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Covestro is committed to sustainable solutions in agriculture and has developed specialized solar dryers made of polycarbonate to support coffee farmers in Ethiopia during the harvest. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and aims to assist people in disadvantaged regions worldwide with simple yet effective technologies. Coffee is one of Ethiopia’s most important trade commodities and provides a livelihood for many smallholder farmers. However, changing climate conditions—such as rising temperatures and irregular rainfall—are significantly impacting coffee cultivation. Yields are decreasing, and plants are becoming more susceptible to diseases. This is where the Covestro and GIZ project comes in, working to make coffee production more efficient and resilient. To achieve this, Covestro has supported to develop solar dryers—parabolic structures that function like greenhouses but offer better control ...

A new era for sustainable coffee begins with KEYGEA, the innovative compostable single-serve pod born from the synergy between FLO Group, a leading European player in the vending and food packaging sector, and NatureWorks, the world’s largest producer of PLA-based biopolymers. Designed to meet the growing demand for renewable solutions in the North American market, KEYGEA combines sustainability and outstanding performance, ensuring flawless coffee extraction without compromise on quality. Made with Ingeo™ PLA, a biopolymer derived from renewable resources, KEYGEA is a sustainable innovation for the future of coffee and a true revolution in the pod industry. It’s certified industrially compostable by BPI and DIN CERTCO - allowing the ability to return coffee grounds to the earth as valuable natural nutrients. Compostable coffee pods are a concrete step toward more responsible consumption and a future with less waste. FLO’s innovation team has developed a pod that optimizes wat...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Hermann Emil Fischer-Nobel prize 1902 Emil Hermann Fischer, more commonly known as Emil Fischer, was an eminent German organic chemist. He received the 1902 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his influential research regarding purines and sugars. Fischer followed Baeyer to Munich in 1875 as an assistant, becoming a Privatdozent (unpaid lecturer) in 1878, and an assistant professor in 1879. During his time in Munich Fischer continued his research on hydrazines. Together with his cousin Otto, Fisher demonstrated that rosaniline and related dyes were derivatives of triphenylmethane. Three years later, having now a reputation as an excellent organic chemist, Fischer accepted the position of Professor and Director of the Chemistry Institute at Erlangen in 1882, later accepting a similar position in Würzburg in 1885. During this time, Fischer began his research on the active constituents of tea, coffee and cocoa (caffeine and theobromine). His research led him to reali...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Plastic is everywhere. And many products we use in everyday life, such as cutting boards, clothes and cleaning sponges, can expose people to tiny, micrometer-wide plastic particles called microplastics. Now, chewing gum could be added to the list. In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested.  The researchers will present their results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2025 is being held March 23-27; it features about 12,000 presentations on a range of science topics. Our goal is not to alarm anybody,” says Sanjay Mohanty, the project’s principal investigator and an engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “Scientists don’t know if microplastics are unsafe to us or not. There are no human trials. But we know we are exposed to plastics in everyday life, and tha...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Grilamid TR : Grilamid TR is the trade name for EMS-GRIVORY’s family of amorphous polyamides based on cycloaliphatic and aromatic blocks. Careful selection of the monomers results in stellar transparency threaded in the family’s DNA. The latest addition to this comprehensive product range is Grilamid TR FE 11292. This is the first transparent polyamide worldwide which can be repeatedly sterilised at temperatures of 134 °C using steam sterilisation processes, well-suited for use in medical applications. Grilamid TR product line combines optical clarity with high-performance attributes: • Brilliant transparency • Excellent fatigue resistance • Superior dynamic strength • High chemical resistance • Extraordinary environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) • Low specific gravity • Minimal water absorption • Long-term thermal stability • Barrier resistance to O2, N2, and CO2 • High impact strength at low temperatures • Exceptional dimensional stability • Outstan...

At its highly anticipated annual summit, Airbus reaffirmed its determination to shape the future of aviation with cutting-edge hydrogen technology. The company shared significant updates to its strategic vision, including plans for a revolutionary single-aisle aircraft expected to launch in the latter 2030s, as well as advancements in the ZEROe project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at driving hydrogen-powered aviation forward. Bruno Fichefeux, Airbus’ Head of Future Programmes, highlighted the importance of hydrogen in the company’s sustainability strategy, stating, “Hydrogen remains central to our commitment to making aviation greener. Our commitment is steadfast, even as we refine our roadmap. Much like the automotive industry’s transformation through electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered fuel cell aircraft have the potential to redefine air travel while complementing the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. A Visionary Hydrogen Aircraft Concept One of the summit’...