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The Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS) search for the very best in innovation in the chemical industry. The ICIS Innovation Awards are intended to recognize and reward companies paving the way in product, process, and digital innovations that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. The awards were open to any company in the chemical industry that successfully executed innovative projects that solve problems and provide solutions for companies, their customers, and society, as...

By Lynn L. Bergeson  On December 22, 2021, Cargill announced an agreement with Croda to acquire the majority of its performance technologies and industrial chemicals business in Summer 2022, pending regulatory approvals. This investment includes biobased and renewable technologies used in the automotive, polymer, and food packaging industries, as well as production facilities across Europe and Asia. “The bioindustrial space is a priority for Cargill, as we strive to support our...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted a recording of the September 22, 2021, webinar that it hosted to educate stakeholders on the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards and the nomination process. The webinar reviewed the history of the awards, the categories within the awards, eligibility requirements, and what is needed to submit a nomination. As reported in our August 27, 2021, blog item, EPA is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On October 28, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a supplemental proposal on adjustments to the percentage standards for 2020 that result from the amended definitions of two terms used to calculate the percentage standards under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Signed and pre-published on October 15, 2019, by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the notice of the proposed rule is...

Reuters, “White House Pushes For More Talks After 'No Deal' On Biofuels” International Air Transport Association, “Aim For 1 Billion Passengers To Fly On Sustainable Fuel Flights By 2025” Colorado State University, “How Biofuels From Plant Fibers Could Combat Global Warming” Lego, “First Sustainable Lego® Bricks Will Be Launched In 2018” Coursera, “Introduction to Algae”...

By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On August 1, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public hearing to hear from all segments of the fuel industry on the proposed rule to set the 2018 renewable volume obligations (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.  Among the nearly 150 individuals and organizations scheduled to testify at the hearing were numerous biofuel industry stakeholders who praised EPA for issuing the proposed rule on time and...

By Kathleen M. Roberts On August 2, 2017, DOE published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a public meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.  The committee is comprised of approximately 30 volunteers from industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and local government that collaborate to: Advise the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Points of Contact concerning: The technical focus and direction of requests for...

?  Bioresources, “Bioeconomy Survey Results Regarding Barriers to the United States Advanced Biofuel Industry”    ?   Enerkem, “Enerkem Achieves All Production Milestones at its Edmonton Biofuel Facility”    ?  University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Renewable Plastic Precursor Could Grow Cellulosic Biofuel Industry”    ?  Michigan State University, “Better Together:  Harnessing Cooperating...

On January 27, 2017, AkzoNobel, a member of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), signed a framework joint development agreement with Itaconix, a specialty chemicals company and U.S. subsidiary of Revolymer, to explore opportunities for biobased polymer production.  According to the agreement, Itaconix will provide proprietary polymerization technology to turn itaconic acid from fermented sugars into polymers and AkzoNobel will carry out the development and...

The biofuels industry is likely to face increasingly challenging times during the tenures of the new 115 th Congress — which began on January 3 — and the Trump Administration, scheduled to begin this Friday, January 20.   Throughout his campaign for President, Trump repeatedly pledged his support for biofuels and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Indeed, it is this support that helped Trump win in key Midwestern battleground states, including Iowa. Despite this,...

On August 3, 2016, 24 farmer and public interest organizations wrote to the Obama Administration expressing their disappointment with the direction that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has taken with the proposed modernization of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology (Coordinated Framework). The letter argues that an overly permissive regulatory framework for genetically engineered (GE) products has resulted in negative consequences, and that GE...

? SeeNews, “Nano Labs, DerTek to Set up Biofuel Joint Venture in North America” ? 3BL Media, “Seventh Generation Calls on Congress for Meaningful Chemical Reform” ? Biomass Magazine, “Metabolix Reports PHA Biopolymer Expansion in Year-End Results” ? Science Direct, “Natural Copaiba Oil as Antibacterial Agent for Bio-Based Active Packaging” ? Ag Web, “Brazil Biofuel, Sustainable Projects Get $100 Million From IDB” ? Xconomy, “Red...

In an August 11, 2014, filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, cellulosic biofuel company KiOR, Inc. (KiOR) reported that without any new financial commitments, the Company only has enough funding to operate through September 2014. This announcement is significant for the biofuels industry, as EPA had relied on KiOR's projected volumes of available cellulosic biofuels to make up a significant part of the 2013 cellulosic renewable volume obligations (RVO) under the federal...

The B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCMM) is pleased to announce that the UCLA Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology will be hosting a workshop that will be sponsored by The California Nanotechnology Industry Network (CalNIN) on Challenges and Opportunities for Businesses Engaged in Nanotechnology on September 25, 2012. Planned topics include: For more information, log onto www.calnin.org or contact Jake Vandevort. Registration opens on May 15,...

On May 9-11, 2012, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) will hold a workshop entitled “Safe Management of Nanowaste.” According to the draft agenda, the objectives of the workshop are to get a better understanding of the potential risks posed by nanowaste and waste containing nanomaterials; to exchange information about existing initiatives/approaches addressing...

The June 6-8, 2011, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials will include a “Lunch-n-Learn” session on June 6, 2011, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (EDT). During the luncheon, which will be held in Washington, D.C., in Senate Visitors Center Room 201, TAPPI will introduce a Public-Private-Partnership model and its job creation potential in U.S. utilizing renewable nanocellulose materials. TAPPI will present...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) posted on May 5, 2010, two reports concerning nanomaterials:...

On March 11, 2008, the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) released a report entitled Responsible Production and Use of Nanomaterials, which is a series of documents intended to provide guidance on all aspects of a good product stewardship on nanomaterials. The documents include joint papers prepared by VCI and the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA). The report...

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin/BAuA) (FIOSH) and the German Chemical Industry Association (Verband der Chemischen Industrie/VCI) (GCIA) have issued draft document entitled Guidance for Handling and Use of Nanomaterials at the Workplace. The Guidance is intended to provide an overview of occupational health and safety measures in the production and use of nanomaterials. The basis for the Guidance is a...