In Brooklyn, Tarform has launched an electric motorcycle that incorporates several biobased materials. Dubbed Luna, the bike’s body is made from a flaxseed and biobased resin composite dyed with algae-based pigments. A leather alternative made from either pineapple, mango, or corn is used for the Luna’s seat, and recycled aluminum is used for its frame. […]
In the United Kingdom, a theater group’s giant cardboard Trojan Horse has broken the Guinness World Record for the country’s largest cardboard sculpture. Assembled by 180 volunteers for Animated Object’s “illumination event” production—The Odyssey: An Epic Adventure on the Yorkshire Coast—the horse weighs over 1.5 tons, presumably without any soldiers inside. The 99% biodegradable prop […]
In Germany, Playmobil will soon expand its Wiltopia bioplastic range of play sets to include a Tropical Jungle Playground and a Paddling Tour with River Dolphins. Set to launch in 2023, the new sets come after Playmobil’s first bioplastic toy offering—an animal-themed playset—continues to collect accolades. The set has been named 2022’s most successful sustainable […]
In the Netherlands, Be Good Friends and TotalEnergies Corbion have formally entered into a long-term collaborative arrangement for application development and supply of TotalEnergies Corbion’s Luminy® PLA [polylactic acid]. BGF recently launched a single-use, 100% biobased and biodegradable noodle cup in South Korea. The foamed cup is the result of a joint development and uses […]
In Dubai, design consortium/incubator and registered “FabLab” Tashkeel showcased furniture made from date waste and a floor lamp made from fish scales at Dubai Design Week. The exhibit is part of Tashkeel’s Taween program, which selects emerging designers from the United Arab Emirates. This year’s group focused on novel materials. Designs included a table made […]
In Amsterdam, Biotic has raised €2 million in a seed round that the bioplastics startup will use to build a plant, optimize processes, and increase production capacity. Biotic’s poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) thermoplastic polymers fit a wide range of plastic applications, from flexible to ruggedized, and are produced using macroalgae as feedstock. Macroalgae can be naturally grown in […]
In Boston, Gingko Bioworks has partnered with Berkeley, California’s Lygos to optimize production of biobased specialty chemicals. Under the terms of the deal, Lygos and Ginkgo plan to advance two research and development programs over approximately two years. Ginkgo will leverage its expertise in strain development and metabolic engineering to design and optimize microorganisms to […]
In Taiwan, Chimey Corporation said it is adding a range of international sustainability and carbon certification (ISCC) PLUS approved bioplastics to its newly released Ecologue sustainable materials portfolio. The firm noted that ISCC PLUS adopts a mass balance approach to ensure that renewable materials are correctly calculated and used in production processes. The ISCC PLUS […]
In Singapore, Sinarmas Cepsa (SCPL) and its parent companies, the chemicals business of CEPSA and agribusiness Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the production of bio-based chemicals at SCPL’s site in Lubuk Gaung, Indonesia. Sinarmas Cepsa is a supplier of oleochemicals, established as a joint venture between the chemicals business of […]
In Illinois, Ascend Performance Materials announced it has purchased a majority stake in California-based Circular Polymers, a recycler of post-consumer, high-performance polymers including polyamide 6 and 66, polypropylene and polyester (PET). Ascend noted that the deal provides the firm with a consistent supply of high-quality PCR materials for its ReDefyne sustainable polyamides. Circular Polymers, which […]
