Technology
Nestlé turns coffee waste into biofuel
Nestlé UK is turning a coffee production by-product into a source of clean energy, cutting waste and costs at its Tutbury factory in the process. Since 2015, the site has recycled used coffee beans from Nescafé manufacturing and converted them…
Researchers push seaweed bioplastics
Filipino scientists are turning to the ocean for a solution to plastic pollution. During the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and Technology-Philippines (NAST PHL), researchers highlighted the potential of seaweed-derived bioplastics, biodegradable plastics made from…
New study finds pathway to biodegrade “indestructible” plastics
New research suggests two of the world's most common plastics, polyethylene and polypropylene, can fully biodegrade in nature without leaving microplastics behind. The findings come from Polymateria, working alongside Imperial College London and Malaysia's Standard and Industrial Research Institute, SIRIM.…
Texas student’s science fair project offers new algae biofuel insights
A science lesson on biomass led a seventh-grade student in Texas to develop an experiment with implications for algae-based biofuel production. Arya Hirsave attends Canyon Vista Middle School in Austin. She became interested in algae after learning about renewable and…
Bamboo bioplastic rivals conventional plastic
Chinese researchers have developed a bamboo-based bioplastic that matches the strength of conventional plastics while remaining fully biodegradable. The study, published in Nature, describes a new way of reorganising bamboo cellulose at the molecular level to overcome common weaknesses in…
CJ Biomaterials turns sugar into biodegradable plastic
At a research lab in Woburn, Massachusetts, pebble-sized pellets are being molded into forks, films and packaging. Unlike ordinary plastic, these are designed to disappear rather than persist. The material comes from CJ Biomaterials. The company ferments sugar to produce…