The latest news about safe, sustainable and bio-based materials and products

India turning the Tide on Marine Plastic Pollution

India has announced elimination of all single-use plastic in their country by 2022 (with an immediate ban in Delhi)

Environment, Leadership, Regulation, PolicyJames EdeJune 27, 2018India, Delhi, UN Environment's Clean Seas Campaign, reduce plastic pollution, Indian Government, Vireo AdvisorsComment

NIST Researchers Develop New Composite Material using Wood Pulp and an Invasive Exotic Pest

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new composite material using wood pulp and dried pieces of an invasive exotic pest called tunicates.

Innovation, Nanomaterials, Sustainability, EnvironmentJames EdeJune 18, 2018NIST, Vireo Advisors, tunicates, Johan Foster of Virginia Tech, Jeff Gilman, nanocellulose, wood pulpComment

Saltwater Brewery six-pack rings feed wildlife instead of hurting them

Saltwater Brewery (a Florida craft microbrewery) along with a startup called E6PR, has developed a biodegradable six-pack ring which can be used in the packaging of their beverages

Environment, Innovation, SustainabilityJames EdeJune 12, 2018Saltwater Brewert, Florida craft microbrewery, E6PR, biodegradable six-pack, wheat and barley, food for wildlifeComment

Israeli Firm says it can Turn Garbage into Bio-based Plastic

UBQ Materials, an Israeli firm, is commercializing technology to convert municipal solid waste into plastics which they say will dramatically change waste management systems throughout the world and make landfills a thing of the past.

Environment, InnovationJames EdeApril 11, 2018UBQ Materials, Vireo Advisors, CO2, landfills, garbage to plastic, Israel, waste managment system, Negev Desert, municipal waste, pilot plant, additive in plasticComment

EU May Ban Single-Use Plastic Across Europe

Single-use plastics include items such as plastic bags, straws, water bottles, and many forms of food packaging and the European Commission’s Vice-President of the Executive Cabinet, Frans Timmerman, hinted that the EU may soon be banning them.

Bottled Water found to contain Plastic Particles

Recent findings by researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia and journalism organization Orb Media that found that 93% of bottled water showed signs of microplastic contamination, with an average of 10.4 and 314 particles per liter larger and smaller than 100 microns in size, respectively.

EnvironmentJames EdeMarch 27, 2018bottled water, microplastics, Vireo Advisors, State University of New York (SUNY), plastics in water, Orb Media, microplastic contamination, Nile Red, fluoresces, infrared spectroscopy, polypropyleneComment

Alberta, Canada: Working Towards a Circular Economy

The province of Alberta has created a Bio-Resource Management Information System (BRIMS) which allows companies to search for wood waste, agricultural products, and other raw materials that they could repurpose for their business needs.

Sustainability, Environment, LeadershipJames EdeFebruary 14, 2018Alberta, Canada, Alberta Innovates, bio-resource managment information system, BRIMS, Edmonton’s Silvacom Ltd, Michigan, circular economyComment

Shareholders Advocacy Group Calling for McDonalds to Examine Environmental Impacts of Polystyrene Cups and Trays

As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group, is calling for McDonalds’ to conduct assessments to examine the environmental impact the use of polystyrene in their cups and trays may have.

Leadership, Sustainability, EnvironmentJames EdeFebruary 2, 2018McDonalds, Polystyrene Cups and Trays, Shareholders Advocacy Group, As you Sow, Styrofoam, Bio-Based World News, United StatesComment

Zero Tolerance of Plastic Pollution of the Oceans: A Global Treaty

During a UN's environment ministers meeting in Nairobi, Kenya last month, Norway proposed a zero tolerance of plastic pollution and suggested an international treaty banning plastic waste from entering the sea.

Environment, Leadership, RegulationJames EdeJanuary 31, 2018UN environment ministers, microplastic, BBC, Vireo Advisors, Norway, UN's environment ministers meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, nternational treaty banning plastic waste, microplasticsComment

Study finds Bisphenols BPS and BPA in Receipts

The Ecology Center’s Healthy Stuff program found hormone-disrupting BPS and BPA chemicals in the receipts of major grocery stores, department stores, and small retailers (including Meijer, Kroger, and TJX stores, as well as gas stations, theaters, libraries, small and independent businesses).