NNFCC Ltd. articles

Top 10 - NNFCC`s biobased Christmas Wishlist

In such uncertain times, it’s always good to know that some things never change. So as per tradition, here is the new NNFCC biobased Christmas Wishlist for 2020! We’ve drawn out our top 10 of the biobased products that we wouldn’t mind seeing under the tree this year. 

BiOBUDDi baby toys

Get them started early! Even our little ones can participate in mak

Despite a slow start to the year, the future for AD looks promising.

By 2050, it is expected that the UK will have reached net-zero carbon emissions. Since the introduction of the Climate Change Act, the UK has made considerable progress towards emission reduction, and a lot of this progress has come from the decarbonisation of the electricity we use. In order to reach net-zero, the scope for decarbonisation will have to expand, in particular in the heat sector.

As a result of recent legislative developments regarding plastic waste management, the importance of clear definitions of plastic becomes apparent.

As a result of recent legislative developments regarding plastic waste management, the importance of clear definitions of plastic becomes apparent. The word plastic is used to describe a wide range of materials, but the materials that this includes and excludes can vary significantly. Without apropriate definitions for plastic

For every kilogram of “usable” crop produced in agriculture, between 1 and 2.5 kilograms of residue is also produced. Of course, some of this residue must remain in the field or be used elsewhere on the farm in order to maintain a healthy ecosystem, but that which isn’t used thus is an unavoidable waste.

Minimising waste is one of the central tenets of sustainability: the waste hierarchy dictates that if waste cannot be prevented, then the next best option is to in s

How does synthetic biology technology lead to the production of novel biobased chemicals?

The ShikiFactory100 project aims to produce a collection of over 100 high-value compounds from the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway widely used by organisms in nature (e.g. bacteria, fungi and plants) to synthesise the aromatic amino acids (AAAs) phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr).

One of the bioeconomy’s greatest opportunities lies in provision of renewable heat, specifically from the injection of biomethane from anaerobic digestion (AD) into the gas grid. This­ provides a consistent and reliable source of renewable heat for both domestic and non-domestic purposes by decarbonising the gas grid, lowering the carbon emissions profile compared to natural gas.

However natural gas remains significantly cheaper than biogas, meaning a switch to biobased heat

Decarbonisation doesn’t just come from paring back industrial activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. In recent years there has been a significant increase in the scrutiny applied to agriculture, as more and more research shows that this sector is responsible for significant carbon emissions.

However, reducing emissions is of little use if people can no longer be fed, and so much innovation has been directed at making agriculture more efficient and less carbon intensive.

Stäger commissioned a report from NNFCC to assess suitability of biobased and recycled polymers.

There are many reasons why, over the last 60 years, plastic has increasingly replaced other materials such as glass and metal. Plastics are cheap and easily processed, allowing large amounts of design freedom including shape and colour. They are low in weight, but high in strength, making lifting and transporting easy while providing a hygienic and safe method of pack

The anaerobic digestion (AD) industry is growing rapidly. In the UK there are over 215 anaerobic digesters in operation and more than 100 in planning.

Understanding how a market will develop is crucial to any successful venture. A client came to us looking to improve their understanding of the current status and future potential of the AD market in the UK and Ireland.

In order to progress through the proof of concept stages for a small-scale AD technology solution, the c

To help demonstrate the opportunities for growing energy crops and using farm residues in anaerobic digestion, we ran a series of training days for farmers.

The events sought to address the technical challenges facing growers and the development of the sector, while providing a network for communication between members of the supply chain.

Approach

Working on behalf of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, we organised a programme of