Company initiatives
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Salesforce’s Sustainability Cloud tool offers carbon emissions tracking
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I have to admit I’m a little bit biased in reporting this since my older brother works for Salesforce, a cloud-computing service company headquartered in San Francisco, California, that specializes in customer relationship management (CRM). According to the company, it has launched its Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, a carbon accounting product for businesses that provides sustainability…
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Total Corbion celebrates PLA plant start-up
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I have just been updating my share of polylactic acid (PLA) information in Nova Institute’s upcoming biopolymers study and it reminded me how the PLA industry has come a long way from being a novel, niche polymer. Of course, it also helps that there’s another major global player in the block aside from NatureWorks that…
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A Circular Google
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Google reported in June its goal to be part of a circular economy by operating every part of its business in an environmentally sustainable way and disrupting the waste economy. According to the Google report, transitioning to a circular economy could generate US$4.5 trillion in new economic output by 2030. The company said it has…
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DOE funds plant genomics and microbes projects
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $64 million in funding for 25 university-led genomics research projects on plants and microbes for bioenergy and bioproducts. The plant research—12 projects totaling $29 million over three years—focuses on expanding knowledge of gene function in plants to be grown for bioenergy and bioproducts. The aim is to…
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Growing bio-based solvent market
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While the bio-based solvent market might have a set-back with the closing of Green Biologics bio-based n-butanol facility in Little Falls, Minnesota (I wrote a more comprehensive report about this in Tecnon OrbiChem’s July Biomaterials issue), consumers for these specialty chemicals continue to look for safer and less carbon emitter alternatives. Braskem announced last month…
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Companies aim to lessen burped methane from cows
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DSM has developed a compound for feed additive formulation that can lessen methane emitted by cows by 30%. Trials reportedly demonstrate a 30%-plus reduction in methane emissions without any adverse effects on animal welfare, feed consumption or performance. The new feed supplement can be easily added to the cow’s regular daily diet, and DSM said…

