In Finland, food packaging manufacturer Walki and Lactips, a French company developing bioplastics based on the dairy protein casein, are collaborating to develop paper-based food packaging with a casein-based biopolymer coating. The new packaging material is expected to possess heat-sealing properties and grease barriers, making it compatible with existing packaging lines. Mats Käldström, R&D manager […]
In Florida, high-purity cellulose manufacturer Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. has successfully raised €67 million (US$71.5 million) to bolster its biomaterials strategy. This financing includes €37 million in secured term loans from French banks Crédit Lyonnais, Arkéa Banque, and BNP Paribas, with an initial floating interest rate of approximately 5% and a maturity period of seven […]
In the Netherlands, a startup based at Wageningen University’s campus is pioneering technology to produce wood from cultured cells. Dubbed Dawn Bio, the company has so far used its process to create wood samples from six tree species. The largest sample was about the size of a postage stamp. “If we can make wood without […]
In Utah, WNDR Alpine’s algae-based snowboards have been named to Time Magazine’s top 200 inventions list. Unlike most snowboards, which are made out of petroleum-based plastic polyethylene, WNDR’s Shepard snowboard is produced using oil sourced from microalgae. The board was first launched in 2022. “This board is now being ridden on mountains worldwide and garnering […]
In Australia, a startup sustainably cultivating seaweed has been chosen as a finalist for Prince William’s 2024 Earthshot Prize. Coast 4C works with farmers in the Philippines to plant seaweed that can be used to produce gelling agents, thickeners, stabilizers and potentially bioplastics. To date, it has helped farmers plant 280 hectares of seaweed in […]
In New York, design lab OXMAN has unveiled O°, a biomaterial, digital, and robotic technology platform that powers the production of biobased textiles and wearables that are 100% biodegradable when disposed of, made entirely with organic material and without petrochemicals or glues, and producing no microplastics. The first product to be created using O° platform […]
In India, Barracuda Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of San Francisco-based startup Barracuda Technologies Inc., has completed its first modular biorefinery project. The semi-commercial scale facility uses a proprietary biomass fractionation process to convert agricultural waste, including rice straw, wheat straw, banana stems, bagasse, Palm EFB, Brachiaria (Brazil), and hemp, into materials like lignin, cellulose, […]
In the Netherlands, Wageningen University has begun a project to advance sustainable fuel production using algae. Dubbed SUN-PERFORM, the project uses synthetic biology and nanotechnology to enhance algae’s light-capturing efficiency for photosynthesis. The project has been granted €4 million (US$4.5 million) from Horizon Europe, a €93.5-billion effort to address climate change. According to Wageningen University, […]
In Iowa, Green Plains Inc. has achieved ongoing production of dextrose syrups at the world’s first commercial deployment of its Clean Sugar Technology. Designed by Fluid Quip Technologies, the system produces dextrose and glucose corn syrups with up to a 40% lower carbon-intensity than existing alternatives. The ingredients are designed for renewable chemicals, biobased materials […]
In Pennsylvania, Preferred Sands, a manufacturer of infill for synthetic turf, has received the USDA Certified Biobased Product label for its OptiFILL+ Antimicrobial Coated Sand infill. With over 40% biobased content, OptiFILL+ offers a “sustainable solution for sports fields, landscaping, and pet applications.” The company did not provide details on the biobased materials used in […]
