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Biotech

Five panel members on the stage at the European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin in December 2023.

4 min read

European Bioplastics Conference Panel Discussion: What Future in Europe?

As the world looks to meet the Net Zero aspirations considered vital to a sustainable future, plastics occupy an increasingly precarious position.

A partial breakdown of gycerine trade flows out of Indonesia and around the world in 2023.

6 min read

Glycerine: A 21st Century Biobased Feedstock Sweet Spot?

It is two centuries since French scientist Michel Chevreul described the oleochemical glycerine in a patent. An organic chemistry founder,...

Three instances of animated microorganisms and microbes used in surfactants seen at microscopic level.

4 min read

Boost in Biosurfactants Output Supports Sustainable Goals

The production of surfactants by combining biomass and microorganisms – such as bacterial agents – is an innovation that is increasingly gaining...

Headshots of the three speakers that will explore low carbon fuels and feedstocks at the AFPM breakfast event.

2 min read

Transforming Fuels & Feedstock: Old Carbon to Low Carbon - AFPM Talk

What do chemicals, forestry and renewable fuels value chains all have in common? Well, we've selected a trio of thought leaders to tell you......

A schematic representation of bio-aromatics production incorporating images of food waste, straw, chemical figure drawings and paint pots

4 min read

Biobased Phthalic Anhydride: Can this Key Feedstock be Green?

Phthalic anhydride is a key chemical intermediate in applications from phthalate plasticisers to polyesters. Many types of polyesters can be made via...

image is an infographic showing how chemical recycling of plastic waste streams is worth 120 billion dollars

7 min read

Chemical Recycling: Towards a Circular Economy

Worldwide, there are many endeavours to recover and recycle plastics materials. The first phase of such recycling has involved thermoplastic polymers...

Image shows a venn diagram of biodegradable and biobased polymers and polymer family groups. Image credit. The association, EuropeanBioplastics

3 min read

Plastic Packaging Material That Is Both Sustainable and Biodegradable

Ideally, plastic packaging should be both biodegradable and produced in a sustainable way, but this is rarely the case. Bio-PET is partially...

Brown shirt that was made from sustainably sourced materials from the chemical industry.

3 min read

Sustainable Feedstock for an Ethical Fashion Industry

Fabrics and textiles made from the naturally occurring polymer cellulose are breaking ground in the move towards sustainable fashion. With the...

2 min read

Innovation in Pyrolysis Picks up Pace in Q4 2021

The potential for pyrolysis to tackle waste and increase circularity in plastics industries moved closer to reality yesterday (23 November). Shell...

2 min read

Innovation in pyrolysis picks up pace in Q4 2021

The potential for pyrolysis to tackle waste and increase circularity in plastics industries moved closer to reality yesterday (23 November). Shell...

Recycle symbol made out of used water bottles against a blue background.

4 min read

Renewable Materials and the Future of Plastics

As COP26 delegates dissected the detail on decarbonising our world, chemical innovators ushered in sustainable solutions of their own. Late 2021 saw...

1 min read

Pyrolysis Projects on a Hot Investment Streak

Pyrolysis is the thermal degradation/decomposition process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, which results in the production of pyrolytic liquid...