Press release - 04/01/2021 Fungus as a sound absorber As healthy and tasty as mushrooms might be, they are good for much more than just the dinner plate. The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT has now teamed up with the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP to investigate the use of fungus-based materials for the fabrication of eco-friendly sound absorbers.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de:443/en/articles/pm/Fungus-as-a-sound-absorber
Press release - 02/12/2020 Market update 2020: Bioplastics continue to become mainstream as the global bioplastics market is set to grow by 36 percent over the next 5 years The results of the European Bioplastics’ (EUBP) annual market data update confirm the continued dynamic growth of the global bioplastics industry. “Our industry has successfully weathered the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. And the outlook for bioplastics is also promising as the global market is predicted to grow by 36 percent over the next 5 years”, says François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/market-update-2020-bioplastics-continue-become-mainstream-global-bioplastics-market-set-grow-36-percent-over-next-5-years
Development of biogenic packaging - 16/11/2020 Sustainable packaging - the devil is in the detail Modern packaging often boils down to a tick list of biogenic origin and/or biodegradability. But comprehensive sustainable packaging concepts need more than just that. Perishable foods, for example, require special barrier properties. The Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences is researching packaging concepts for their sustainability.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/sustainable-packaging-devil-detail
Dossier - 09/11/2020 Packaging of the future What will the packaging of the future look like, and what will be required of it? Can packaging be biobased, recyclable, sustainable and economic? In Baden-Württemberg, there are various approaches to developing packaging with the above properties from various sources including agricultural residual and side streams as well as municipal waste.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/packaging-future
Press release - 30/10/2020 Seaweed as a Sustainable Source of Raw Materials EU research project with the participation of the University of Hohenheim searches for new, sustainable food additives and packaging materials from seaweeds and seagrasses.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Seaweed-as-a-Sustainable-Source-of-Raw-Materials
Press release - 29/10/2020 Bioplastics successfully meet all EU safety standards Products made from bio-based plastics must undergo the same testing procedures as conventional plastic products to access the market of the European Union (EU). Thereby a health risk for consumers is excluded. Plastics intended to be certified as biodegradable or compostable must undergo additional tests.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Bioplastics-successfully-meet-all-EU-safety-standards
Press release - 01/10/2020 Bacteria fed on a customized diet produce biodegradable polymers for alternative packaging in the cosmetics industry Germany generates around 38 kilograms of plastic waste per capita each year. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV are now working to establish a holistic concept for the sustainable use of biologically degradable packaging materials in the cosmetics industry. The project is focusing on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Bacteria-fed-on-a-customized-diet-produce-biodegradable-polymers-for-alternative-packaging-in-the-cosmetics-industry
Press release - 30/09/2020 Biased interpretation of EEA study on biodegradable and compostable plastics draws wrong image of immature consumer The European Environment Agency (EEA) recently published its new report “Biodegradable and compostable plastics – challenges and opportunities”. The report highlights many positive aspects of biodegradable and compostable plastics. Unfortunately, its interpretation in several media outlets focused exclusively on the few critical assumptions the report makes regarding consumer perception.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/biased-interpretation-eea-study-biodegradable-and-compostable-plastics-draws-wrong-image-immature-consumer
Press release - 31/07/2020 Fraunhofer UMSICHT tests Henkel's extended evaluation tool for recyclable packaging Packaging protects products during transport and storage. In order to develop sustainable packaging and conserve resources, Henkel developed an evaluation tool that quickly and reliably checks plastic packaging for recyclability. The tool has now been expanded to include common materials, so that packaging made of paper/cardboard, glass, aluminum and tinplate can be analyzed in addition to plastic. Fraunhofer UMSICHT tested the software tool.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/fraunhofer-umsicht-tests-henkels-extended-evaluation-tool-recyclable-packaging
Press release - 22/07/2020 NanoCELL - Nanocellulose as great hope for environmentally friendly packaging Since the beginning of 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has been working on a comprehensive characterization and humantoxicological assessment of nanocellulose along its life cycle in the BMBF-funded joint project "NanoCELL" under the coordination of Postnova Analytics GmbH, in order to achieve a reliable risk assessment and safe use in environmentally friendly packaging materials.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/NanoCELL-Nanocellulose-as-great-hope-for-environmentally-friendly-packaging
Press release - 01/07/2020 Biowaste management remains untapped potential for the European Union A report recently published by the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) shows that with only 16% of the biowaste potential being used, the biowaste management still remains an untapped potential for the European Union to further transition to a Circular Economy. Both organizations jointly produced a first-of-its-kind report estimating the current and future availability of bio-waste in the EU27.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/biowaste-management-remains-untapped-potential-european-union
Press release - 30/06/2020 Study shows benefit of using compostable biowaste bags for quality of compost The Witzenhausen Institute and the University of Bayreuth conducted a very interesting study, analysing the compost of several German industrial composting facilities for possible plastic content deriving from compostable biowaste bags. The field study concluded that compostable bags, certified according to the European standard EN 13432, do not pose any challenges to the quality of the compost.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/study-shows-benefit-using-compostable-biowaste-bags-quality-compost
rezemo GmbH - 26/06/2020 Coffee capsules: wood instead of aluminium In Germany alone, around three billion disposable coffee capsules made of aluminium and plastic are sold every year. This creates a gigantic waste problem, as only a small proportion of the capsules can be recycled. Fully compostable wooden coffee capsules might be a solution to this problem. The capsules have been developed by a start-up company called rezemo, which also has other biobased packaging solutions in the pipeline.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/coffee-capsules-wood-instead-aluminium
Press release - 19/03/2020 New Circular Economy Action Plan: no circular economy without bioeconomy "European Bioplastics (EUBP) welcomes the new Circular Economy Action Plan (nCEAP). It’s an ambitious step forward to transform Europe into a circular economy”, says François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “As EUBP, we especially endorse the European Commission’s (EC) commitment to support the ‘sustainable and circular bio-based sector through the implementation of the Bioeconomy Action Plan’”https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/neuer-aktionsplan-fuer-die-kreislaufwirtschaft-keine-kreislaufwirtschaft-ohne-biooekonomie
Polysecure GmbH - 16/01/2020 Recycling of the future – marked plastic as a circular product Plastics are harmful to the climate and human health both during manufacture and combustion and they also clutter our planet with garbage. Recycling is therefore a key issue, but it is not efficient. Polysecure has developed a process for permanently marking individual plastics that enables them to be separated efficiently and returned to a circular economy. This would counteract the vast amount of (micro) plastics and reduce CO₂ emissions.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/recycling-of-the-future-marked-plastic-as-a-circular-product
Producing valuable new products from waste materials - 07/01/2020 A vision: insect biorefineries as components of a sustainable bioeconomy Eco-friendly and responsibly manufactured products are more in demand than ever before. Specific research is being carried out into materials and applications for a wide variety of uses. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working with Hermetia Baruth GmbH on the vision of an insect biofactory that uses waste materials to produce a wide range of products such as biosurfactants, animal feed or foils. https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/A-vision-insect-biorefineries-as-components-of-a-sustainable-bioeconomy
Status and future of plastics - 15/11/2019 Microplastics waste is a valuable resource, it is just in the wrong place The negative image of plastic persists and is not getting any better in the face of the ongoing debate about microplastics which are basically everywhere. Plastic pollutes the environment. The globe is littered with huge quantities. We have to modify the production and utilisation of macroplastics as well as fundamentally rethink the way we dispose of them. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ mentality must become a thing of the past.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/waste-valuable-resource-wrong-place
Article - 21/10/2019 Plant pots made of natural fibres – "bio", no ifs or buts Plastic plant pots are not good for the environment; strictly speaking, they should not even be disposed of in recycling bins. Alternatives such as coconut fibre pots are compostable, but not pollutant-free and not "bio" at all. The Karlsruhe-based company Fiber Engineering has developed a truly ecofriendly way to grow plants: pots made of hemp or grass, which are preserved with biological components and decompose completely within a…https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/pflanztoepfe-aus-naturfasern-bio-ohne-wenn-und-aber
Article - 01/08/2019 Clean water thanks to microplastics He swam the entire length of the River Rhine to draw attention to the contamination of rivers and oceans with plastic waste. After completing his mammoth swim, Prof. Dr. Andreas Fath decided to kill two birds with one stone and do something useful with microplastics. At the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences campus in Villingen-Schwenningen, Fath is working on a filter system made of plastic waste that can be used to remove pollutants from…https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/Clean-water-thanks-to-microplastics
Press release - 07/05/2019 Orthoses and prostheses made of bio-based plastics In a research project, the Fraunhofer Institute for manufacturing engineering and automation (IPA) and the company Tecnaro and d dealt with orthoses and prostheses made of bio-based materials. You developed suitable organic polymer compounds, it produced prototypes and tested them.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/orthoses-and-prostheses-made-of-bio-based-plastics
Dossier - 15/04/2019 The alternative: “bioplastics” Plastic waste takes years to decompose and pollutes the environment. Nevertheless, plastics are an indispensable part of everyday life. It is therefore all the more important to find a meaningful alternative that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and has better properties and more functionality than conventional plastics. In addition, such an alternative should not be dependent in any way on fossil resources.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/the-alternative-bioplastics
Article - 12/03/2019 Biocarbon fibres made of lignin Carbon fibre is increasingly found in airplanes, cars and wind turbines. Carbon fibre is still made from oil and relatively expensive. However, this is soon to change. Researchers from the German Institutes of Textile and Fibre Research in Denkendorf (DITF) are working on the development of cost-effective carbon fibre made of lignin, a by-product of papermaking.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biocarbon-fibres-made-of-lignin
Press release - 16/01/2019 The Alliance Launches Today An alliance of global companies from the plastics and consumer goods value chain today launched a new organization to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/the-alliance-launches-today
Press release - 24/10/2018 Plastic Oceans: MEPs back EU ban on throwaway plastics by 2021 Single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks or cotton buds, will be banned in the EU under plans adopted on Wednesday.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/wegwerfprodukte-aus-plastik-parlament-stimmt-fuer-verbot-ab-2021
Press release - 13/09/2018 Bioplastic materials’ value propositions well reflected in European Parliament’s report on Plastics Strategy The European Parliament’s report on the European Strategy for Plastics adopted today by the plenary testifies to the increasing acknowledgement and endorsement of the value propositions of bioplastics. Rapporteur Mark Demesmaeker highlights the potential role of bio-based plastics and of biodegradable plastics in establishing a strong circular EU bioeconomy.https:////www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/bioplastic-materials-value-propositions-well-reflected-in-european-parliaments-report-on-plastics-strategy