by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ...Brazil-based Braskem and Denmark-based Haldor Topsoe just commissioned their pioneering demonstration unit, located in Denmark, for the development of monoethylene glycol (MEG) from sugar. Their innovation for renewable plastic made from sugar instead of traditional fossil
recycled plastics
Back TO HOMESABIC and Customers Launch Certified Circular Polymers from Mixed Plastic Waste
(SABIC) o SABIC and customers Unilever, Vinventions and Walki Group will introduce ISCC certified circular polymers in 2019 during a market foundation stage. SABIC’s certified circular polymers will be produced in The Netherlands from a recycled plastic waste feedstock developed
February 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Sustainable Plastics – If We Want a Sustainable Future, It Will Be Driven by Companies
by Tomi Nyman (Pöyry/Biofuels Digest) It seems like there is a never-ending deluge of negativity about plastics in the media. Yet for all the valid and important points being made about the environmental impacts of plastics, the most important question is all
January 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Neste Is Not Using Palm Oil as a Raw Material for Renewable Aviation Fuel
(Neste) 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
January 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Aviation Solutions: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Neste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste has a strong history of developing, commercializing, and marketing new fuels, including diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable jet fuel, and more. Neville Fernandes from Neste, gave this illuminating overview of their plans for the production and expansion
January 03, 2019 Read Full Article
3D Printing Lignin, Potato Postal Sleeves, Alginate Sausage Casing, Tree to Textiles, Chemical Recycling and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of January 2nd
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of January 2nd. In today’s Digest, 3D printing lignin, potato postal sleeves, alginate sausage casing, tree
January 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Designed Materials Innovation: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Checkerspot
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Checkerspot designs high performance materials such as microbes to express new molecular building blocks that they then apply chemistry to create materials that are built into parts and products they prototype. Charles Dimmler, Checkerspot’s CEO gave this
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste Accumulation Problems and Opportunities
by Zoltan Kish (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... In 2016, the Ontario government released its Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario [2], diverting our wasteful ways towards an entirely circular economy, but it doesn’t seem to be widely discussed. This strategy requires appropriate tools
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Department Seeks Information on Algae, Biomass, and Waste Feedstock Research -- DE-FOA-00002020 FY 2019 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic RFI DEADLINE: extended to January 18, 2019
(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on research opportunities related to outdoor algae research, biomass characteristics and feedstock performance, and renewable energy
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
RSB Assembly Approves Groundbreaking Standard for Advanced Products
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) In a leap forward for the sustainable bioeconomy, the members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials approved our groundbreaking Advanced Products Standard. The culmination of over 18 months of consultation, expert working groups and member dialogue, the
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Collaboration Is the Name of the Game at RSB’s 2018 Annual Meeting – Event Wrap-up
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) Each year RSB brings its community together for the highlight of our calendar: our Annual Meeting. An opportunity to gather our members from many different sectors to discuss and debate the most pressing issues in the development
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Delta Refinery Will Convert Plastic Waste to Jet Fuel with Sir Richard Branson-backed Agilyx
by Alex Gailey (Atlanta Business Chronicle) Monroe Energy, Delta's subsidiary refinery, will start converting plastic waste into jet fuel under an agreement with Agilyx, an environmental technology and development company backed by Sir Richard Branson. The idea is that the material will help create
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Plant to Convert E-Waste into Biofuel to Be Made Operational Soon: Harsh Vardhan
(Economic Times) Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said Saturday a plant to covert plastic waste into bio-diesel will soon be made operational at the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) in Dehradun. He was speaking at the International E-Waste Day event organised by the
November 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Landfill-to-Anything-Soon, Puleeze: In Search of New Energy, Materials from Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The names seem less settled than the markets or science: is it biogas, biomethane, renewable natural gas, or RNG? Whatever your preferred name, you don’t have to burn it to make it hot — methane of
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Can the Bioeconomy Help Combat Plastic Waste?
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Recent reports have underscored the enormity of the global plastic waste issue. There are 9.2 billion tons of plastic waste in the environment and an additional 500 tons of plastics are produced annually.
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Enerkem Commits to Turning Marine Waste into Biofuel
(Biofuels International) At the G7 Environment, Energy and Oceans Ministerial Meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, global waste-to-biofuels and chemical producer Enerkem announced that it will be exploring opportunities to act against oceans plastic waste and marine litter. After constructing the ‘world’s first’
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Cars Could Run on Hydrogen Made From Plastic
by Alan Harman (Wards Auto) Chemistry department researcher Moritz Kuehnel says light-absorbing materials are added to the plastic before it is placed in an alkaline solution and then exposed to sunlight, which creates hydrogen. Discarded plastic could be used to fuel cars with
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Recycling Plastics & Circular Economy
by KSL (Biofuels Digest/E2IG Solutions) ... The constantly increasing demand for plastics have caused substantial plastic wastes accumulation in landfills, oceans and rivers that have aggravated environmental pollution problems. The rising plastics demand has contributed significantly to the depletion of petroleum
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
27 Technologies to Produce Lower Carbon Fuels from “Second Chance Carbon” — and Its Practicioners. Who’s Doing What, Where, When, Why and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, perhaps the most comprehensive and useful guide to fuels and chemicals produced from “Recycled carbon fuels”, such as those produced from waste plastics or waste industrial gases, appeared from the gurus at E4Tech. And,
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Plastics Proliferation Transitioning to Bioplastics Boost
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) IHS Markit published a plastics report saying that the market value for biodegradable polymers exceeds $1 billion and will rise sharply by 2023 thanks to increased plastic regulations and bans in Western Europe. But it’s not just Europe
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Carbon is Key to a Sustainable and Future-Oriented Chemical Industry
(nova-Institute) The equivalent to decarbonisation in the energy sector is a transition to carbon from renewable sources in the chemical and plastics industries. The nova-Institute published a position paper on the future of chemistry. The chemical industry may only develop into
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 2nd: Waste Plastics for Fuels and Sneakers, Eggs without the Chicken, 3D Printing, Algae-Based Ketchup Packaging, Green Funerals, Biodegradable Grills
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel’s Role in the Circular Economy: Key Lessons and Actions for the Industry
By Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) When it comes to reducing, reusing and recycling our goods most people associate consuming less of what we already have with a ‘circular economy’. What is rarely, if ever discussed at conferences concerning changing
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Warms to Plastic Waste ‘Recycling’ as Transport Fuel
by Frédéric Simon (EURACTIV.com) A proposal to use non-recyclable plastic waste in the production of transport fuels is picking momentum among EU member states and legislators in the European Parliament, despite warnings from environmentalists. Old plastic materials that cannot be recycled
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
A World First in the Port of Amsterdam
(Port of Amsterdam) In the port of Amsterdam the construction has started of a new facility that will convert non-recyclable plastic into fuel for the transport sector, which will cut down CO₂ emission by 57,000 tonnes per year. It is the
May 11, 2018 Read Full Article
The Circular Economy: It’s Time Has Come
by KSL (Biofuels Digest) ... Prior to the energy crisis, most economies were too extravagant; now, they have now overreacted and have become retrenchment-mad. It is imperative to think rationally and design progress with the right analysis and tools to
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Leaps and Bounds in Sustainable Plastics and Nylons: U Wisconsin, Genomatica, Aquafil, Anellotech, Suntory, ADM, DuPont in the Mix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been a big week in plastics and nylons, all right — not only for those who value sustainability attributes, but for fans of lower costs and higher performance, too. Let’s look at 4 Biggies makin’
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
How Boisean Will Escape the Cuts in Plastics Recycling — and Recycle Even More of Them
(Diesel Technology Forum) Boise has found a way for city residents not only to keep recycling the same plastics they have recycled for years, but also to expand plastic recycling to items such as shopping bags, foam egg cartons, cereal box
January 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste to Energy: Production of Biofuel from Waste to Commence in South-West
(Nigerian Tribune) ... YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports that to stop the overdependence on petroleum products, the South-west is set to be the site of a project that is novel to Africa; processing of liquid fuel (biofuel) from waste plastic materials. ... In the last
December 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Plastic Stretches Towards the New: Top 10 Trendlines in Bioplastics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Plant Bottle has generated so much goodwill and publicity for its 30% renewable, sustainable content (and that biobased MEG) that it’s easy to forget that there are several paths being chased to 100% renewable
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
U of Minnesota Helps Startup Resynergi Create Energy from Plastic Waste and Biomass
(University of Minnesota) California waste recovery company Resynergi Inc. is drawing on University of Minnesota expertise and technology to develop and commercially manufacture a biorefining technology that converts both plastic and biomass into oil and gas. Resynergi is combining U of
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Performance, Price, Sustainability: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Genomatica
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Genomatica is a widely-recognized technology leader for the chemical industry, delivering new manufacturing processes that enable its partners to produce the world’s most widely-used chemicals from alternative feedstocks, with better economics and greater sustainability than petroleum-based
June 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Neste Deepens Its Knowhow on the Circular Economy - Waste Plastics Now in Focus
(Neste) Neste deepens its knowhow on the circular economy - waste plastics now in focus -- Neste, the world's leading biofuel producer in the circular economy, is putting a large amount of resources into research on waste and residue raw
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant Opening
by Francesca Brindle (Hydrocarbon Engineering) Southern Oil has announced that Queensland Premier, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, will officially open the Northern Oil advanced biofuels pilot plant in Gladstone on 1 June 2017. The $18 million project brings together all
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
She Found a Way to Make Plastic Waste Useful
by Chandana Banerjee (Christian Science Monitor) In 60 cities in India, 16,876 tons of plastic waste are generated each day, according to data from the country’s Central Pollution Control Board. Multiply that by 365, and you have more than 6
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Sustainable Polyurethanes and the Bio Economy
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... The use of biomass to produce value added chemicals for polymer synthesis is a major focus of the effort to replace fossil carbon. The theory is that these products can lead the way
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Virgin, Air NZ Working to Develop Biofuel
by Lilly Vitorovich (The Australian) Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are hopeful aviation biofuel can be produced locally, in a bid to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs. The airlines have spent the past year investigating the merits of commercially
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Will Bioplastics Repeat the Biofuels Saga?
by Meadhbh Bolger (Friends of the Earth Europe/EurActiv) It took years for politicians to wake up to the destructive impact of biofuels, in no small part because of their green-sounding name. With bioplastics we risk falling into the same trap,
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Made from Plastic Waste Aids ‘On Wings of Waste’ Flight in Australia
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Jeremey Roswell, a UK-based pilot and environmentalist, has made history by flying a light aircraft more than 500 miles from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia, using fuel made from plastic waste. Conventional fuel was blended with 10%
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Innovative Refinery to Turn Municipal Waste into High-Grade Fuel
by Paul Krajewski (High River Times) A waste diversion company is working toward constructing a one-of-a-kind clean refinery near High River to produce renewable diesel from landfill debris. After years of research and development, Cielo Waste Solutions is set to use
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Plastics & Microwave Pyrolysis
by Elham Khaghami (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Pyrolysis of plastic wastes can be described as a chemical process and thermal decomposition of organic components in an oxygen-free atmosphere to yield char, oil and gas. Pyrolysis of plastic is an endothermic process,
October 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Sustane Technologies to Produce Pellets from MSW in Canada
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Canadian cleantech company Sustane Technologies Inc. recently finalized a 20-year contract with the municipality of Chester, Nova Scotia, to support the commercialization of its disruptive process that turns municipal solid waste (MSW) into biomass pellets, recyclable
October 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Tick-tick-tick…This Plastic Will Self-Destruct
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) They called it Mission Impossible. Create a means to biodegrade any plastic out there that needs to decompose in the environment after use. Find little microbes that can break the material into something that ordinary
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Engineered High Energy Fuel from Waste: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Cornerstone Resources
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cornerstone Resources develops and deploys waste management processing technologies that re-purpose a broad spectrum of organic wastes. Cornerstone adds that it’s BurCell system is a disruptive vacuum aided thermal decomposition process which converts pre-sorted MSW and other feedstocks
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
New Research Launched to See if Fuel Made from Recycled Plastic Could Power Ship Engines
(Biofuels International) The University of West England is working with waste-to-energy specialist Recycling Technologies to test if a fuel, called Plaxx, made from mixed plastic waste can be used to power ship engines. The UK-based research, funded by Innovate UK and
August 04, 2016 Read Full Article
One Way to Tackle Our Huge Plastic Pollution Problem: Turn It into Fuel
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) ... But both strategies tend to produce a mixture of products at the end with different chemical formulas, and it’s hard to control for a specific desired end result, Guan said. So he and
June 23, 2016 Read Full Article
European Bioplastics Welcomes Revised EU Waste Legislation
(Plastics and Rubber Weekly) European Bioplastics (EUBP) has backed a new European Parliament report on revised waste legislation which has emphasised the role of bioplastics to help the move to a circular economy. The report, produced by Italian MEP Simona Bonafè,
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Multimillion-Dollar Funding for Commercial Waste-to-Biofuel Plants
(University of Sydney) International paper waste and plastic recycling contracts signed for ground-breaking Australian technology. -- It’s been a busy few days for Australian start-up Licella, whose innovative technology, developed in partnership with the University of Sydney, is the subject
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Recyclable, Sugar-Derived Foam -- A Renewable Alternative to Traditional Polyurethanes?
(American Chemical Society/EurekAlert!) Polyurethanes in products from cushy sofas to stretchy spandex have made sitting, sleeping and walking more comfortable. But once they have served their purpose, most of the non-degradable materials pile up in landfills. Now scientists report in the
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Making Concrete Green: Reinventing the World's Most Used Synthetic Material
by Annie Kane (The Guardian) ... Dr Rabin Tuladhar, senior lecturer at the university’s college of science, technology and engineering, supervised (Shi) Yin’s work. He says using recycled plastic in reinforced concrete has great environmental savings. “Steel is often used as a
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
6 Promising New Ways to Make Bio-Based & Renewable Plastics
by Ann R. Thryft (Design News) A trend we think we're seeing is that it's not enough anymore to come out with a bio-based plastic, a biodegradable bio-based plastic, or a sustainable plastic made of non-bio-based waste products. Yes, we
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
DuPont Industrial Biosciences, ADM Find “Breakthrough Process” for a “Long-Sought Molecule”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Delaware, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland announced a new breakthrough process in producing FDME from fructose, with “the potential to expand the materials landscape in the 21st century with exciting and truly
January 20, 2016 Read Full Article
17 Pyromaniax Changing the Energy Landscape
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 17 — count them, 17 — different pyrolytic technology centers in the UK ... Tyre Pyrolysis: 2G BioPOWER 2G BioPOWER is developing a UK pyrolysis project to convert used tyres into partially renewable oil, steel and carbon black,
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Teenager Develops Inexpensive Method to Turn Plastic Waste into Million-Dollar Biofuel
by Darwin Malicdem (International Business Times) A new inexpensive way to turn plastic trash into fuel has been developed by an Egyptian teenager which could generate millions of dollars every year. The method produces biofuel by breaking down plastics using a
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
The Pyromaniax, Class of 2015: The Top 10 Pyrolysis Projects in Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been around for a generation or so — fast pyrolysis, that is. Though in the original low-tech incarnation — known as “cooking fire” — pyrolysis has been around since the dawn of man. But
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
The 10 Hottest, Bossest Renewable Plastic Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... One way to get plastics out of the landfill, where they pile up as waste, is to find a use for them. Numerous project developers have technology that makes liquid fuels directly from recycled plastic
July 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Looking at Next-Generation Biofuel, Converting Waste into Fuel: Brekelmans of Shell
by Anilesh S Mahajan (Business Today) Shell Global's Harry Brekelmans is very optimistic about the India story. Brekelmans sits on the board of the Executive Committee of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and is the director in-charge of projects & technology. He,
June 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Indian Railways to Use Diesel Produced from Recycled Plastic
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In India, Indian Railways announced it wants to produce biodiesel for use in its trains using technology patented by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum. The technology breaks down plastic waste, so in essence is recycled