Author Archive: Rebecca Gendron

LyondellBasell, Shiseido, Futamura, and Iwatani develop biobased cosmetics packaging

LyondellBasell, Shiseido, Futamura, and Iwatani develop biobased cosmetics packaging

September 1, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In Texas, LyondellBasell has jointly developed a new biobased film packaging solution in collaboration with Futamura Chemical, a leader in sustainable packaging manufacturing; Iwatani Corporation, a major Japanese trading company; and Shiseido, a leader in the beauty industry. The new material partially incorporates LyondellBasell biobased polypropylene polymer, CirculenRenew, in the outer packaging film of select […]

Crude awakening: Kapoor’s renewable-material protest art installed on Shell gas platform

Crude awakening: Kapoor’s renewable-material protest art installed on Shell gas platform

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In the North Sea, protest art made by Anish Kapoor, using renewable materials such as used coffee grounds and beetroot powder, has been installed by Greenpeace on a Shell gas-extraction platform. Dubbed Butchered, the 12×8-meter canvass features 1,000 liters of blood-red liquid flowing onto the canvas, according to Indian Express. Kapoor wants the work to […]

Tiny Vinyl to release tiny, biobased PVC records

Tiny Vinyl to release tiny, biobased PVC records

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In the US, a startup called Tiny Vinyl has created cute, mini, vinyl records out of bio-attributed polyvinyl chloride. The 4-inch mini singles play about four minutes of music per side and work on most manual turntables. Bioattributed refers to a sustainable production method where a portion of the raw materials used in manufacturing is […]

Fun with Fungi: Japanese designers create mycelium block-growing kit

Fun with Fungi: Japanese designers create mycelium block-growing kit

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In Japan, designers have created a biomaterial kit for growing toy blocks out mycelium. Dubbed MYMORI, the kit includes block molds and a mycelium mixture. Kids first crush the kit’s material, mix it with flour, pour the mixture into a mold, leave the mold in the dark for a few days, and then leave the […]

Bioplastics Innovation Hub and Cass Materials partner to convert wheat straw into seafood packaging

Bioplastics Innovation Hub and Cass Materials partner to convert wheat straw into seafood packaging

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In West Australia, Bioplastics Innovation Hub and Cass Materials, a Perth biotechnology company, have partnered to develop wheat straw-based foam to ship seafood. According to Food Processing, WA’s seafood industry is worth about $1 billion, with expanded polystyrene boxes that take centuries to decompose used for much of the distribution. However, many regions are beginning […]

Corbion and BRAIN Biotech partner on nature-based ingredients

Corbion and BRAIN Biotech partner on nature-based ingredients

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In Germany, Corbion and BRAIN Biotech AG have partnered to develop novel biobased, antimicrobial compounds and derivatives. The collaboration will accelerate Corbion’s efforts to deliver enabling preservation capabilities to food manufacturers that also resonate with consumers looking for food products based on natural ingredients. BRAIN Biotech will contribute expertise in specialty enzyme technology, microbial strain […]

India’s PeelON raises $1M for produce packaging

India’s PeelON raises $1M for produce packaging

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In India, PeelON, a company developing compostable packaging films that extend the shelf-life of food, has raised $1 million in seed funding. The company plans to use the funds to expand R&D and production. growX ventures led the round for the Visakhapatnam-based biotech. Boston Venture Group, Clean Energy Venture Group, and Climate Angels also participated. […]

Vioneo selects Lummus technology for biobased PP plant

Vioneo selects Lummus technology for biobased PP plant

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In Belgium, Vioneo has selected Lummus Technology’s Novolen® polypropylene technology for a new grassroots plant in Antwerp, Belgium. The plant will be part of Vioneo’s complex that, once complete, will be the world’s first industrial scale fossil-free plastics production complex, based on biobased methanol. “Vioneo’s goal of delivering the world’s first fossil-free polypropylene plastics facility […]

Intec Bioplastics creates customer incentive program

Intec Bioplastics creates customer incentive program

August 25, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In California, Intec Bioplastics has created a customer incentive program to collect used stretch wrap film and stretch wrap cores from its customers for recycling. The program offers customers an economic solution to extended producer responsibility legislation while reducing customer costs for Stretch Wrap Films. Launched earlier this year, Intec’s Hercules Bioflex Stretch Wrap Films […]

Denim heavyweight Levi’s ramps up use of biobased black pigment

Denim heavyweight Levi’s ramps up use of biobased black pigment

August 18, 2025 | Rebecca Gendron

In Nevada, jeans giant Levi’s has boosted the use Nature Coating’s BioBlack in its denim manufacturing. Nature Coatings, which converts wood waste into high performing black pigments, said Levi’s was among the earliest adopters of BioBlack in 2023 with the launch of its sustainable Wellthreads line. “Levi’s early belief and implementation of BioBlack was pivotal […]

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