In New Orleans, Fat Tuesday is getting a green makeover with biobased products aimed at reducing the massive amount of trash left behind. Otherwise known as Mardi Gras, the festival is a celebration of excess for Christians before the austerity of Lent begins. This excess has a hidden cost, however. In New Orleans, the city […]
Q: What was the reason for founding your organization – what was the open niche you saw that could be addressed with a new product or service? What was the problem, or gap, or opportunity? Three key needs were the basis behind development of ChainCraft: Valorization of organic waste streams. Food waste is estimated to […]
Under development down under is lab-cultured yak, kangaroo meat, lion and tortoise, which apparently people eat, but now can do so without feeling guilty with the new cell-based meat replacements. Also saving the animals are material chemists that developed vegan leather made from fungal biomass. And a Swiss firm that launched biobased barrier coatings (made […]
In Malaysia, the New Straits Times reports FGV is looking at how renewable energy such as biogas from oil palm waste for power production can help its post-COVID-19 recovery. Power produced from biogas via gensets would then be supplied to the national grid. Increased export of palm kernel shells for use as biomass to produce […]
In the UK, ICIS reports that a growing shortage in Europe of fatty acids usually produced from tallow has the market looking to source palm oil as feedstock instead. With tallow-based biodiesel production increasing thanks to policies that allow for “double counting” against European biofuel blending mandates when waste feedstocks are used, the tallow market […]
As the end of summer approaches, county fairs are popping up around the U.S. and with it, churros and other waste. But innovators are turning churro waste fats into renewable diesel, using edible flavored spoons to avoid fair waste, rain ponchos made from sugarcane-based bioplastic, packaging from cornstarch and spruce wood, and more. Here are […]
In Malaysia, the Daily Times newspaper reports that Gamalux Oils expects biodiesel exports to jump 30% this year compared to 2018, with about 80% of its product going to the European Union thanks to the company’s sustainable waste oil-based fuels last year. The company has two factories with total installed capacity of 700 metric tons […]
In France, Reuters reports that Total’s CEO has confirmed production at the La Mede biorefinery will start up in two weeks and will use palm oil as feedstock despite protests from environmental activists and domestic farmers alike. The company plans to use loopholes in European law allowing the use of palm oil produced by smallholder […]
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 Finland, Biofuel Watch published a report “Neste: The Finnish company preparing to put palm oil in aircraft fuel tanks” on 9 January 2019. The report suggests that Neste is looking to palm oil as a key raw material for the expansion of its aviation fuel production, and that the firm cannot guarantee the sustainability […]
