastic sheets, and real estate assets owned by a related company ETP Inc. for cash consideration of approximately $14.1 million USD.