Bioeconomy

European project with participation of the University of Hohenheim investigates how unprofitable fields can be used sustainably while adding value with renewable raw materials.

For quite some time now, the European Commission (EC) is putting a special focus on biodegradable and compostable polymers when assessing the general role of bioplastics.

Paper production from plant fibres - 20/01/2021

In one cycle: ecopaper, energy and fertiliser made from Silphium perfoliatum

Many consumers don't care about exactly how their paper packaging is made and what it is made of as long as it is "eco". But even producing recycled paper, trees need to be felled. An alternative could be paper made from cup plant. Together with partners, a company called Silphie Paper has developed concept for obtaining fibres for a new type of grass paper, while also producing heat, energy and nutrients for natural fertilisers.

The wastewater treatment plant is turned into a vegetable farm, bio-based substances recovered from waste are being utilized to prevent oxidative spoilage in food packaging or provide environmentally-friendly and safe water-repellent coatings on functional textiles. In the EVOBIO project coordinated by Fraunhofer IGB, 19 Fraunhofer Institutes are working on solutions for a sustainable economy.

In a review article recently published in the scientific journal Waste Management, ATB scientists outline the possibility of using insects to efficiently and sustainably recycle food waste. This insect-based bioconversion can help to close material cycles in the food value chain.

Drought and weather fluctuations threaten agriculture in Germany often in spring already. An increasing number of farmers is forced to irrigate fields artificially. Water resources, however, are limited. Precise information on the state of plants and soils helps farmers take effective measures against damage caused by drought and to enhance irrigation efficiency.

The European Union's Horizon 2020 project MAGIC has reached a milestone by uploading a beta version of its Decision Support System for farmers and end users, showing marginal land and an overview of industrial crops suitable to be grown on this land.

Article - 24/01/2019

Scientists to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater

In Germany, around 1,500 tonnes of antibiotics per year are administered to humans and animals. As a result, more and more bacteria are developing resistance to common antibiotics. As part of HyReKA, a cooperative project funded by the BMBF, scientists led by Professor Thomas Schwartz from the KIT are investigating how antibiotic-resistant pathogens spread and how they can be prevented from doing so.

Article - 25/01/2018

Ö-Klo: recovering valuable materials by composting toilets

The Freiburg-based start-up company Ö-Klo leases composting toilets and is committed to the recovery of human urine and faeces. The young Ö-Klo entrepreneurs believe that reviving natural material cycles of soil, plants, food and excreta is crucial in times when natural resources such as phosphorus are dwindling.

Article - 18/01/2017

How Germany’s renewable energy supply targets can be achieved

In 2015, almost a third of Germany's electricity came from wind, sun and biomass. We need to continue reducing CO2 emissions to become even less dependent on fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum, and thus make electricity generation even more climate friendly. Baden-Württemberg has set an ambitious target for the shift in direction from nuclear and fossil fuels to renewable energy sources: reducing current energy consumption by 50% and…

Article - 31/08/2016

The worm is the essence

Nadine Antic is a waste recycling specialist who set up a company called GlobalFlow when she was still a student. She recently joined forces with two other people to create a new company called albfertil GmbH, which has invented a natural fertilizer called WORMANIZER. The fertilizer is produced from biogenic food industry waste that normally ends up in the garbage. The unusual worm humus product has now been placed on the market.

Dossier - 30/09/2014

Industrial biotechnology: a challenging change to the raw material base

Biogenic raw materials have never been as popular as they are now. Efforts to tap renewable carbon resources are already underway, despite the fact that new oil drilling technologies are boosting fossil fuel stockpiles. In the medium term, industry will have to expand its raw materials base, and in the long term it may have to renew it completely. Industrial biotechnology is one of the key technologies in the transition from an economy based on…

Press release - 03/08/2012

Using wastewater as fertilizer

Sewage sludge, wastewater and liquid manure are valuable sources of fertilizer for food production. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a chemical-free, eco-friendly process that enables the recovered salts to be converted directly into organic food for crop plants.

Article - 30/07/2012

How to prevent pathogens from developing antibiotic resistances

For bacteria, the environment is rather like a big market where they can give and receive new survival strategies if need be. A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Grohmann at the Freiburg University Medical Centre is investigating how microorganisms exchange antibiotic resistance genes. In a project involving two hospitals in Mexico City, the molecular biologists are also investigating whether pathogens, resistance genes and…

Article - 18/06/2012

Bioenergy villages: biogas sets the tone

In 2011 Baden-Württemberg was home to around 37 bioenergy villages and several others are under construction or in the planning phase. Bioenergy villages produce all of their electricity and energy for heating locally from renewable resources such as maize and wood electricity is mainly generated from biogas.

Article - 29/05/2012

Can artificial photosynthesis solve our energy and climate problems?

In order to achieve the sought-after shift towards sustainable regenerative energy supply, researchers around the world are focusing on the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen and carbon compounds using artificial chemical systems. They aim to achieve much more efficient photosynthesis than plants have. Other scenarios foresee improving the energy balance of photosynthesis by modifying the photosynthesis system.

Article - 16/05/2012

Ecologists can drive forward biogas research too

The biologist Prof. Dr. Marian Kazda from Ulm has worked on biogas research for many years. However, he occupies a particular niche in that he approaches the topic from the point of view of a problem-oriented ecologist. The 55-year-old is head of the Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology at the University of Ulm and his specific field of research is plant ecology. It was his work on wetlands that first got him interested in biogas research.

Article - 14/05/2012

Making money with waste – biogas

At a time when energy crops are competing with food crops for agricultural land, the company n-bio GmbH is doing something positive by turning what is considered waste into bioenergy. This not only reduces waste disposal costs, but also protects the environment. The technically highly sophisticated waste fermentation plants manufactured by n-bio GmbH automatically remove packaging residues and are also able to cope with pralines. The company’s…

Article - 14/05/2012

Can green cuttings be turned into biogas?

Grass flowers and small bushes are constant features along roadsides they are mowed at regular intervals and either dumped left where they are or less frequently composted. Cuttings like these could contribute to solving the global energy problem and even generate money. However communities that are aiming to turn green waste from roadsides riversides or sports grounds into biogas and hence a renewable source of energy are confronted with…

Article - 14/05/2012

Biogas and sustainability

The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has led to a considerable increase in the use of biogas in Germany. However, increasing biogas production must make ecological sense and not generate conflict with the sustainability objectives of environmental conservation schemes. There must therefore be a careful consideration of the overall conditions. An analysis of the ecological impact of the generation and use of biogas in Germany taking into…

Article - 20/12/2010

Invisible danger with long-term consequences

According to official figures mycotoxins which are toxic secondary metabolites produced by moulds are found in around of 20 per cent of the European crop harvest. Even the smallest concentrations of mycotoxins can have devastating toxic effects causing cancer or posing a risk to fertility and development. Alexandra Heussner from the University of Konstanz is investigating ochratoxins whose chronic effect represents a huge danger to human health.

Article - 16/02/2008

Bioenergy project for the reduction of greenhouse gases

The German EnBW AG and the University of Hohenheim will investigate the viability of sustainable of jatropha plants with the overall goal of reducing greenhouse gases. A contract for this particular land use has recently been signed.