This episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast provides an in-depth exploration of the circular bioeconomy in Europe, featuring insights from Marco Rupp, Deputy Executive Director of the Bio-Based Industry Consortium (BIC). The discussion covers the evolution of the bioeconomy over the past decade, the role of innovation and funding, and the strategic importance of bio-based industries in addressing sustainability and climate change. Key themes include the challenges of biomass availability, the need for market creation, and the future outlook for bio-based industries in Europe amidst global geopolitical changes and growing demand for critical raw materials. 

Useful links:

• EU Bioeconomy strategy: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/environment/bioeconomy/bioeconomy-strategy_en
• B.I.C. https://biconsortium.eu/
• Bio-based Industries Consortium Annual Report 2024: https://biconsortium.eu/publication/bic-annual-report-2024
• Circular Bio-based Europe Joined Undertaking: https://www.cbe.europa.eu/
• Is there enough biomass to defossilize the chemicals and derived materials sector by 2050? https://biconsortium.eu/publication/there-enough-biomass-defossilise-chemicals-and-derived-materials-sector-2050

In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, Melina Gerdts discusses the challenges of food packaging, particularly in preserving fruits and vegetables while reducing plastic waste. She interviews Arash Fayyazi, co-founder of Savage, a Swedish startup focused on innovative, plant-based packaging solutions. They explore the importance of sustainable food packaging, the technology behind Savagie's products, and the collaboration with industry partners to tackle food waste effectively. In this conversation, Arash discusses the innovative food packaging solutions developed by Savaggy, focusing on sustainability, consumer acceptance, and the challenges faced in product development and regulatory compliance. The dialogue highlights the importance of transparency in addressing consumer concerns about food safety and environmental impact, as well as the positive reception from the industry towards sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging.

In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, we discuss the challenges facing the cocoa industry and the innovative solutions being developed to create sustainable chocolate alternatives. The conversation features Massimo Sabatini, CEO of Foreverland, who shares insights into the cocoa supply chain, the impact of climate change, and the development of a new cocoa-free chocolate alternative made from carob. The discussion highlights the importance of taste, sustainability, and the challenges of scaling production in the food tech industry. Massimo Sabatini discusses the innovative approach of Foreverland in creating an alternative to chocolate using carob, known as Choruba. He elaborates on the challenges of scaling production, the importance of collaboration with cocoa producers, and the need to build a new ecosystem around this alternative chocolate. The conversation also touches on sourcing carob from the Mediterranean, regulatory challenges, consumer perceptions, and the nutritional benefits of Choruba.

Useful Links

• Foreverland: https://foreverland.it/
• About the Choruba innovation: https://foreverland.it/pages/innovation
• Rising cocoa prices: will the chocolate crisis continue in 2025? An article by J. P. Morgan

This episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast discusses the innovative use of lignin, a byproduct of wood processing, to create bioplastics. The conversation explores the environmental impact of traditional plastics, the potential of lignin in sustainable materials, and the business model of Lignin Industries, a Swedish startup focused on turning lignin into bioplastics. Fredrik Malmfors, CEO of Lignin Industries, shares insights on the company's journey, the importance of circular economy, and the challenges and opportunities in engaging with brand owners in the plastics industry. In this conversation, Fredrik Malmfors discusses the innovative solutions offered by Lignin Industries, focusing on the use of lignin as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics. He highlights the importance of cost competitiveness, recyclability, and real-world applications, such as E-commerce bags, while addressing the challenges faced in the biocircular economy. The discussion also touches on regional differences in market readiness and the dynamics between fossil fuel industries and bioplastics.

Useful links 

• Lignin Industries: https://www.lignin.se/ourinnovation
• Transforming lignin into renewable fuels, chemicals and materials: a review
• Biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics
• Lignin - a sustainable alternative to fossil-derived raw materials

Tommaso Barbieri shares the story of Tomapaint, a startup focused on creating bio-resins from byproducts and waste from the Italian tomato processing industry. He discusses the innovative technology behind their product, bio-based cutin, and its applications in various industries, including food packaging and cosmetics. The conversation also explores Tomapaint's integration within the Italian tomato industry, their partnerships, and the family dynamics of the founding team. Tommaso highlights the scalability of their process, funding strategies, market demand for sustainable solutions, and the impact of EU regulations on their business. He concludes with insights on future innovations and the environmental impact of their technology compared to fossil-based alternatives.

Useful links

• Tomapaint: https://www.tomapaint.com/
• How the cutin is extracted: https://www.tomapaint.com/what-we-do/productive-process/ 
• Food waste and bioeconomy: opportunity for Italian tomato industry: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652619312594 
• Circular economy and tomatoes: https://www.tomatonews.com/en/circular-economy-the-tomato-sector-values-by-products_2_1501.html

In this episode of the BioCircular Loop podcast, Melina Gerdts interviews Viktoria Kanar, CEO of Refresh Global, a startup focused on innovative textile recycling. They discuss the challenges of textile waste management, the impact of fast fashion, and the upcoming EU Waste Framework Directive. Viktoria shares the founding story of Refresh Global, the technology behind their SmartUp system, and the potential applications of their recycled materials. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration in achieving a circular economy and the need for regulatory changes to drive sustainable practices in the fashion industry.

Useful links: 

- https://re-fresh.global

- Fast fashion effects on the environment: https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

- Sustainable fashion inn the EU: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy/reset-trend/how-eu-making-fashion-sustainable_en

- EPR Regulation across EU countries: https://deutsche-recycling.com/blog/comparing-epr-regulations-europe/ 

In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, Melina Gerdts discusses the pressing issue of plastic waste and recycling with Christian Sigmund, CEO of WildPlastic. They explore the current state of plastic recycling, the system innovation approach WildPlastic is taking to collect and repurpose plastic waste found in the environment around the world, and the importance of changing consumer perception. The conversation also delves into the social impact of their work, the challenges of scaling their operations, and the future of sustainable plastic solutions.

• Only 9% of plastic is recycled globally, highlighting the urgent need for better recycling systems.
• Wild Plastic aims to recover plastic waste from the environment and give it a second life.
• The company collaborates with informal waste collection organizations in highly polluted regions.
• Quality control is crucial in ensuring the recycled plastic meets industry standards.
• There is a growing demand for recycled plastics as companies seek sustainable solutions.
• Wild Plastic's approach includes a social mission to improve working conditions for local collectors.
• The narrative around plastic waste needs to shift from villain to valuable resource.
• Life cycle assessments show significant CO2 savings when using recycled materials.
• The company is focused on creating a fair trade model for recycled plastics.
• Innovations in product development are key to expanding the use of wild plastic in various applications.

• https://wildplastic.com
• https://wildplastic.com/en/blogs/stories/plastic-vs-paper-wildplastic®-im-test-in-der-otto-verpackungsstudie 
• https://plasticseurope.org/sustainability/circularity/recycling/

In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, Melina Gerdts discusses waste valorization and the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing these processes with John Goriup, CEO of VCG.AI. They explore how AI can optimize waste management, predict waste flows, and create sustainable business models. The conversation delves into the challenges of scaling waste valorization, the importance of data-driven approaches, and the various industries that can benefit from these innovations. In this conversation, Jon from VCG.AI discusses the transition to sustainable industries, focusing on biomass availability in Europe, the role of AI in the bio circular economy, and how they support companies in securing feedstock. He emphasizes the importance of building ecosystems around waste streams and the impact of their work on reducing CO2 emissions. The discussion also touches on the future of the circular economy and the necessity of virgin materials in a growing economy.

Useful Links

https://vcg.ai/

https://vcg.ai/portfolio/developing-value-chains-in-6-eu-regions/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/waste-valorization

Takeaways

• Waste valorization transforms waste into valuable resources.
• AI plays a crucial role in optimizing waste management processes.
• Predictive analytics can enhance decision-making in waste management.
• The circular economy requires collaboration across sectors.
• The future of waste valorization lies in innovative data solutions.
• The transition to sustainable industries requires smart utilization of resources.
• Building ecosystems around waste streams is crucial for valorization.
• AI can play a pivotal role in the bio circular economy.
• The future of the circular economy will still involve some virgin materials.
• Maximizing the value of byproducts can significantly reduce emissions.
• VCG.AI aims to valorize 100 million tons of byproducts by 2030.
• Understanding local connections is key to successful valorization.

In this episode, the bioCircular Loop podcast discusses fungi-based alternative proteins and the use of innovative raw material sources to soy. The guest, Simo Ellilä, CEO and co-founder of Enifer, a biotech startup in Finland, shares insights on their process of fermenting side streams to produce sustainable protein ingredients. The conversation covers the benefits of plant-based proteins, the environmental and ethical concerns of animal agriculture, and the challenges of soy dependency in Europe. They also discuss Enifer’s journey of scaling production, their target markets, and the advantages of their mycoproteins compared to soy or meat-based proteins. Enifer is a company that produces sustainable and high-quality protein ingredients from fungi. They have faced challenges in fundraising due to the adverse funding climate and the need to demonstrate a shorter-term vision for generating revenue. They have a strong intellectual property portfolio and valuable know-how from the old process. Building new markets and convincing B2B clients to change their recipes are ongoing challenges. Sustainability is important but not always a top priority for consumers and companies. Enifer compares favorably to soy-based alternatives in terms of carbon emissions and land use. Measuring impact is complex, but Enifer uses economic allocation to account for the environmental emissions of their side streams. Enifer’s protein can offer up to 70% CO2 emission savings compared to Brazilian soy.

Episode #5 explores the chemicals and plastics value chains and a technology that uses CO2 as a renewable resource for circular chemicals production. A key discussion topic is the importance of partnerships in driving circular transformations and the need for collaboration across value chains. The conversation delves into the technology developed by Photanol, a Dutch startup, which uses CO2, sunlight, water, and bacteria to convert carbon into renewable chemicals. Renolit and Photanol are partnering to develop a technology that converts CO2 into renewable chemicals for plastics and other products. The collaboration aims to transition the chemical industry away from fossil fuels and towards a more sustainable and circular economy. The technology uses CO2 and sunlight as inputs and has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. The first commercial facility is expected to have an impact equivalent to the annual emissions of 10,000 passenger cars or 10,000 round trips between New York and London.