42% of Europe's land area is covered by forests. However, many forests, especially woodlands, are not in good condition, and climate change is exacerbating existing problems. Yet forests, as CO2 sinks, are important allies in the fight against the climate crisis. The interdisciplinary research project ONEforest is therefore developing management concepts for the most important European forest types that meet the challenges of climate change.
With the Green Talents competition, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has been promoting the exchange of innovative green ideas and the emergence of international collaborations since 2009 - because the challenges of the future can only be met together. Under the patronage of Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the competition has now entered a new round. Young researchers can apply to the Green Talents - International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development 2022 with their ideas for a sustainable future.
Bioethanol is a bio-based alternative to petroleum-based fuels or fuel blends. A European research network with the participation of the University of Hohenheim has developed an experimental project whose process is even supposed to be more climate-friendly than merely climate-neutral. The focus is on the giant grass Miscanthus × gigantheus and the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Apples are healthy and yet people with an apple allergy have to avoid them because of unpleasant symptoms. Various allergenic ingredients cause a burning sensation in the mouth and throat when biting into an apple, make the tongue and lips swell or cause numbness. The good news is that in just a few years there could be apples in the supermarket that allergic people can enjoy without any problems.
Finding plastic alternatives that are environmentally, practically and economically viable is arguably one of the biggest challenges today - and a way now seems to have been found: a robust material has been developed with the same properties as conventional plastics, but with natural degradability in as little as 2 and 9 weeks, depending on the conditions and thickness of the plastic.
Natural cosmetics are in vogue. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, sales in Germany have risen steadily since 2007, roughly doubling to around 1.46 billion euros by 2020. The trend toward sustainability is driving companies to expand their portfolio of sustainable products - and so is BASF. The relevant division of the Ludwigshafen-based chemical group has added a biosurfactant to its product range, as the company announced in a press release at the end of March.
With the first sunny days, the gardening season has begun for many. This includes growing herbs and vegetables in plant pots - but these are usually made of plastic and often end up in the trash after repotting. A research team led by Norbert Weber from the Technical University of Dresden has set itself the goal of avoiding these mountains of waste from plastic pots when gardening. As part of the EU project Dendromass4Europe, innovative products are to be created from the wood and bark of the poplar - including biobased and biodegradable plant pots.
Chitin is the second most common polysaccharide on earth after cellulose and a major component of the shell of many insects such as beetles and flies. The biopolymer is often used as a starting material for the technical production of chitosan, which in turn is used to manufacture fibers, foams or films. Because of its structuring and biocompatible properties, however, it is of particular interest for medical products - for example, for replicating organs or as a carrier material for drugs.
Consumers' desire for environmentally friendly products is increasingly prompting companies to put the issue of sustainability on the agenda. This also includes the challenge of producing less plastic waste. Alternatives to plastic packaging do exist. Recycled paper fibers, for example, are the basic material from which the Cologne-based start-up PAPACKS offers a wide variety of packaging solutions. The range extends from egg boxes and cream jars to inlays and cardboard packaging for industry.
Blueberries are in demand: their acreage has more than doubled in recent years to over 3,000 hectares. However, as with many perennial plants, insect pests are causing difficulties for fruit growers. The cherry vinegar fly, for example, lays its eggs in the berries, rendering the fruit unusable for trade. And the larvae of the chokecherry weevil and white grubs eat the blueberry roots, causing the plants to suffer or even die. The HOPE collaborative research project aims to develop sustainable, non-chemical solutions to both problems.