According to the German Environmental Aid Association, the construction sector accounts for 40% of total raw material consumption and 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany, making it a major contributor to global warming. With 3D printing technology and bio-based materials, Willowprint aims to make the construction industry more sustainable – using willow paste.
Traditionally produced leather is associated with significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, high emissions and pollution. Conventional synthetic leather is also criticised: it often contains plastics or is tanned using harmful chemicals, which can have negative effects on the environment and health. As a result, demand for leather alternatives is steadily increasing. In the FABULOSE project, eleven European partners are developing new scalable and bio-based production routes for animal-free leather alternatives.
The hull area of large container ships can be over 30,000 square meters, on which a variety of organisms such as algae, mussels and barnacles settle. On the one hand, this increases the flow resistance and therefore fuel consumption, and on the other hand, sensitive marine ecosystems are endangered by introduced species.
Meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables are often packaged in plastic materials in supermarkets. This means they are in a protective gas atmosphere in which germs have difficulty multiplying and the food lasts longer. In order to maintain this atmosphere for a long time, the packaging materials need gas barriers - which bio-based plastics do not yet have. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) and the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences have therefore been working on this in the joint project PLA4MAP.
The manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotech products is usually associated with high material consumption. For this reason, the Giessen-based start-up Green Elephant Biotech has developed recyclable cell culture vessels. These not only reduce the carbon footprint by up to 90% compared to conventional disposable items, but also improve the growth conditions of the cells. This solution is now being further developed in a strategic partnership with the family-owned company Bürkert Fluid Control Systems.
Wood is a sought-after raw material. However, the bark of the tree has so far received little attention and is usually disposed of as waste. In her doctoral thesis, Charlett Wenig therefore analysed the potential of bark from various tree species in more detail. She is convinced that bark is more than just waste and could be used as a biomaterial in both the construction and textile industries.
The textile industry is facing the challenge of becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly. At the same time, the demand for functional textiles is growing, but their production often involves the use of harmful chemicals. These not only harm the environment and health, but also make recycling more difficult.
Nature offers numerous models that bionics can transform into innovative products. A current and fascinating example of this is the collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg, who have developed a self-adapting shading system modelled on pine cones. Their solution is not only bio-inspired, but also bio-based: The system consists entirely of cellulose fibres - an abundant and renewable material. The key feature is that it is completely energy self-sufficient.
Waste, chemicals, noise and vibration - shipping pollutes and changes the water and its habitats. The river banks are also affected. A biodegradable filter made from renewable raw materials is now set to change this: Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, a team in the joint research project ‘Bioshoreline’ has developed a geotextile as a temporary filter for bank stabilisation. It consists of polymer and natural fibres and, according to the researchers, will biodegrade sequentially.