Sustainability

Berlin – September 08, 2026 -- PLAN-B NET ZERO AG and river-cleanup company everwave have tied clean-energy subscriptions directly to plastic removal, letting customers convert monthly add-on payments into a fixed volume of waste extracted from rivers before it reaches the ocean.

Impact tariffs convert 1 euro into 1 kilogram of plastic removed from waterways

Under the partnership, active since 2026, customers on PLAN-B NET ZERO's impact tariffs can add between 1 and 5 euros per month. Each euro funds the removal of one kilogram of plastic waste from rivers by everwave, before it enters the sea. "That's not about sacrifice or activism, it's a system that simply works in the background and still moves something," said Bradley Mundt, founder and CEO of PLAN-B NET ZERO.

Seoul – September 08, 2026 -- Hyosung TNC is scaling its sugarcane-based regen™ Bio Spandex platform across Europe and North America, positioning the fiber as an alternative to fossil-fuel-based textiles amid tightening EU climate rules.

Hyosung TNC showcased its Vietnam-based integrated bio-spandex system at three major global events

The company presented its fully integrated production ecosystem -- converting raw sugar certified under the VIVE Sustainable Supply Programme into Bio-BDO, Bio-PTMG and Bio-Spandex within a single Vietnam-based facility -- at the Global Fashion Summit 2026 in Copenhagen in May, the Future Fabrics Expo in Brussels in June, and the Functional Fabric Fair in New York in July.

Berlin – September 08, 2026 -- BLUETTI unveiled the Pioneer 5000 E-Generator at IFA Berlin 2026, a professional-grade electric power unit designed to replace fuel generators on construction sites with a zero-emission alternative.

Pioneer 5000 delivers 5 kW continuous power with 18 kW peak surge capacity

The unit is built to run high-inrush equipment including electric drills, cut-off saws, air compressors and water pumps. Its 5.12 kWh LiFePO4 battery can be expanded up to 35 kWh, enabling extended off-grid operation for professional crews.

Generator carries IP65 and IK10 ratings for jobsite durability

The Pioneer 5000 is engineered for rain, dust and uneven terrain, featuring an impact-resistant frame, off-road wheels, and functional performance across a temperature range of -20°C to 55°C.

Osnabrück – September 08, 2026 -- The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) has funded a €370,000 project that achieved the first successful shift to bio-based powder coating formulations, cutting the carbon footprint of the coatings by more than 70 percent.

Consortium proves fossil-free powder coatings are technically feasible

The "EcoCoat" project, backed by DBU with roughly €370,000, brought together iLF Magdeburg GmbH, powder coating manufacturer Ganzlin Beschichtungspulver GmbH -- a company with about 70 employees -- and the Core Facility Microscopy and Materials Analysis (CMMA) at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg. Dr. Susanne Bender, managing director of iLF Magdeburg, said the results demonstrate that powder coatings can largely be produced without fossil raw materials.

Tainan – September 07, 2026 -- Chuan Lih Fa Machinery Works Co., Ltd. (CLF) has shipped Taiwan's first 5000-ton ultra-large two-platen injection molding machine, the CLF-5000TPII, to a top-tier US logistics and retail equipment supplier, marking the largest machine built in the company's 60-year history.

The unit will produce heavy-duty plastic bulk bins for produce, supplying modern logistics operators and major supermarket chain distribution networks across North America.

Tokyo – September 07, 2026 -- Gurunavi, Inc. will stage live demonstrations of "Odate Magewappa," a 1,000-year-old Japanese bentwood craft, at Maison & Objet Paris 2026, running September 10-14 at Paris Nord Villepinte, alongside a showcase of more than 40 Japanese wood products.

The exhibit, housed in a dedicated pavilion titled "JAPAN WOOD x CRAFTSMANSHIP" in Hall 6, Stand N120-P119, is managed by Gurunavi as part of a project promoting Japanese wood products subsidized by Japan's Forestry Agency.

Qidong – September 07, 2026 -- Covation Biomaterials LLC (CovationBio) has produced its first on-spec commercial batches of Xatryx.T bioTHF and Xatryx® bioPTMEG at its 50,000-ton Qidong plant, four months after the facility's mechanical completion in April 2026. The company simultaneously unveiled the world's first athletic insole made with a non-food bio-based material, developed with insole brand INSITE®, at the NW Materials Show in Portland, Oregon on September 2-3, 2026.

Gröningen – September 07, 2026 -- The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) is funding a roughly €300,000 renovation of the 17th-century Rittergut Edelhof manor in Gröningen, Saxony-Anhalt, installing one of Germany's first water-ice thermal storage systems in a historic building. The project, underway since late last year, is scheduled for completion by April 2028 and aims to return residential use to a building vacant since the 1990s.

Water-ice storage cuts heating energy demand by up to 50 percent

A heat pump extracts energy from water until it freezes, supplying heat during sub-zero temperatures without large battery storage. Scientific project lead Prof. Dr. Harald Garrecht said this system works alongside a roof-integrated heat-recovery unit that draws warmth from the environment above freezing, together cutting required heating energy by up to 50 percent.

Shanghai – September 07, 2026 -- Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) named the first two vessels in a four-ship series of 38,000 DWT multipurpose heavy-lift carriers built for Chipolbrok, marking the shipbuilder's entry into the multipurpose heavy-lift vessel segment.

Each vessel carries three 350-ton cranes for combined 700-ton lifts

The naming ceremony took place on Aug. 28. Each vessel measures 182 meters in length, 30 meters in beam and 17 meters in depth, with a design draft of 9.8 meters and a service speed of 14.5 knots. Classed by DNV, the ships feature a full-length open deck, two extra-long cargo holds with a maximum length of 76.8 meters, and adjustable tweendecks for cargo flexibility. Three in-house-developed 350-ton cranes are fitted on each vessel, with two capable of tandem lifts totaling up to 700 tons.

Gislaved, Sweden – September 07, 2026 -- Axjo Group, a Swedish provider of recycled polymer packaging solutions, has acquired French company Eco-Tourets, converting the firm's Villeneuve-sur-Yonne site into a logistics and sales hub for the French market.

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne site becomes Axjo's local hub near Paris

The site, located south-east of Paris, will initially support faster deliveries and closer customer collaboration for Axjo Group in France. The move follows Axjo's earlier establishment of Axjo GmbH in Cologne, Germany, this year, as the Group pursues stronger local presence across Europe.