The Product Environmental Footprint method could become the EU’s guiding approach for environmental impact assessment; to be fit for purpose, it should appraise the carbon footprint of bio-based products. As the European Commission increasingly plans to rely on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method as the guiding approach for environmental impact assessment, an accurate [...]
During the growing and harvest seasons, vegetable producers often begin their day before sunrise and finish as the last light is seeping into the horizon. Challenges such as pests, disease, climate change, and weather make each day and each growing season unique and unpredictable. Vegetable farmers control some of the variables they face—like weeds [...]
In January 2022, the European Commission had initiated the revision process of the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) with a Call for Evidence for an impact assessment of the EU waste management. In summer, the Commission opened the process for the broader public consultation that just recently closed on 24 August. The revision of [...]
Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V. Bioplastics are nothing new to the medical sector. In fact, it’s one of the sectors where bioplastics have been in use for a very long time because they offer significant benefits in terms of specific properties and functionalities. They also provide opportunities [...]
Biomass used for energy and materials is, on the one hand, one of the key mitigation options to reach the 1.5 °C GMT (Global Mean Temperature) target set in the Paris Agreement, as highlighted by the IPCC’s reports (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and many other key analyses. On the other hand, particularly in [...]
The recently published "EU Bioeconomy Strategy Progress Report" presents the state of play of the implementation of the 2018 updated Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan and the overall progress of the bioeconomy in Europe. In the report the Commission concludes that the actions are well on track and already contributed to the objectives of [...]
Why the EU’s Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act correctly lists bio-based plastics as “green investments” The Climate Delegated Act supplementing the Taxonomy Regulation clearly supports “plastics derived wholly or partially from renewable feedstock” as “substantially contributing to climate change mitigation”. In order to meet the European Union’s climate and energy targets for 2030 and reach [...]
Yorimasa Suwa, Adviser for International Standardization, Japan BioPlastics Association (JBPA) Read in the following a guest article by Yorimasa Suwa, Adviser for International Standardization, Japan BioPlastics Association (JBPA). The views in this lecture are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policy of the organizations. Over the past [...]
Sea-farmed supercrop: how seaweed could transform the way we live From high-protein food to plastics and fuel, Swedish scientists are attempting to tap the marine plant’s huge potential. As we shift to a bio-based rather than fossil-fuel-based economy, seaweed could provide a lot of the compounds we need. For example, Ulrica Edlund, Steinhagen’s collaborator [...]
Bio-Fed signs distribution agreement with KBK in Japan Cologne-based materials producer Bio-Fed and Tokyo-headquartered Kyokuto Boeki Kaisha, Ltd. (KBK), have signed an agreement naming KBK as Bio-Fed’s distribution partner for the Japanese market. Bio-Fed, a branch of Akro-Plastic GmbH and a member of the Feddersen Group, produces and distributes biodegradable and/or bio-based plastic compounds [...]
