‘Mass Balance’ should be word of the year in 2023
It has become fashionable for dictionaries to announce their most popular new word of the year. 2022 gave us ‘permacrisis’, ‘goblin mode’ and ‘gaslighting’, amongst... read more
Plant-based plastics reap a better harvest in 2022
Consumers intuitively understand that to get to net zero, we must move away from conventional plastic made from oil and gas. But bioplastics made from renewable raw materials have faced regulatory bar... read more
Food and fuel: the biofuels industry works on its image
The food versus fuel debate has polarised opinion on the benefits of biofuels and led to a cap on first generation fuels produced from crops in Europe. But the problem has always been with farming pra... read more
Packaging: recycling has been canned in favour of reuse
The packaging sector has been united in opposition to the new and unexpected focus on reuse, in a proposed revision to the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. The supply chain had been... read more
Low carbon aluminium smelting won’t be economic everywhere
The aluminium industry faces huge upheaval to achieve net zero by 2050. The latest analysis lays bare the sort of regional imbalances that are a foretaste of what is to come for all hard-to-abate sect... read more
Change ahead for the EU’s palm oil supply chains
Palm oil is a key raw material for the food industry with additional uses in the chemicals and biofuels sectors. When grown unsustainably it has caused tropical deforestation. The EU’... read more
Is Europe’s new biofuels’ database a sign of things to come?
Everyone knew that the European Commission’s database for biofuels would be a massive undertaking as soon as it was announced. There had to be a crackdown after a serious fraud in the Netherland... read more
A century on, is Fischer Tropsch technology the answer to sustainable aviation fuel?
Aviation is hard to decarbonise with electric planes a long way off. In the interim, jet fuel from bio-based and recycled sources is urgently needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But which is th... read more
Rooting deforestation out of Europe’s supply chains
The EU will soon require that certain agricultural commodities imported into Europe have not caused deforestation. The Deforestation Regulation which covers cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya... read more
Paying the price to recycle premium packaging
Some of the highest performing packaging is the most difficult to recycle. Companies who want to continue selling it are now having to organise the recycling of their used packaging, to ensure compati... read more
ASI members will have to reduce GHG emissions; some are already doing better than others
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has published its new Standards for the next five years. They commit all members to reduce their GHG emissions at ASI certified sites. Whilst some companies are le... read more
Fighting ‘free-riders’ for recycled plastic
The squabble over who should have access to recycled plastic drinks bottles shifted up a gear recently with a statement from Europe’s non-alcoholic beverage industry, backed by Changing Markets... read more
Keeping unsustainable palm oil out of Europe
Unilever recently announced a successful pilot project to track sustainable palm oil from its origins, using GreenToken, a blockchain solution from SAP, the business software provider. Food companies... read more
Have consumers had their fill of refillable packaging?
Refillable packaging seemed to be taking a step forward with the announcement of a further collaboration between supermarkets in the UK and brand owners a few weeks ago. France is preparing to mandate... read more
Sustainability Schemes should get involved with the EU’s new Due Diligence Directive
People don’t want to purchase goods linked to coal burning, deforestation or child labour. But up to now, most companies with long supply chains can’t guarantee the origin of the raw mater... read more
Will Europe’s sustainable aviation fuel policy fly?
Aviation will require low carbon liquid fuel to decarbonise, as battery powered passenger aircraft will not be viable for decades. Europe, in its RefuelEU proposal, is focussing on sustainable aviatio... read more
Understanding plant-based packaging
There is a new type of packaging on the market, which we will see much more of in the future. In this short video I explain how it is made and I answer the question. Will this... read more
Are bioplastics better for the planet?
An ongoing argument about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of plant based raw materials for plastics production, illustrates how difficult it is to quantify the environmental impact of new technologies... read more
Will green aluminium come out on top as the EU levels the playing field for net zero?
The European Commission is proposing new trade measures to ensure that local industry is not disadvantaged as parts of the world act at different rates to protect the environment. The aluminium sector... read more
Four reasons for not losing hope in a fast energy transition after COP26
By Fee Kirsch
The eighth in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
As part of the Dutch Climate Youth movement and our... read more
Is ASI’s approach to emissions reductions a COP out?
The final COP26 agreement is the first ever climate deal which explicitly commits to reducing the use of coal, the worst fossil fuel. So, it may come as a surprise that ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Init... read more
Mechanical recycling of plastic will never be the whole package
A recent announcement from Plastic Recyclers Europe, casting doubt on the new ‘Quality Recycling Process’ developed by Ceflex, has highlighted the difficulties that are emerging as industr... read more
Improving soil carbon isn’t dirt cheap
The biofuels industry is one of the first to be presented with the actual requirements behind the EU’s drive to increase soil carbon, a part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, first publis... read more
The race to carbon neutrality
By Alice Lunardelli
The seventh in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
Talks on reducing carbon emissions have been aro... read more
Big brands’ thirst for recycled plastic is good news
Coca Cola UK has recently declared that they will be using recycled PET from beverage bottles to replace virgin plastic in some products. All on-the-go bottles across the entire range in Great Britain... read more
Will the gains for green aluminium be sustainable?
Rusal recently confirmed that is earning a small premium for its low-carbon primary aluminium. Other aluminium producers have made similar statements about their low carbon products. So will the diffe... read more
Hydrogen: a silver bullet for decarbonising Europe or a technology that could ‘lock-in’ fossil fuel use?
By Hazel Scurr
The sixth in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
On the 19th of May, the European Parliament supported the mot... read more
A ‘’Just Transition” can benefit people as well as the planet
By Finn Pierau
The fifth in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
On the 21st of April 2021, the EU officially adopt... read more
The people’s vote of confidence in sustainability schemes
For the first time, sustainability certification of a food commodity will be explicitly written into a trade agreement. The Swiss people recently voted in a referendum to remove tariffs on Indonesian... read more
The squabble over waste-based biofuels contains a lesson for the Circular Economy
We have to decarbonise all forms of transport to reach net zero, but what happens when there aren’t enough low carbon fuels to go round? The EU’s upcoming ReFuelEU proposal to bring in a b... read more
Sustainable aluminium: new kid on the blockchain
Both Hydro and Rio Tinto announced recently that they are launching blockchain initiatives. Hydro’s customers will be able to ‘trace the metal from the factory gates until it reaches the c... read more
A golden opportunity for green aluminium, but who is benefitting?
Green aluminium has, for the first time, received a premium over standard prices in Europe according to a number of sources. But the term ‘green aluminium’ covers different types of alumin... read more
Carbon Capture and Storage - our only hope of saving the climate?
By Madeleine Woods
The fourth in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
On 11th January 2021 HRH The Prince of Wales announced a Susta... read more
Circular tyres and other developments in chemical recycling
2020 was an important year for technologies that break down waste plastic into small chemical building blocks ready for recycling to new plastics. The industry ramped up its investment in these... read more
What is the role of the car in the transition to sustainable transport?
By Finn Pierau
The third in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
On November 19th, 2020 PM Boris Johnson announced the U... read more
To drop-in or not to drop-in, that is the bioplastics question for 2020
Companies have announced commercial developments for bioplastics in 2020 involving both bio-based versions of conventional plastics (drop-in) and new biopolymers. The year has also brought some offici... read more
Bioenergy Sustainability Schemes prepare for change
Biofuels and biomass Sustainability Schemes must be re-approved by June 2021 to show that they are in compliance with the new Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). The process is already underway and S... read more
Aluminium should be at the forefront of carbon disclosure
The push for low carbon aluminium to be traded as a separate category on the London Metals Exchange, took a new turn recently as two producers came out in opposition to the idea. This is of wider rele... read more
Do recycled carbon fuels have a future?
From the middle of 2021, when the new Renewable Energy Directive comes into force, countries in Europe will be able to count recycled carbon fuels towards their targets for renewable transport fuels.... read more
How can the biofuels and bio-based chemicals industries spread social equality?
By Zoe Greindl
The second in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
In July 2020, leaders of the European Commission annou... read more
Sustainable plastic doesn't need to be a taxing matter
By Naomi Williams
The first in a series of articles titled 'the voice of young people', from the opinion formers of the future.
The EU has announced a new tax targeting plastic pac... read more
Is segregation coming to sustainable palm oil?
Sustainability schemes for commodities used by food, chemicals and biofuels producers have not brought the promised reductions in deforestation of tropical countries. So companies and regulators are l... read more
Recycling aluminium should not be left to recyclers
Everyone agrees that recycling aluminium is worthwhile and necessary. Aluminium can recycled again and again without loss of quality, which fits well with the requirements of a circular economy.... read more
How low is low carbon aluminium?
The London Metals Exchange, the world centre for industrial metals trading, said recently that they will launch a platform for trading low carbon primary aluminium made from renewable energy. This wil... read more
Sustainability schemes for aviation biofuels
The aviation industry is continuing with its efforts to become more sustainable even as it tries to adjust to a massive drop in demand caused by the pandemic. With the climate impact of flying well en... read more
Compostable packaging breaks new ground
Bioplastics have largely been written out of European Commission thinking on single use plastics and they are treated the same as conventional polymers in regulation. The waste management industry com... read more
ASI and coal-powered aluminium
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has announced a review of its system. A lot has changed since the launch of the sustainability scheme at the end of 2017, so now is the time to re-examine the Stan... read more
Gas to clean hydrogen technology could pay dividends
During the current lockdown, people living in the world’s big cities are seeing first hand how clean the air would be if they could all switch to non-polluting transport. Just as the diesel emis... read more
Cracking the low carbon code for chemicals
The importance of petrochemicals to healthcare services is being brought home to the public in daily news bulletins about shortages of testing reagents and hand sanitiser during the pandemic. Pl... read more
The expert view on sustainable plastics
At last there is an official view emerging on how plastics can contribute to a low carbon or net zero economy. It has come from a group of experts who are advising the European Commission on the rules... read more
It matters where end-of-life aluminium ends up
Everyone agrees that recycling aluminium alloys is worthwhile and necessary. Not only because it saves the huge energy expenditure necessary to produce new, primary metal, but also because alumi... read more
Bioplastics: new approaches and new certifications
The trend for sustainability certification of bioplastics picked up noticeably in 2019 and there is every indication that it will continue in 2020. And it is not just the traditional Schemes that are... read more
Has aluminium multilayer packaging passed its sell-by-date?
Single use plastic, the brands that use it and the companies that make it, all came in for a lot of criticism at the World Economic Forum. Whether it was the outrage caused by Coca Cola saying t... read more
The Green Deal and the bioeconomy
The Green Deal, the Commission’s proposal for the measures needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, was recently published. European Bioplastics has endorsed the Green Deal and claimed... read more
The plastic of the future
We can’t do without plastic, but it must be produced and managed in a sustainable way. Champions from the bioplastics and recycling industries are pushing their own solution as the best an... read more
Packaging: new solutions promote better behaviours
Consumers are demanding products with less packaging, but our habits and actions need to change to really impact on the amount of packaging used overall. The latest initiatives encourage us to invest... read more
Biofuels: when 'used' is more valuable than 'new'
Biodiesel made from used cooking oil is worth more in the market than that produced from virgin palm oil due to the structure of the European incentive scheme for sustainable biofuels. There is theref... read more
Aluminium should share climate impacts down the supply chain
The carbon intensity of aluminium traded on the LME (London Metals Exchange) should be disclosed as part of the fight against climate change according to EN+, owner of Rusal. The production of alumini... read more
Plastics recycling is not the holy grail
Chemical recycling of waste plastic has been the subject of two recent announcements. Dow is partnering with Fuenix to produce chemically recycled plastic in the Netherlands. Zerowaste Europe has said... read more
How to stop imported deforestation
Even before the terrible fires in the Amazon pushed deforestation into the news, Europe was already evaluating how it could act to preserve the world’s primary forests. The importation of palm o... read more
First off the bloc to display the ASI logo
Public awareness of sustainability schemes is key to their success and the ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative) is no exception. SIG Combibloc, a leading provider of multilayer aseptic packaging con... read more
Palm oil; the kernel of the dispute
Palm oil is causing a disagreement between the EU and producer countries in SE Asia. The European Commission has developed a scientifically based approach to limit palm oil in biofuels to that which d... read more
Home composting of packaging is bananas
Supermarkets and consumer brands are looking for new packaging ideas as we all worry about the fate of the plastic that protects our food. Waitrose, a UK supermarket, recently announced the introducti... read more
The winner takes it Al
The first company to produce and sell sustainably certified primary aluminium, Rio Tinto, has just won ‘Metals Company of the Year’ in S&P Global Platts’, Global Meta... read more
Sustainability is coming into fashion for bioplastics and fibres
Europe is increasingly focusing on the sustainability of the biomass going into renewable materials and how these products can be recycled. This is particularly evident for single use items and it is... read more
The new standard for recycled plastic
The chemical recycling technology from PureCycle and P&G has recently received a vote of confidence, as Nestlé becomes a partner for the commercialisation of their recycled polypropylene. T... read more
Aluminium cans hit the right note
Glastonbury music festival in the UK announced recently that the sale of drinks in plastic bottles will be banned this year. They are to be replaced by cans. This decision was taken at the request of... read more
Certification of low ILUC-risk palm oil
As the European Commission prepares to set criteria to define both high and low ILUC (indirect land-use change) risk biofuels by the end of the month, the debate on palm oil as a driver of deforestati... read more
The Guardian newspaper changes to biodegradable packaging
Potato fries* used to be wrapped in newspaper; now the Guardian is doing the opposite and wrapping its newspaper in a material made from potatoes. It is responding to customers who are concerned about... read more
Really George, it's ASI certified coffee capsules
The very first sustainably certified aluminium products will soon be on the market. Nespresso and Rio Tinto, are collaborating to provide a complete supply chain for coffee capsules made from aluminiu... read more
The best packaging materials for the circular economy
Single use packaging and how to recycle it has been in the news since the beginning of 2018, when China stopped accepting much of our waste. Recently the media have been dominated by images of marine... read more
Soft cap, low ILUC risk, recycled carbon: the new biofuel buzzwords
The need to decarbonise transport after the recent dire warning from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the acceleration of climate change, has provided a new impetus to the discussio... read more
The price of plastic
During the heat wave, as we picnicked on the beach, eating with disposable plastic cutlery and drinking from plastic bottles, the discussion about increasing our appetite for recycling plastic continu... read more
Transport fuel from municipal waste moves into the fast lane
Recent announcements show how industry is gearing up to turn our waste into liquid fuel. We know that an economically attractive use must be found for waste that is not currently recycled, to prevent... read more
Chain of Custody certification is 25 years old
If a performance standard is at the heart of a sustainability scheme then the chain of custody standard is the circulatory system which brings the sustainable supply chain to life. Twenty-five years a... read more
Marine litter proposals: the takeaway
In Europe we leave too many of our plastic food containers, drinks bottles and straws on the beach. They pollute the sea, break down into damaging micro-plastics and harm marine life. The EU has acted... read more
The price of everything and the value of nothing*: Is it cynical to attack sustainability schemes?
Leading commodity sustainability schemes have come under attack recently from NGOs. They risk playing into the hands of those who want goods to be traded solely on the basis of price, with no value gi... read more
Deforestation: seeing the wood for the trees
Protecting the world’s forests is back under the spotlight again. Greenpeace has announced that they will be dropping their membership of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), which is bad news for... read more
Five years of environmental progress for European primary aluminium
The European Aluminium Association has published its five yearly assessment of the environmental performance of the aluminium industry. The progress made in Europe is not matched by imported aluminium... read more
Biofuels Sustainability Schemes update
After eight years of sustainability certification, ISCC, the market leading EU approved Voluntary Scheme, dominates certification of biofuels refineries, traders, and storage. ISCC has not recognised... read more
Going Dutch on waste
It is ironic that a week after Europe’s first commercial scale municipal waste to chemicals and biofuels plant was announced, the EU decides on ambitious targets to recycle waste plastics, texti... read more
EU Plastics Strategy unwrapped
It is exactly sixty years since the toy hula-hoop, the first mass market application for modern polyethylene, helped to ignite the demand for plastics made from oil. It was affordable, accessible and... read more
Melanie Williams announced as ASI Registered Specialist
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) has published a list of Registered Specialists to coincide with the launch of its certification scheme for sustainable aluminium production. ASI indicates, &... read more
Sustainable aluminium finishes 2017 on a high
A fourth primary aluminium producer announced low carbon products at the end of 2017. Norsk Hydro launched Hydro 4.0 primary aluminium with guaranteed maximum carbon emissions of 4.0kg CO2 per kg of a... read more
Circular Economy: a Christmas present for bioplastics or a bit of a turkey?
2017 has been the year when the momentum for measures to make plastic production more circular seems unstoppable. The UN recently passed a resolution to stop plastic waste entering the oceans and Euro... read more
Sustainability Schemes should work together
The RTRS (Roundtable on Responsible Soy) EU sustainability scheme for soy oil derived biofuels has been re-approved, which is good news. However there was a period of over a year when the approv... read more
Recycled plastic: a fairy tale that needs to come true
Once upon a time plastic was a miracle packaging material; strong, light, cheap and with good barrier properties. Last month, as more photos of waste plastic polluting the ocean were circulating on so... read more
A better future for biofuels without palm oil?
Palm oil’s days as a source of biodiesel in Europe appear to be numbered. The ENVI committee of the European Parliament voted recently to ban palm oil for biodiesel from 2021. Political opinion... read more
Natural cosmetics come in sweet packages
Bioplastics received another boost recently as Buhbli Organics chose Braskem plastic, made from sugarcane, as the package for its Himalayan Bath Salts. The product will be available in over a 1000 Wal... read more
Will aviation biofuel take-off in the UK?
The UK government recently published its new biofuels policy. Four days later British Airways announced a partnership with Velocys to produce aviation biofuel from household waste in the UK. The... read more
Low carbon aluminium gets motoring
The recent declarations on the end of new petrol and diesel cars from the French and the UK governments heralds the era of the electric car. The date has been set for 2040, which means that carmaker... read more
Sustainability schemes: better safe than sorry
The recognition of some Voluntary Sustainability Schemes for verifying compliance of biofuels with the Renewable Energy Directive is due to expire this summer. The lesson from the Schemes which were i... read more
Decarbonising liquid fuels and chemicals
In its Statistical Review of World Energy, published recently, BP describes how almost 40% of the growth in global power generation in 2016 has come from renewables. Denmark leads, with 59% of power c... read more
Sustainable aluminium: What else?
This Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) has now started to pilot its assurance platform ahead of launching the certification scheme.
The founder members of ASI first set out their aspirations in... read more
Banking on deforestation-free palm oil
The Bank of England’s dilemma about the feedstock for the oleochemical used in the production of its new £5 plastic notes highlights a paradox implicit in the circular economy ideal. Waste... read more
Biomethanol v bioethanol for 2nd generation biofuels
“The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it”
A recently published study on growing methanol use in China highlights the truth of this Chin... read more
Biofuels post 2020 - latest views from the coalface
The annual ISCC meeting in Brussels is turning into a go-to event for players in the bioeconomy. This year the theme was ‘Implementation of the Paris COP 21 Agreement – Decarbonization and... read more
Waste packaging –a sea change for bioplastic?
The European Union and public opinion are set to change radically the plastics industry, by requiring waste plastic collection and recycling. But will this be good or bad for the emerging biopla... read more
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Aluminium: recycled, recyclable, renewable, sustainable
The past two years has seen a flurry of announcements of new brands associated with different types of recycled and ‘renewable’ primary aluminium. Added to this, the ASI (Aluminium Steward... read more
Should the ASI allow a market credits system?
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative will launch a sustainability scheme in 2017. The aim is to get sustainable aluminium into the market place as soon as possible after this. A market credits s... read more
Biobased% - a new certification for bioplastics
The total bio-based content of bioplastics and other renewable materials can now be certified, providing a key differentiator in the market. The new certification encompasses all the elements derived... read more
Renewable Energy Directive post 2020: will it help advanced biofuels?
The proposed new RED continues the re-orientation of biofuels strategy towards advanced biofuels made from waste and away from crop derived biofuels. But how much will the new RED, as currently worded... read more
Sustainable Aluminium moves closer to the market
The ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative) has just published its most practical Chain of Custody Standard yet.
Aluminium has an excellent future in the Circular Economy, as it is infinitely re... read more
EU Biofuels Sustainability Schemes expire
Recognition of the first seven Voluntary Sustainability Schemes for verifying compliance with the Renewable Energy Directive had to be renewed by the 9th August this year to avoid expiry.
Three of th... read more
Who will make drop-in bioplastics in Europe?
Neste and IKEA recently announced a partnership to ‘deliver renewable, bio-based plastics’, which must be taken very seriously, as they are world leaders in biofuels and consumer goods res... read more
Which are the most sustainable biofuels?
Advanced biofuels are in the news as the EU considers the role of biofuels in transport post 2020. The Commission recently published ‘A European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility’ 1, whic... read more
Tracing aluminium through the supply chain
A number of companies sourcing commodities, including aluminium, are implementing sustainable purchasing practices, partially as a response to customers and international brands who want to be su... read more
Biofuels Sustainability Schemes: reassessment time
Sustainability Schemes were first approved five years ago and they are now being reassessed for the next five years. What will happen to sustainability certification into the future?
In August 2011,... read more
Building recognition for sustainable aluminium
Some producers are making big efforts to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of their primary aluminium. The lightweighting and infinite recyclability of aluminium, which are key to i... read more
Putting in the energy to recycle carbon dioxide
It’s holiday time. Exactly twenty-seven years ago, colleagues and I filed a patent , covering the production of formic acid from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Formic acid is principally used as a... read more
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