In California, popular outdoor gear brand Patagonia has signed an offtake agreement for a textile fiber made from cotton textile waste. Dubbed Infinna, the circular process is being commercialized by Finland’s Infinited Fiber Company. The process involves breaking down cotton-rich textile waste to cellulose and forming new fibers. “We are humbled by their stamp of […]
I’m as intrigued as I think you will be by a new East Coast-based accelerator based around the convergence of biology and engineering, which goes by the name of Petri, which is a such an obviously right for a bio-based accelerator that I wonder why no one thought of it before. Naturally for a group […]
In Kenya, the World Economic Forum reports that a local entrepreneur is producing small-scale biodiesel from cotton seeds to power irrigation for his own farm and for neighboring farms. The fuel is about 20 cents per liter cheaper than fossil diesel that has traditionally powered irrigation. A USDA grant has helped him to provide loans […]
In Finland, Fortum has complemented its biorefining value chain by investing in the Finnish start-up Infinited Fiber Company Ltd. (IFC). The company develops and will license technology that is used to manufacture cotton-like fiber for the textile industry from recycled fiber and cellulose. After the investment Fortum has approximately four per cent ownership of the company. One of Fortum’s four strategic priorities is to build options for significant new businesses. Bioeconomy is a natural option due to its synergies with the company’s current business and the mission to improve resource […]
The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of March 28th In today’s Digest, edible seaweed-based packaging, dissolvable polyvinyl alcohol grocery bag, bioplastic from apple and orange waste, Levi’s cottonized hemp, biobased composite car seat — these and more, ready for you now […]
In Germany, BASF is off to a roaring start with its pursuit of ambitious goals and announcements of new innovations. They launched four groundbreaking projects for CO2-reduced future production processes. They advanced five new cottonseed varieties, including dicamba-tolerant varieties for enhanced weed control. They presented novel high-performance insulation in their first carbon concrete composite facade […]
The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 5th. #1 Do you smell coffee? That’s my sunglasses! In Ukraine, the world’s first coffee-based sunglasses are now available thanks to eyeglass designer brand Ochi. They use a biopolymer based on coffee, flax […]
The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 7th. #1 Biobased bridge constructed with basalt fibers and polyester resin in innovative design In The Netherlands, FiberCore Europe built a biobased footbridge made from never before used ecologically sustainable composite materials in […]
In Kenya, a third-generation cotton ginner has managed to use biodiesel produced from cottonseed to not only ensure the viability of his business but also to support his local community. He began experimenting with biodiesel in 2008 and then later scaled up to 5,000 liters of production per day. When cotton yields plummeted to a […]
In Colorado, ZEAL Optics has announced the release of its biodegradable, bioplastic sunglass, the Ace. Designed in Boulder, and by the renowned Italian powerhouse, Mazzucchelli. The bioplastic is Mazzucchelli’s M49 bioplastic uses cellulose acetate sourced from cotton. The cotton is grown in the US and shipped to Mazzucchelli, where it is processed into the frames. […]
