Biomass

Asahi Kasei has successfully completed a demonstration trial of an innovative biogas purification system using zeolites in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Begun in February 2025, the trial achieved biomethane production with yield of up to 99.5% or more and purity of 97% or more.

Municipal Waste Europe (MWE), the European Compost Network (ECN) and the European Biogas Association (EBA) have published a joint position paper calling for biowaste to be formally recognised as a strategic resource in the upcoming revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy — a crucial step to strengthen Europe’s resource independence and competitiveness while delivering climate and soil benefits.

The main goal of the CBE – JU funded PROMOFER project is to improve the efficiency in the fermentation process production of two of the most commercialized biobased compounds: PHBV and 2,3- BDO. PROMOFER will demonstrate fermentation technologies to facilitate the large-scale deployment of industrial bio-based systems (PHBV and 2,3-BDO).

In the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, the Verein für Abfallentsorgung (VfA for short) and Terre Suisse process green waste from the surrounding region to create high-quality fresh compost and potting soil. In the municipality of Buchs, the VfA shreds and mixes organic waste and places it on compost heaps.

The plant gathers manure from surrounding farms for energy production. In addition to biogas, the plant produces recycled fertilizers that circulate back to local food production.

While prevention measures are gaining momentum, more effective efforts at national level are needed to tackle the huge problem of food waste, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report. The assessment gives an update on waste prevention measures across the EU. Preventing food waste is both urgent and necessary, given the high impacts of food waste on climate change, but also to protect biodiversity, reduce pollution and enhance food security, it says.

For two days, Aimplas organised and hosted the second edition of the International Seminar on Biotechnology Applied to the Plastics Sector in Valencia, bringing together one hundred international specialists in biotechnology and sustainability. A panel of twenty speakers presented the innovations being developed by their organisations and addressed the main challenges facing the sector, as well as its contributions to society and the economy.

In February 2025, Weltec Biopower has successfully completed the commissioning and handover of a dairy RNG (Renewable Natural Gas / biomethane) plant in Barron County, Wisconsin. After just four months of construction, the dairy farm produces 2.36 million standard cubic meters of RNG/biometha¬ne annually (86,600 MMBTU per year).

RAW Materials is a company focused on addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time: rice paddy stubble burning.

Buildings are responsible for about 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in Europe.

Veolia, working in partnership with Starbucks, has launched a new trial using worms to recycle coffee grounds and turn them into fertiliser, returning valuable resources to the food chain.