Features
Gene-edited protein fibre rival plastics on performance
Plastics are the king of industrial materials. So successful and wide-ranging are they that even the biobased sector has been devoted to developing plant-based replicas of them for almost imaginable application. Yet plastics are not the only industry all-rounders that…
Where next for South Africa’s bioeconomy?
South Africa has immense bioeconomy potential if we look at its natural endowments alone. As one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, it is full of genetic resources for biotechnology. Its agricultural sector comprises around 12% of its…
Urban biorefineries in the EU: from blueprint to implementation
Cities are overflowing with valuable biomass if you look in the right places: namely, in their sewage systems. The organic materials in urban wastewater can provide cheap, local, and abundant raw materials for biobased and circular fuels, fertiliser, and materials.…
A is for Algae: a bioeconomy glossary
Bioeconomy jargon can be confusing at the best of times, tripping up even those familiar with the sector. Here we run down what common keywords mean. Algae: Algae is an up-and-coming feedstock in the bioeconomy. Many believe it is a…
The UN takes stock of the global bioeconomy
April 2024 saw two UN releases on the bioeconomy: first, a seminar on urban circular bioeconomies from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and second, a UN Environment Agency (UNEP) bioeconomy report on all major biobased sectors. The UN has…
Why does the bioeconomy need circularity?
Replacing petrochemicals with biobased materials can cut the environmental impacts of industry. However, circularity is just as important as renewable materials when it comes to building sustainability into supply chains. Here we explain why. What’s the difference between circular and…