Senator Collins recently announced a $3.5 million provision in the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill for forest products research in Maine. A portion of this funding will support University of Maine research to improve innovation and maintain a sustainable and globally competitive domestic forest products industry. According to Senator Collins in her press release, “Maine has…

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Lots of interesting things are made with algae these days. Solazyme, a biobased company in California, has been working with BASF to make a surfactant with microalgae. A surfactant is used in home and personal care products – like shampoos. According to Solazyme’s press release, BASF says that, “Consumer demand for sustainable and innovative surfactants has increased…

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USDA continues to support biobased manufacturing with its recent announcement that it is accepting applications for loan guarantees of up to $250 million as part of an assistance program previously called the Biorefinery Assistance Program. The new program, called the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program will provide funds to be used for…

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Recently the French parliament adopted a law that includes a requirement that lightweight bags for fruits and vegetables be biobased and compostable in home composting set-ups beginning in January 2017. Read more about this and related legislation at Bioplastics Magazine.

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The LEGO Group is investing approximately $148 million for a new LEGO Sustainable Materials Center to be established between 2015 and 2016 with a goal of replacing current materials with sustainable alternatives by 2030. LEGO pieces (they’re called “elements”) are currently made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin. LEGO makes 6,000 tons of ABS plastic each year for its…

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The recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Report, entitled, “An Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry” reports that the biobased products industry in the U.S. contributed $369 billion to the U.S. economy in 2013. It also found that Maine has the third-highest concentration of jobs in the “biobased products.”

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The recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Report, entitled, “An Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry” reports that the biobased products industry in the U.S. contributed $369 billion to the U.S. economy in 2013. It also found that Maine has the third-highest concentration of jobs in the “biobased products.”

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Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized this year’s winners of the Presidential Green Chemistry Award. Green chemistry (also known as sustainable chemistry) means designing processes and research in a way that minimizes the use and generation of hazardous substances. In other words, is there a way to make this without using so…

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It was recently announced that a public-private partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) has approved 120 million euros in funding to boost the EU’s capacity to stimulate and grow jobs in a circular, low carbon, and sustainable bioeconomy. This means advanced biorefineries were renewable materials are transformed into high-value products, chemicals, materials,…

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Researchers in Orono recently received a $225,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue their work on a foam-like insulation material that is made from wood fiber. Current products available in the insulation market are made from petroleum – even “eco-friendly” insulations are made from polystyrene. So creating a biobased insulation – especially from…

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