Clariant and Slovak Duslo’s research institute Vucht transform waste into wealth

Mercedes-Benz fleet at Clariant´s sunliquid® demonstration plant for production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues.;

Clariant and Duslo’s research institute VUCHT are transforming waste into wealth. Using a proprietary technique and Clariant’s HYDEX E next-generation hydro-dewaxing catalyst, VUCHT has successfully converted plastic waste into premium winter fuel distillate. The efficacy of this groundbreaking process has now been proven in a pilot plant in Slovakia. As plastics and fuels are both mainly composed of natural gas or crude oil, turning one into the other has major implications for sustainable and lucrative fuel production.

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R Plus Japan will invest in the development of Anellotech’s cutting-edge Plas-TCat technology

David Sudolsky

Sustainable technology company Anellotech has announced that R Plus Japan Ltd., a new joint venture company, will invest in the development of Anellotech’s cutting-edge Plas-TCat technology for recycling used plastics. R Plus Japan was established by 12 cross-industry partners within the Japanese plastics supply chain. Member partners include Suntory MONOZUKURI Expert Ltd. (SME, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Ltd.), TOYOBO Co. Ltd., Rengo Co. Ltd., Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd., J&T Recycling Corporation, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Toppan Printing Co. Ltd., Fuji Seal International Inc., Hokkaican Co. Ltd., Yoshino Kogyosho Co. Ltd..

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Nouryon acquires the carboxymethyl cellulose business of J.M. Huber Corporation

Nouryon has completed its previously announced acquisition of the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) business of J.M. Huber Corporation. The transaction will significantly broaden Nouryon’s portfolio of products in CMC, a sustainable, bio-based water-soluble polymer used as a thickener, binder, stabilizer and film former.

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Evonik makes green hydrogen more affordable

Hydrogen Trainset. Image by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay

Green hydrogen is a beacon of hope in the energy transition, both as a carbon-free fuel for industry and transportation, and as a key raw material for the chemical industry. Green hydrogen is produced from water by electrolysis using electricity generated from renewable resources. It is still much more expensive than conventional hydrogen, which is generally obtained from methane gas in a process that releases carbon dioxide. As well as sufficient low-cost electricity generated from renewables, investment in the electrolyzer is a key factor in cost-efficient production of green hydrogen.

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Neste and Jokey joined forces to develop rigid packaging from renewable materials

Neste’s headquarter in Espoo, Finland

Neste and Jokey, a leading international manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging, started collaborating with a target to develop the market for rigid packaging from sustainable renewable and recycled materials for food and non-food applications.

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The Italian bioeconomy is alive and well. New Report: €345 billion the value of production

Sustainable Intesa Sanpaolo’s Pavillion at Expo 2015 in Milan

In 2018, bioeconomy in Italy has shown a production potential amounting to 345 billion euro, equal to approximately 10% of the total value of national production, employing approximately 2 million people. Italy is in third position at EU level. Germany is first with a production worth €414 billion and France second with €359 billion. Spain is fourth (€237 billion) followed by the UK (€223 billion). In these five countries, the bioeconomy is worth €1.568 trillion. Continue reading

Genomatica won the prestigious 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Award given by EPA

Christophe Schilling, CEO of Genomatica during his speech at the Grand Opening of Mater Biotech’s plant in Bottrighe di Adria, Italy

U.S. industrial biotech company Geomatica won the prestigious 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Award given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Brontide® natural butylene glycol. Honoring groundbreaking scientific solutions to real-world environmental problems, the win for Brontide natural butylene glycol marks the third EPA award held by Genomatica and makes them one of only four companies to win the award three times in the program’s 25-year history.

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HRH Prince of Wales calls for a ‘green and human-centric recovery’ based on circular bioeconomy

Windsor Castle, UK

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I must say how grateful I am to have been invited to be with you here today as we bring together the United Nations and the Commonwealth to discuss what we are calling The Great Reset.  I would also like to thank the Permanent Representatives of Canada and Jamaica for convening this meeting and Prime Minister Trudeau for his inspiring leadership on the Green Recovery.

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Amyris launched “Baby Cream to Powder” under its bio-based Pipette baby brand

John Melo, President and Ceo of Amyris

Amyris, Inc., a leading synthetic biotechnology company based in Emeryville (California), launched “Baby Cream to Powder” under its Pipette™ baby brand giving caring parents more choice and keeping babies safe. This safe, talc-free alternative to baby powder goes on as an easy-to-apply cream to prevent and treat diaper rash and irritation and transforms into a silky powder on skin, eliminating the risk of powder inhalation. The announcement by Amyris comes on the heels of news that the largest and leading provider of baby care products will stop selling talcum-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada amidst questions about its product safety.

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The world re-starts with the Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing

The need to react to the COVID-19 crisis is a unique opportunity to transform our economy and put forward the change that our society needs to create a sustainable and desirable future. A Circular Bioeconomy Roundtable convened by HRH The Prince of Wales last week discussed how this should be done: not just by designing recovery packages, but by transformative action to trigger mission-oriented innovation, attract investments and rethink business models and markets. Leading figures from science, the investment community and industry discussed how a circular bioeconomy offers game-changing solutions and is a crucial concept to move towards a carbon-neutral, renewable and inclusive economy that prospers in harmony with nature.

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