ONE YEAR OF STAR4BBS

Funded under “HORIZONCL6- 2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-07”, Star4BBS aims to maximize the potential of Sustainability Certification Schemes (SCS) and labels to support a successful transition to a bio-based economy.

By tracing sustainability impacts along the supply chain, certification schemes and labels are crucial to unlocking the potential of bio-based systems in achieving several sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, the rapid proliferation of schemes and labels has led to questioning their effectiveness and robustness, as well as to what extent they deliver important outcomes in line with sustainability policy priorities.

STAR4BBS implementation activities have started one year ago, with project partners’ efforts focused on the setup of the initial framework: the collection and systematic review of information related to international and EU SCS, B2B labels, and their relevance for biological feedstocks, bio-based materials and products, in order to establish a monitoring system assessing SCS and labels.

At the core of this work is the gathering of precise global trade data and information regarding the volumes of biogenic feedstocks and bio-based materials imported into the EU. This work will identify the most relevant biomass flows and provide a comprehensive overview of certified and non-certified biomass flows, thus contributing significantly to the impact assessment and contribution of sustainability certification and labelling. Relevant stakeholders are regularly involved to discuss strategies and to ensure that relevant information, feedback and inputs are collected and evaluated.

Why is this work important?

The bio-based industry plays a crucial role in transition to a more sustainable and circular economy, as it spans several sectors, including agriculture, forestry, chemicals, plastics and textiles. This industry uses biological feedstocks, such as crops, wood and waste streams, to produce a wide range of materials and products. As a result, it has the potential to make a significant contribution to sustainability goals, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving resource efficiency and promoting circular economy. It can also have a positive impact on socio-economic objectives of local and regional development, promoting the use of regional resources and the creation of green jobs. However, the use of bio-based feedstocks needs to be carefully regulated and controlled to mitigate negative environmental and social impacts, such as deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and the exploitation of child labor in developing countries.

To facilitate this transition and ensure the credibility of sustainability claims, Sustainability Certification Schemes (SCS) and labels serve as critical tools, as they provide independent verification and validation of sustainability efforts and promote transparency and accountability throughout supply chains. These SCS,however, may face challenges like limited scope, high costs and lack of harmonisation, the last one being one of the main drawbacks.

Currently, there is a rising number of SCS and labels in the EU, each with their own set of criteria and standards: this can lead to confusion among businesses and consumers, as well as increased operational costs for companies operating in several countries and seeking regional or national certifications. Businesses are often burdened with providing documentation to demonstrate compliance with different criteria. For consumers, the plethora of labels with different criteria and standards makes it difficult to make informed choices.

A lot of work has been already done by the project team, like the establishment of a synergy with two sister projects (HARMONITOR and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED).

The three projects joined forces to maximize the outcomes and outreaches of their activities. One of those is the collaborative process of developing the Joint Monitoring System (JMS), and its subsequent application that will add transparency to bio-based value chains and build the foundations to support schemes and labels in aligning and harmonizing their systems to support shared sustainability goals. The 3 projects also established a strong collaboration that will boost the implementation of joint dissemination activities, thanks to the European Commission’s Horizon Results Booster programme (HRB).

The STAR4BBS project coordinator Dr. Luana Ladu (TUB), during the recent IFIB conference in Florence, participated in the round table on “How to measure the bioeconomy“, highlighting the complexity of the issue and the importance of considering systemic impact assessments.

It is clear that a harmonization of metrics is needed to establish effective and robust certification systems for the bio-based industry, that substantiate sustainability claims. This will contribute to efficiently achieve objectives and sustainability targets prioritized in EU-relevant policies and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Are you a stakeholder involved or interested in plastics, construction, textile, and chemical sectors? Join SUSTRACK INSPIRE Conference to have your say on what is really important for promoting a sustainable transition!

SUSTRACK is organising the INSPIRE Conference, designed to explore the insights of the circular bioeconomy, combining the research findings with current project developments and forward-looking pathways. The event will be held online on November, 16^th, 2023, from 09:00 to 16:00 CET.

The INSPIRE Conference will be organised in different sessions:

• Two plenary sessions, in order dive deep into latest findings of SUSTRACK project on:
  • Limits, barriers, drivers, benefits, gaps towards sustainable transition;
  • Existing EU monitoring framework and gaps on indicators and methods used to monitor and evaluate circular bioeconomy;
  • Selected case studies;
  • Methodologies, models and results for policy scenarios developed by SUSTRACK;
• Sectorial and interactive Co-creation workshops to discuss the case studies;
• Sectorial and interactive Scenario workshops to discuss and verify the policy scenarios developed.

Don’t miss the opportunity to collaborate and network with other frontrunners in the field! As participants of the INSPIRE Conference, you are not just observers but active contributors to the realm of circular bioeconomy. Your input, perspectives, and collaborative spirit can be the catalyst for impactful change and can shape sustainable policies for a brighter and greener future!

Interested? Take a deeper look at the agenda and register here before 13 November to join us!

Help bioboost Moelven with a new packaging solution

Do you want to contribute to a sustainable future through new innovative packaging solutions? Then this is an innovation challenge for you. Help Moelven find a packaging solution that can protect and store their wooden interior panels.

Moelven is one of the Nordics’ leading wood industry companies. Among their products are wooden panels for indoor use, which can be found in several large hardware store chains. The packages are made of fossil-based plastic and are up to 5.4 meters long and 24.5 centimeters wide. Each year, one million packages are sold enclosed in the packaging.

Today, Moelven Wood packages these panels in fossil-based plastic. It fulfills the functional need but does not live up to Moelven’s own standards and the future’s demands for sustainability. Therefore, they seek alternative solutions to replace the packaging and are now turning to startups, companies, innovators, and researchers to find a solution.

“We want to find a sustainable solution that can meet the requirements for protection, moisture regulation, and visual presentation that is also cost-effective and scalable. It doesn’t have to be a “ready to use” solution that is offered, it can be an idea, a material, or a product that we can take a closer look at together”, says Tjalling Chaudron, product developer at Moelven Wood.

Read more and apply at Paper Province website Help BioBoost Moelven with a new packaging solution (paperprovince.com)

Join us at the inaugural working group session of BIOTRANSFORM project, focusing on the theme of “Governance and financing challenges for circular bioeconomy.” This online session will be held on 10 October 2023, from 14:00 to 16:00 CEST. The objective of this meeting is to explore and gain deeper insights into the governance and financial obstacles confronting governmental bodies as they navigate the transition towards circular bio-based systems.

As a representative of a public authority, your active participation in this focus group will enable you to make your voice heard and identify, discuss, consolidate, and prioritise the identified barriers with other public actors. You will also hear more about the specific regions and bioeconomy value chains that will be investigated over the course of the project. This interactive session will be the first step into the creation of technical transition guidelines for public authorities, listing effective governance and financing instruments to transition to a circular bio-based system.

If you are eager to contribute your valuable insights to the work of BIOTRANSFORM and would like to learn more about the experiences of other regions in the field of bioeconomy, we kindly request that you complete the registration form by 3 October.

Help bioboost Moelven with a new packaging solution

How can packaging used to protect and store interior panels in wood be made more environmentally friendly than the ones made of fossil-based plastic used today? Moelven Wood is looking for the solution. Maybe you have the answer?

On September 25, we invite you to a webinar to present this challenge and start the search for innovative ideas from start-ups, companies, innovators, and/or researchers.

The challenge

Currently, Moelven Wood uses fossil-based plastics to package and protect the interior panels they produce for indoor use. By replacing this packaging with a fossil-free alternative, major environmental savings can be made. To make this a reality they are looking for others to collaborate with and contribute to the solution.

To make this happen, Moelven Wood, is the first in Sweden to boost its challenge through BioBoosters. And now they are ready for takeoff.

Together with Paper Province, they invite you to a webinar to let you know more about the challenge, their needs, and the possibilities for collaboration or possibly a business deal.
The webinar will also provide information on plastics as a material choice and on packaging solutions from experts in the field.

The program

• This is BioBoosters – Anna Aalto, Jamk University of Applied Sciences
• Replacement of fossil plastics – Mattias Andersson, researcher at RISE.
• Packaging solutions
• Looking for a new packaging solution – Moelven

When: September 25, 13.00-14.30 pm (CEST)
Where: Digitally via Teams
Register her!