The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has launched its first digital newsletter. The new newsletter is a web-based document in a new online repository which will house IBioIC's digital publications as it move towards a more sustainable, paper-free future. The IBioIC Spring 2020 Newsletter is available here: https://ibioic-publications.com/
Innovate UK has released details of new funding opportunities for innovative business and research. Of particular interest are the following opportunities: EUREKA collaborative R&D: advanced materials – Closes 30 June 2020 Innovate UK Smart Grants – Closes 27 May 2020 The Small Business Research Initiative Horizon 2020 programme You can find the full list of [...]
And interview with BBIA Managing Director David Newman has been published in the latest edition of Resource, covering his career and the outlook for bioplastics. Ranging from his work in the nascent Italian composting industry in the early 200s to setting up the BBIA in 2015, Newman shares the lessons learned from advancing the role [...]
Break Free From Plastic and the Heinrich Böll Foundation have together launched the first international English version of the Plastic Atlas. The Plastic Atlas provides facts, data and figures to paint a picture of the impact of plastic use across the globe, and acts as a call to action to reduce the production and consumption [...]
The Sustainable Soils Alliance is a partnership of businesses, campaigning organisations, the applied scientific community, academia, governmental and non-governmental organisations working together to reverse the current crisis in soil health, which currently sees an estimated 2.9 million tonnes of topsoil lost each year in the UK. Read full article [...]
A scientist has filmed the moment plastic microfibre is ingested by plankton, illustrating how the material is affecting life beneath the waves. The footage shows one way that waste plastic could be entering the marine and global food chain. An estimated 150 million tonnes of plastic "disappears" from the world's waste stream [...]
As anticipated, EP’s ENVI Committee approved the revisions of the Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Directive. The measures approved: § Biowaste: definition that includes bioplastic; mandatory separate collections. The amendment approved asks Member states to also encourage home composting. The Committee provides the possibility for Member States to not organize a separate [...]
Norwich City Council could ban the use of single-use plastic products at council buildings as a way of leading the charge to become a ‘pioneer plastic-free city’. The potential move follows the council approving a motion introduced by Green councillors at a council meeting last week (27 September), and will now ask the [...]
The German government wants all recycling targets in the EU’s Circular Economy Package to be scrapped while an alternative recycling data methodology is implemented, according to reports, risking further delay to the package’s adoption. According to a document seen by EurActiv.com that was distributed among diplomats’ working groups, Germany wants to put off any [...]
The Bio-based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertaking (JU) is to host a free event on 3 March to give details about its upcoming call for proposals for funding.