Green Chemicals Blog
studies and reports
Adhesives remain a high-growth area for bio-based chemicals developments
Research, development and commercialisation of various bio-based adhesive technologies have steadily risen driven by factors such as low VOC and carbon emission requirements; the need to lower costs of transporting and storing hazardous substances; growing consumer preference for plant-based materials and the need to reduce fossil dependence; as well as potential regulations stimulating the market … Continue reading
UK calls for evidence on standards for bio-based and biodegradable plastics
The UK Government is seeking evidence to identify gaps and to provide expert advice on: a) The overall sustainability of bio-based and biodegradable plastic products, particularly when in comparison with those made from other materials. This could include all aspects of a product’s life-cycle and will help in assessing whether technical standards or other related options … Continue reading
Report: Strong job gains from the US Bioproducts Sector
STRONG BIOPRODUCTS SECTOR GROWTH NATIONWIDE LEADS TO EQUALLY STRONG JOB GAINS The report–An Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry (2018)—was prepared for the USDA’s BioPreferred® Program. The report is the fourth volume in a series of reports tracking the impact of the biobased product industry on the U.S. economy. The biobased products … Continue reading
Confusion abounds on biodegradable, compostable plastics
My apologies for the lack of posts as traveling and giving a presentation takes a toll on my blogging schedule. I am not yet sure if I can share my presentation in public but what I stated on one of my slides is that confusion on bioplastics is one of the biggest challenges in this … Continue reading
CO2 emissions rose to historic highs in 2018
Driven by higher energy demand in 2018, global energy-related CO2 emissions rose 1.7% to a historic high of 33.1 Gt CO2, according to a newly released report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) annual Global Energy & CO2 Status Report. It was the highest rate of growth since 2013, and 70% higher than the average … Continue reading
US Federal Agencies Release Framework for Advancing the Bioeconomy
The federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board recently launched a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework was developed by the B&RD Board – an interagency collaborative which is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the … Continue reading
Nova Institute report: 2018 was a very good year for bio-based polymers
Nova Institute released its latest Biopolymers Summary report for 2018 where Tecnon OrbiChem is a contributor. According to the report, the total 2018 biopolymers production volume reached 7.5 million tonnes – these are already 2% of the production volume of petrochemical polymers. The potential is much higher but is currently hampered by low oil prices and … Continue reading
VIDEOS: Defining bioplastics
The Plastics Industry Association last year released a report on bioplastics trying to define what is the product about. In a survey PLASTICS conducted, the report noted that of 1,000 U.S. consumers in January 2018, 31% were still not familiar at all with bioplastics—defined as a type of plastic made from biobased materials like sugar … Continue reading
State of the Renewable Chemicals Industry
Happy New Year! Tecnon OrbiChem’s first Biomaterials issue for 2019 just came out today and my special report for this month focuses on last year’s industry restructuring and project investment overview. My key takeaway for 2018 is that the renewable chemicals industry definitely continues to struggle especially when it comes to financing the commercialization phase … Continue reading
What do Brands Want? A Survey from Sustainability Consult
Sustainability Consult presented at the recently-held World Bio Markets conference the results of its #WhatBrandsWant survey report, which was published late last year. The findings reveal brands’ growing commitment towards renewable materials and alternatives to fossil-based products. Half of the brands surveyed reportedly have already set targets for bio-based products. One quarter said bio-based content was … Continue reading