Drinking straws, plastic bags, cotton swabs and plastic dinnerware are soon to disappear from everyday life, and this throughout Europe. In November 2018, the EU Parliament had already given the green light for a ban on disposable plastics, which is to come into force in 2021. The German government has also initiated a turnaround towards less plastic and more recycling.

Prolupin GmbH and PeelPioneers B.V. are the first two companies to benefit from the "European Circular Bioeconomy Fund" (ECBF). The ECBF is the first venture fund exclusively dedicated to the bioeconomy, especially the circular bioeconomy, in Europe. Just recently, four investors contributed 82 million euros to the first round of financing, enabling Prolupin and PeelPioneers to support their growth phase.

Biologization and digitization are well-known drivers for the change towards a bio-based and sustainable economy. The High-Tech Forum has now analyzed the innovation potential of the so-called bio-IT.

Forests are essential for the survival of humans and nature. They are habitats for many plants and animals, CO2 and water reservoirs and oxygen producers, but also a place of recreation and a source of raw materials. But the ecosystem has changed. Using satellite data, researchers from the University of Munich and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna have for the first time produced a map that shows how European forests have changed over the past 30 years.

Objects made of plastics last extremely long. The obvious advantage of longevity is also a problem, as the material, which consists of fossil raw materials, has been proven to pollute the environment. The problem is microplastic particles, which are created by decomposition and can travel long distances. They are now found everywhere - in the soil, groundwater, sea and the food chain. Recycling plastics and returning the material back into the cycle is an alternative way to get the plastic problem under control without wasting the material.

About 75 million people in Europe follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, and, as flexitarians, even more reduce their meat consumption and are specifically looking for plant-based alternatives. However, little is known about this group of consumers, nor about their need for information on plant-based foods. A communication project coordinated by the University of Stuttgart wants to close this gap. There is no publication on the subject yet, but first results are already available and should soon be available as a white paper.

Considered high in protein and low in fat, they could be an important food raw material of the future: insects. For a long time, however, crickets, mealworms and the like were reserved for animals as animal feed. With the new Novel Food Regulation, the EU has cleared the ground for insects as food in 2018. Start-ups in particular have discovered this niche for themselves and are moving forward with novel creations such as insect burgers or fitness bars. With Native Food GmbH another start-up is now ready to enrich the market with insect food.

For seed banks, seed breeders, but also for farmers, it is essential to know whether certain seeds can still germinate. Millions of germination tests are therefore carried out every year. Depending on the method used, the seeds are used, and the results can take weeks. A spin-off of the University of Osnabrück has now presented a new test procedure that provides a result after only four hours without damaging the seed.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has relaunched the Research Framework Program "Research for Sustainability" (FONA), which has been running since 2005. It focuses on the 17 global sustainability goals of the United Nations.