“Quo vadis, Europe?”
Today, economic success is defined by a different perception and practice of supply capability and supply security. This applies not only to the European trade with chemicals but to the entire chemical value chain.
Sustainability
Circular Solutions
The path to a sustainable, net-zero future for the chemical industry is paved with challenges – and also opportunities.
DNACotton –Tracing the Journey of Your Fabrics and Their Sustainability Aspects
DNACotton is a female-led start-up from Türkiye that has developed a blockchain-based labeling and traceability system for textiles. The solution allows for reliable monitoring and analysis of materials, from fiber production to customer delivery.
Future Prospects in Green Chemistry
The Discourse on Green Chemistry Interactive Pitch Competition, held on November 5, 2024, at Wiley's Berlin office as part of Berlin Science Week, showcased a range of innovative projects aimed at addressing critical environmental challenges.
Renasens - No Waste, Only Resources
The female-led Swedish start-up Renasens has developed a clean, waterless recycling technology that transforms textile waste into valuable new resources.
Innovative and Sustainable in a Network
Röhm Strives for Global Technology Leadership as a Methacrylate Specialist.
Solvay Completes Major GHG Emissions-Reduction Project in the US
Solvay has inaugurated its regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) process at its US plant at Green River, Wyoming. The innovative emissions control technology, which Solvay claims is the first of its kind in the trona mining industry, is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the plant by up to 20% annually and achieve a 4% reduction in emissions at group level by 2025.
Carbon Waters Opens its First Production Unit
Carbon Waters recently reached a major milestone with the installation of its first production unit at its facility in Pessac.
Egrobots – New Technologies for a more Sustainable Agriculture
Egrobots, a start-up from Egypt, developed a solution for efficient farm monitoring and management using AI and robotics. Their innovation includes an autonomous robot, that roams around the farm, scanning the plants on a leaf-level with high resolution and an AI that analyses this data.
LanzaTech, Seksui to Develop Waste-to-Ethanol Plants in Japan
US green technology firm LanzaTech has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical to deploy, at commercial scale, a jointly developed platform that converts syngas derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste into ethanol. Sekisui intends to build multiple facilities in municipalities across Japan which incorporate equipment packages, engineering and advisory services, consumables, and intellectual property provided by LanzaTech, the companies said.
Theseus Development – Pioneering a Green Built Environment with Geopolymers
The Ghanaian start-up Theseus Development produces an alternative material to cement-based concrete for the building industry called “geopolymer”. Not only is the material produced from the mineral that occurs in great abundance in the earth's crust as well as industrial waste, but the production process does not emit carbon dioxide either.
Clariant & OMV to Collaborate on Low Carbon Footprint Ethylene
Clariant and OMV today announced their intended collaboration for lower carbon footprint ethylene supply. To address growing demand for sustainable options in Europe, this partnership will help both companies meet their sustainability targets and support their customers' carbon reduction strategies.
New Report on Alternative Naphtha Technologies Market
The Nova Institute recently published a new report on alternative naphtha. The report analyzes the routes, associated technologies, market players, and volumes by which renewable carbon can be introduced to refinery and steam cracking operations to replace fossil-based feedstocks.
Ar-ena – Creating More Food with Less Water
Ar-ena is a female-led start-up from Jordan, that produces a new type of hydrogel-polymers that absorb air humidity and convert it into water.
Arkema Develops Technology for More Sustainable Powder Coating Resins
French chemical producer Arkema has reported a breakthrough in new manufacturing processes that incorporate up to 40% recycled content from old packaging into its powder coating resins.
Vienna Textile Lab – Rethinking Colours
Austrian start-up Vienna Textile Lab produces biodegradable dyes and pigments utilizing naturally occurring microorganisms. Low-emission production, the use of renewable raw materials and the biodegradability of the final product are significant sustainability aspects of the innovation and its contribution to a circular economy.
Using Chemistry to Create Net-Zero Value Chains
In this interview, Charlie Tan, CEO of the Global Impact Coalition (GIC), explains the initiative’s scope and describes some key activities.
Decarbonizing for a Sustainable Future
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the supply chain lies outside of a company’s direct control, so collaboration with suppliers and partners in the supply chain is key.
Sustainable Material Adoption in Industrial Sectors
IMCD Industrial Solutions surveyed top customers around the globe on their insights into eight key topics deemed pertinent to sustainability in industrial sectors. This article highlights some of the most important results.
Sustainable Practices in Biopharmaceuticals
BioPhorum, an industry collaboration group, focuses on advancing sustainability within the biopharmaceutical sector. In an exclusive interview, Nicola Coles, Director of BioPhorum Sustainability, shares insights into the organization’s commitment to environmentally responsible practices.
Sustainability from the Beginning
The idea that statistics can address urgent sustainability concerns at the lab bench was central to presentations at the recent JMP Discovery Summit Europe in Manchester, UK.
At the Cutting Edge of Catalysis Innovation
In this interview, Phillip Chalabi, Umicore’s director Strategic Projects and Innovation, gives an overview of the company’s activities in precious metal chemistry.
Zila Bioworks – Revolutionizing Plastics
The American start-up Zila Bioworks is transforming hard-tech manufacturing with drastically cleaner, greener chemistry, while supporting rural communities.
Pili Reaches Production Milestone for Biobased Anthranilic Acid
French biotech company Pili, a manufacturer of sustainable colorant and pigment, has produced several tons of anthranilic acid, a 100% biobased aromatic compound which the company already converts into dyes and pigments.
Sustainability in Production is Key - What Does Flow Chemistry Bring to the Table?
Numerous articles have been published within the last years in chemical science and business media (including this one) on the advantages of continuous reactions, aka flow chemistry.
Revolutionizing Green Chemical Production with Ultrasound
Biorefining allows low-carbon feedstocks – such as lignocellulosic biomass – to be processed into intermediate chemicals that can be made into renewable plastics for the automotive industry. Sonichem has developed a breakthrough biorefinery technique that uses ultrasonic energy alongside mild organic acids to fractionate softwood sawdust into hemicellulose sugars, microcrystalline cellulose and high-quality lignin.
Arkema Signs Green Energy Supply Deals for US Sites
Arkema has signed long term renewable energy agreements for its US sites in Calvert City, Kentucky, Beaumont, Texas, Chatham, Virginia, and West Chester, Pennsylvania, as well as for all Bostik sites in the United States. The company said that these agreements are part of its climate plan.
Industry Leaders Call for Urgent Actions to Boost European Competitiveness
Today, 73 industry leaders from 20 industrial sectors handed over "The Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal" to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The declaration emphasizes industry's dedication to Europe's transformation and outlines urgent needs to enhance Europe's competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability amid challenging economic circumstances.
Bioweg – Revolutionizing The Future Of Bio-Ingredients
The German start-up Bioweg found a way to replace petroleum-based chemicals with innovative bio-alternatives through fermentation and green chemistry. The processing of waste products results in bacterial cellulose, which serves as a substitute for synthetic polymers and thus has diverse potential applications.
EU Approves €6.9 Billion State Aid for 33 Hydrogen Projects
In a move to improve the supply of renewable hydrogen and thus reduce dependence on natural gas and contribute to achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU plan, the EU Commission has approved a third Important project of common European interest (IPCEI) to support hydrogen infrastructure.
Solvay Completes Coal Phase-out at Wyoming Soda Ash Plant
Brussels, Belgium-headquartered chemical company Solvay has completed the coal phase-out initiative at its US site in Green River, Wyoming.
Molepse BioResources - Pioneering novel organic pesticides for grain farmers
The Kenyan start-up Molepse BioResources has developed two products, one for small-scale and one for large-scale grain farmers, to protect their harvest from weevil attacks.
Preparing for Sustainability-Driven Growth
Rising demand for sustainability-related products will create a huge growth opportunity for chemical companies.
Unleashing Sustainable Innovation, Navigating Business, and Pioneering a Greener Future
In today’s world, where environmental sustainability is at the forefront of global concerns, green chemistry stands as a beacon of hope. This field focuses on inventing sustainable solutions that mitigate the harmful impact of traditional chemical processes.
Positioned for Growth: The New Age of Winning for Chemical Distributors
By enhancing offerings, ensuring performance, managing costs, and embracing sustainability, distributors prove as essential partners for long-term success amidst evolving challenges.
