Podcast Episodes
Stay informed and listen to the full episodes of the bioCircular Loop podcast.
Episode #12
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.
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#chocolate #foodtech #italy #cocoa #sustainability #carob #wastevalorization
Episode #11
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.
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#waste #valorization #lignin #bioplastics #wood #circulareconomy #netzero #Sweden
Episode #10
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.
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#waste #valorisation #tomato #bioresin #packaging #food #italy
Episode #9
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.
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#textile #recycling #SmartUp #EPR #fashion #fibers #packaging #cosmetics
Episode #8
In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, we discussed the pressing issue of plastic waste and recycling with Christian Sigmund, CEO of WildPlastic. We explored 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.
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#recycling #plastic #polyethylene #wildplastic #waste #socialimpact #perception
Episode #7
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.
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#waste #valorization #AI #data-driven #scaling #biomass #supply #availability
Episode #6
Episode #6 discusses fungi-based alternative proteins and the use of innovative raw material sources to soy. 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. We also discuss Enifer’s journey of scaling production, their target markets, and the advantages of their mycoproteins compared to soy or meat-based proteins. 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.
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#waste #valorization #protein #food #fungi #mycoproteins #soyalternative #sustainability #impact
Episode #5
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 Healthcare 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.
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#CO2 #algae #bioplastic #biobased #partnership #circular #chemicals #plastics #collaboration
Episode #4
Carbios is a French biotech company that has developed enzymatic processes to recycle plastic, particularly PET. They have engineered enzymes specifically for PET and other types of plastic, allowing them to break down the polymers into monomers that can be used to produce new high-quality plastics. Their business model is based on licensing their technology to make it accessible in many countries. Their customers come from various industries, including cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, automotive and textiles. Carbios technology enables the recycling of waste PET (polyester) that is currently being sent to landfills or incinerated. Traceability along the value chain is ensured through the short loop of Carbios' technology, which allows for a chain of custody. Overall, Carbios' technology has a significant environmental and sustainability impact by enabling the recycling of non-recyclable waste, reducing reliance on oil-based plastics, and cutting down CO2 emissions.
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#textile #recycling #PET #polyester #enzymes #France #traceability #custodychain #ecosystem
Episode #3
Episode #3 dives into Chaincraft, a Dutch startup that manufactures fatty acids from local food waste like potato peels, specifically pre-consumer plant-based organic residues. They use a two-step fermentation process to convert food waste into medium chain fatty acids, which is more sustainable with a lower carbon footprint than traditional palm oil-based fatty acids. The company currently operates a demo plant in Amsterdam and is planning to build a larger flagship factory in the Netherlands. Their products have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to industry standards and offer a stable and local supply of sustainable chemicals. Chaincraft's customers include the animal nutrition industry, fragrance and flavors, home and personal care, and the lubricants market. In the episode the Commercial Manager, Jeroen van Dorp, dives into the downstream challenges and experiences of building a new market for circular fatty acids.
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#waste #valorization #circular #oleochemicals #fattyacids #potatopeels #foodwaste
Episode #2
Episode #2 explores the importance of nutrient recovery, specifically the recovery of phosphorus, from wastewater and waste sludge. The depletion of phosphorus reserves and the overuse of fertilizers have led to environmental pollution like eutrophication and biodiversity loss. Rag'n'Sells, a recycling company, has diversified to become a future material producer, focusing on phosphorus recovery. Their technology, called Ash2Phos, extracts phosphorus and other valuable materials from sewage sludge and other waste streams. Pär Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer at Rag'n'Sells shares insights into the Havbruk project, where waste from Norwegian fish farms is turned into biogas and nutrients are recovered. The recovered phosphorus can be used as a feed phosphate or in organic farming. However, regulatory challenges and the need for partnerships and infrastructure pose obstacles to scaling up the technology. Moving towards a bio-circular economy and transforming wastewater treatment plants into resource plants is crucial for sustainable food production and environmental protection.
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#waste #management #recyclinng #phosphorus #sludge #fishfarms #recover #fertilizers #eutrophication
Episode #1
The first episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast introduces the concept of circular bioeconomy and its importance in addressing global challenges. The circular bioeconomy involves shifting towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy, where externalities like pollution become the responsibility of companies. It aims to create value from waste and challenges the linear value chains that dominate the current system. The podcast explores the people, companies, organizations, technologies, and countries driving this transformation. The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) is highlighted as the first venture capital fund dedicated to investing in bio-based and circular startups. The conversation explores the use of waste as a feedstock in the bioeconomy and the challenges of cost and production. It also discusses the regulatory and policy framework in Europe and the support available for startups in the industry. The conversation concludes with the expectation of continued growth in the bioeconomy driven by regulatory push, consumer demand, and the sustainability policies of companies.
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#circular #economy #bioeconomy #intro #wastevalorization #venture #capital #fund #circularity #innovation
Intro Episode
The Biocircular Loop podcast aims to educate and inform listeners about the circular bioeconomy in Europe. It highlights the innovations and businesses driving the growth of a circular economy powered by renewable biomass and recycled materials. The podcast explores the goal of moving away from linear systems and towards a circular system that considers the whole life cycle of a product. The host, Melina Gerdts, is a market researcher and strategy consultant who works with companies developing circular innovations. The podcast aims to educate, inform, and inspire listeners to rethink their own work and business models.
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