Category: US
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Emporia State University Award for Bioplastics
Emporia State University student Mitchell DeWalt claimed the top prize in the 2020 Emporia Entrepreneur Challenge.
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US DOE BETO Peer Review Report
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review on March 4–7, 2019, in Denver, Colorado.
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US Plastic Industry Asks $1 Billion Bailout
Plastics Industry Requests $1 Billion Bailout From Fed.
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California Suspends Plastic Bag Ban
Gov. Gavin Newsom has suspended California’s ban on grocery stores providing single-use plastic bags amid concerns that clerks may be at risk for exposure to the coronavirus if shoppers are required to supply their own reusable bags to carry their purchases home.
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Harvard to Disrupt PHA Technology
Engineered microbes can produce biodegradable plastics at lower cost and environmental impact than plant-based plastics.
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US Waste Collection and Corona Crisis
Barney Shapiro, owner of Tenleytown Trash, never expected that he would turn to the Washington National Opera’s costume department to design gear for his employees.
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California Plastic Bag Ban in Jeopardy
California’s plastic bag ban is in jeopardy. We can save it together, but we must act now.
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US DOE Bio Restore Summary Report
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has released the “Bio-Restore Workshop Summary Report.”
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Novamont Joins Plant Based Products Council
Novamont North America Joins the Plant Based Products Council.
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US Invests in CO2 Capture
Projects Will Range from Basic Research through Testing of Prototypes
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Florida Against Single Use Plastics
The Tampa City Council is drafting an ordinance to ban single-use plastics on city owned property that could be implemented and in effect by mid-summer.
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Plastic Pollution Lawsuit in Hawai
Lawsuit Prompts Review of Plastic Pollution Impacts on Hawaiian Waters. Trump Administration Withdraws Approval of State’s List of Impaired Waters.
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Plastic Bag Battle in New Jersey
Environmental Groups Support 54 NJ Towns in Retaining their Local Plastic Bag Ordinances.
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Recycled Content Verification in US
Consumers may want products with recycled plastic, but how can they trust the items contain post-consumer material? Two industry groups have taken steps to answer that question.
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Movement in US Chemical Recycling
DigiMax is pleased to announce that it has officially commenced its consulting efforts with Titus Station LP (“Titus Station”), based in King of Prussia, PA, USA.
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Impact of California Packaging Legislation
California lawmakers appear poised to pass legislation that could dramatically alter the way produce is packed in the state within 10 years.
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NWRA Asks Congress for Stimulus
The National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) urges Congress to take up the economic stimulus package and pass it without delay.
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Renewable Products Tax Credit in Maine
On Wednesday, March 18, Governor Janet Mills signed LD 1698: An Act to Create Jobs and Slow Climate Change by Promoting the Production of Natural Resources Bioproducts into law.
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Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group News
The Latest BRAG (Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group) post.
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DOE Invests Millions in Chemical Recycling
Department of Energy Announces up to $25 Million for Plastics Recycling Research and Development.
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Can Recycling be Fixed in the US?
Recycling in the U.S. is broken. In 1960, Americans generated 2.68 pounds of garbage per day; by 2017, it had grown to an average of 4.51 pounds. And while many Americans dutifully put items into their recycling bins, much of it does not actually end up being recycled. This post will explain why, and talk…
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Mandatory Composting in New York
A proposal would make organic waste recycling available to all, then eventually require it. Critics say it would be expensive.
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Cost of Recycling Hits US Cities and Towns
Cities and towns in Massachusetts are used to paying for their trash to be hauled away. But now, they’re having to pay big bucks for recycling, too.
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Cincinnati Plastic Bag Ban
Cincinnati-based Kroger pledged to ban single-use plastic bags by 2025, but if you live in Cincinnati you’ll likely be saying goodbye to plastic bags at the grocery store and other places much sooner.
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US Custom Ruling for Chinese Bioplastic Bags
In ruling NY N309146, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined the classification of biodegradable plastic retail carrier bags from China.
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FDA Approves Full Recycled HDPE and PET Food Packaging
Erema Group got the go-ahead to use its technology to recycle HDPE into food and drink packaging and foodservice wares. Meanwhile, other companies got federal green lights for PET recycling.
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Cornstarch to Fight Pests
Add yet another use for cornstarch—besides thickening soups and gravies, making adhesives, soothing skin and removing stains.
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The End of Glass Recycling in US
Glass is out as a recyclable, and it’s everybody’s fault.
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China is Buying US Recycling Companies
In 2018, China banned the import of many recycled scrap materials, wreaking havoc on the global recycling system. However, some organizations and communities see it as a new opportunity to build recycling infrastructure and to create less waste. Some Chinese companies are investing in recycling facilities in the U.S. to be able to maintain China’s…
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Coke and Pepsi Sued Over Plastic Pollution
Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and eight other companies are misleading the public about the costs of plastic pollution and refusing to switch to more sustainable materials to reap higher profits, an environmental group says in a new lawsuit filed in a California Superior Court.
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Polystyrene Food Container Ban in California
Ventura restaurants no longer will be allowed to use polystyrene and single-use food containers after the City Council voted to ban their use.
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US Berry Growers Commit to Recyclable Packaging
Major North American producers to make shift as plastic clamshell market faces disruption.
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Reusable Recyclable Aluminum Cups for Super Bowl
While the focus on the field at Super Bowl LIV will rightfully be the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, an off the field initiative at Hard Rock Stadium could be as impactful, or more, long-term than the final result on the field.
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SUP Bags Ban in Tennessee
Many grocery stores across the country have made changes to make shopping a little more convenient– offering self-checkouts with a hefty amount of plastic bags.
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Dow and Avangard Partner for PCR in US
Dow to combine its virgin polyethylene resins with Avangard Innovative’s pellets made from post-consumer resin (PCR) plastic film. Exclusive agreement enables Dow’s first PCR-based products in North America.
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US Nationwide Ban on Single-Use Plastics
Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, and Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-California this week, according to Oceana, introduced the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, legislation that would ban certain single-use plastics and hold companies accountable for their waste.
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Cleveland Elementary Students Learn About Bioplastics
The Ohio City studio owner’s workshop coincided with the culmination of the class’ science unit on energy and renewable vs. nonrenewable resources.
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US Funding for Feedstock Monitoring and Carbon Storage Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced up to $20 million in funding to develop technologies to quantify feedstock-related emissions at the field level.
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Biodegradable Shoes on Super Bowl Ad
The race to build the most environmentally friendly ones is shaping up to be quite a competition
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PFAS Found in US Municipal Compost Center
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is citing the discovery of PFAS in Ann Arbor’s compost as another reason to ban use of the toxic chemicals in food packaging.
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PFAS May Become Election Topic
The Democratic-led House of Representatives on Friday voted 247-159 in favor of a bill that aims to crack down on “forever chemicals” that have been linked to a range of health problems.
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US Organising Webinars and Workshops on PFAS
The Washington state Department of Ecology (ECY) will host a webinar and California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) hosted a workshop on PFAS.
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US Senate Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags Again
Although plastic grocery bags are difficult to recycle, Senate Democrats are hoping to have more luck in recycling a statewide ban on the bags.
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California May Require Beverage Makers to Handle Recycling
California lawmakers are considering upending the state’s struggling bottle and can recycling program by requiring beverage distributors to create a new system to take back their own containers, similar to one that has been successful in neighboring Oregon.
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The Complicated Journey of Composting in the US
In the summer of 2016, Sweetgreen executive Kevin Quandt got a confidential tip about something rotten that was going on inside his company’s restaurants. Or, to be more precise, about something rotting that was going out of them: garbage.
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Oregon Single-Use Bag Ban Goes Into Effect
If you live in Oregon and you’ve been shopping anywhere since 2020 started, you might have noticed something different. Single-use plastic bags are now banned in Oregon.
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Bioplastics is Coolest Ohio State Science Story of 2019
The votes are in, the people have spoken, and it’s clear: You all care about the environment – and about coming up with an alternative to plastics – very much.
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US DOE Gives 15 Million $ for CO2 Utilization Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy has announced up to $15 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002186, Novel Concepts for the Utilization of Carbon Dioxide from Utility and Industrial Sources.
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US Government Workshop on Circular Plastics
On December 11–12, 2019 the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office hosted a workshop titled, “Plastics for a Circular Economy” to discuss technology solutions for addressing plastic waste. Here are the presentations.
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Alameda Considers Ending Disposable Plastic
Alameda officials will take a look at a proposal to ban disposable plastic knives and forks, cup lids and similar items at restaurants.
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Mandatory Composting in Vermont USA
If you don’t have that compost bucket in your kitchen yet, you better get one by this summer.
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San Francisco Stops Using Disposable Coffee Cups
A new cafe culture is brewing in the San Francisco area, where a growing number of coffee houses are banishing paper to-go cups and replacing them with everything from glass jars to rental mugs and BYO cup policies.
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Super Bowl Goes Bioplastics
Truist, Footprint, Deliver Lean, Safer Watch and American Medical Response sign on to be part of South Florida’s 11th Super Bowl – a record-breaking game for Miami
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SUP and Paper Bags Fee in Denver City
After a brief but mostly supportive public comment session, the Denver City Council unanimously approved a measure Monday night which would require retail stores to charge customers 10 cents for each single-use plastic or paper bag they use.
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California Attempts to Decrease Use of Single-Use Plastic
With environmentalism being an issue in recent years, California attempted to pass legislation this year meant to change the way California handles and recycles plastic to better help the environment due to the damage it is doing to the environment.
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DOE Plans To Fund Bioplastics
The U.S. Department of Energy published a notice of intent on Dec. 10 announcing plans to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will support research and development for new biobased plastics that are capable of efficiency recyclability.
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US Bioeconomy Plays Critical Role in Feeding, Fueling and Healing the World
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has submitted comments to the Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) on the bioeconomy, explaining the critical role America’s biotechnology industry plays in feeding, fueling, and healing the world.
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Most Americans Would Pay More to Avoid Using Plastic
Two-thirds of Americans are willing to pay more for everyday items made out of environmentally sustainable materials instead of single-use plastic, according to a survey from PBS NewsHour and Marist Poll.
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US Government Organises Workshop on Bioplastics
On December 11–12, 2019 the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is hosting a workshop titled, “Plastics for a Circular Economy” to discuss technology solutions for addressing plastic waste.
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Plastic Pollution Will Influence California Elections
California environmentalists battling to stop plastic from polluting the ocean and piling up in landfills say they can’t wait for state lawmakers to act — they’re hoping to take the fight to the ballot box.
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Baltimore Bans Styrofoam and Plastic Foam!
On October 19, Baltimore began its plastic foam ban. The ban is aimed at businesses and includes Styrofoam containers.
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California Bans Travel-Size Plastic Shampoo Bottles from Hotels
In a few years, you’ll no longer be able to rely on hotels in California for those travel-size bottles of shampoo and lotion.
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White House Asks Input on the US Bioeconomy
The Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on the U.S. Bioeconomy.
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Summary of All PFAS Policies in the US
63 Current Policies in 18 States. US citizens have been systematically exposed to PFAS for several decades through intentional dumping of chemicals while the company had knowledge of the health risks.
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US is a Big Threat in the War Against Plastic
It’s now cheaper to buy new plastic to make drinks containers than it is to buy recycled material. The U.S. shale boom is playing a big part in that.
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Hemp Hardwoods and Bioplastics Expand Crop Use Beyond CBD
Most U.S. farmers are growing hemp for cannabidiol, but hemp-based hardwood and bioplastics businesses have sprouted up this fall, expanding the newly legal crop’s potential.
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New Hanover, Biodegradable Packaging and PFAS
Biodegradable food packaging seems to offer the best of all worlds — convenience and an environmentally friendly waste product. However, recent studies have shown that compostable food containers, as well as paper plates and fast-food containers, often contain short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to repel water and grease.
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Chair of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at NDSU Talks About Bioplastics
This is the fifth-annual Bioplastics Week, an event designed to educate consumers and the plastics industry about plastics made from things like vegetable oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, and even recycled food waste. This summer, NDSU was named as the lead site for an effort to research bioplastics like pots for plants that are…
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Indonesia Sends Back Plastic Waste to New Zealand, US, UK, Belgium and Spain
Indonesia has vowed to send back contaminated plastic waste – in a move some say exposes New Zealand’s “dirty secret” of shipping used, low-grade plastic offshore.
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US Congress May Find a New Way to Finance its Bio-Revolution
US Congress hearings regarding PFAS may come at the right moment.
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California Could Become the First State to Ban Single-use Plastics
In 2018, on New Year’s Day, the world of trash changed forever.
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Sustainable Polymers Center Gets NSF Renewal Grant
Plastic may be an artificial hodgepodge of organic and synthetic elements, but Geoffrey Coates’ admiration for the material is very real.
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Florida Eatery Switches to Biodegradable Packaging
In an effort to go green and uphold the “Trasca way” of great service, the local eatery is undergoing a series of changes to provide a cleaner, more ecofriendly experience.
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FDA Reviewing All PFAS in Food Contact Applications
Chemical company Chemours asks US FDA to pull food contact approvals for PFASs; and FDA is reviewing all authorised uses of chemicals in food applications.
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Map of Plastic Bans in the US
National Geographic published a new map that shows where states have banned plastic—and where states have banned bans on plastic.
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Microplastics Found in 90 Percent of Colorado Rainwater Samples
Microplastics are microscopic pieces of plastic that are making their way into everything from drinking water to marine life, and now the U.S. Geological Survey says they’re falling from the sky when it rains, according to a new report.
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USA Today Investigates on PFAS
Everything about your burrito bowl from Chipotle or your salad from Sweetgreen seems earthy and health-conscious, right down to the packaging.
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California Says Goodbye to Recycling
We have long called for deposits on everything. California shows that even that is not enough.
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US Congress Initiatives on Plastics
Two Democratic lawmakers asking for feedback on plastic waste bill outline by end of August. Effort part of legislative momentum for plastic waste management.
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NBC News – Recycling is not The Answer To Our Trash Problem
In the environment-saving trio of reduce, reuse, and recycle, America has banked most on that last one over the past half-century or so. But as recycling reaches a fever pitch, landfills are still filling up faster. This is Wasteland, a deep dive into what we throw out and how it affects what’s next. This episode…
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Plastic Bag Fee and Stop In Connecticut
The green initiative that will charge retail shoppers 10 cents to use plastic disposable bags begins August 1st. But two chains, Big Y and Stop & Shop, have gone further and eliminated the bags altogether.
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Bioplastic Ban in Missouri
A ban on single-use disposable food service ware made from plastic or bioplastic that goes into effect for retail outlets Jan. 1 will be one of the strictest in Jackson County.
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Role of Bioplastics in Sustainable Packaging
The packaging industry gathered in Seattle in early April for SPC Impact 2019, an event held by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (Charlottesville, VA) to review the latest trends and innovations in reducing the environmental impacts of packaged goods.
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Cambodia Sends Plastic Waste Back to U.S. and Canada
Scores of plastic waste shipments have been arriving in Southeast Asia from Western countries, and now the Asian nations are pushing back.
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Americans Develop Biodegradable Insulation
In a University of Alaska Anchorage laboratory, researchers have been growing lightweight and fuzzy panels from mushroom tissue that they say could be used as insulation for shipping frozen fish.
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Asian Delegations Briefed by US Corn Industry
A recent program designed by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) offered teams from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea perspective on how corn ethanol and corn starch could contribute to bio-based products including bio-plastics, paints, detergents, cosmetics, perfumes and other chemical applications.
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Biofuel Company Secures $118 Mln To Produce Bioplastics
Genera announced today it has secured more than $118 million in new investment for its first manufacturing facility to produce its Earthable® line of sustainable agricultural fiber products.
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The First Skis Made From Algae Bioplastics
The First Skis Made from Algae Bioplastics were launched by Americans.
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USDA to Amend Federal Procurement Guidelines for Biobased Products
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Procurement and Property Management published a final rule on July 5, 2019, that will amend the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) to add 30 sections designating the product categories within which biobased products would be afforded procurement preference by federal agencies and their…
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ARS At the Forefront of Cornstarch Research
At the 2019 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and AgTech in Des Moines, Iowa, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Gordon Selling today reported on his group’s use of steam-jet cooking and other processing methods to create a starch-vegetable-oil-based complex with a variety of useful properties.
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The First Lignin Millionaires Will Be Americans
With a new method to synthesize a popular pain-relieving medication from plants rather than fossil fuels, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have found a way to relieve two headaches at once.
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Bioplastics Could Solve a Major Pollution Problem
Advanced solvents and enzymes are transforming woody wastes into better biodegradable plastics.
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North Dakota State University Becomes Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites Site
North Dakota State University has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to become a university site of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2).
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Renewable and Recyclable?
Just as materials and packaging designs evolve, so must the recycling industry to capture value from bioplastics.
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Maine’s Styrofoam Ban Met with Mixed Response
The law, effective Jan. 2021, could increase prices, but it brings a sense of job security to over 500 employees at the Huhtamaki paper products plant.
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Yield10 Bioscience Files Patent For New PHA Biomaterials Technology
Yield10 Bioscience, an agricultural bioscience company that uses its “Trait Factory” to develop high value seed traits for the agriculture and food industries, today announced that the Company has filed a U.S. Patent application for new technology enabling low-cost production of PHA-based biomaterials in Camelina sativa, an oilseed crop.
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Are PFAS The Next Big Industry Scandal?
A class of chemicals that some scientists call the next DDT is just beginning to face scrutiny for its appearance in human food, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now developing ways to measure its presence in everything from milk to produce.
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US Government Becomes New Leader in Bio-Transition
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in partnership with its National Laboratories dedicate the month of May and June to educating the US public on renewable biomass used for the production of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower.
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Tallahassee Businesses Moving to Biodegradable Straws
Tallahassee city commissioners are hoping the city will become “more conscious than ever before” in protecting the environment, starting with plastic straws.
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