Magazine and paper publications
A new report from BB-REG-NET examines the breakdown of biodegradable plastics in the environment. Based on case studies in composting, agriculture and forestry, it concludes that certified biodegradable plastics break down at similar rates to their rate of entry into environment, preventing long-term accumulation. Scenarios considered include direct placement of …
This may seem a strange question, for a Network with Environmental Biotechnology as its title – but it’s one we are convinced needs addressing. We tried the animation, we have the Social Sciences WG report and presentation. Now the whole EBNet Management Team has put together a paper: What is …
An IEA Inter-Task report on Synergies for bioenergy supply chain in Bioeconomy networks describes efforts to expand the current linear value chain perspective into a broader network-based view of bioenergy and bioeconomy systems. The report introduces a framework to help identify and leverage synergies between bioenergy supply chains, biobased materials …
Every month we are highlighting selected items from our Green Stories: Microbes to the Rescue anthology, equivalent to about 30 mins in the Audiobook version. The anthology is also available as a free eBook on the Resources page. This month’s authors are both from Australia but with rather different stories to tell: Chapter 7: Interview with …
At the suggestion of one EBNet member who is particularly active in this area, a brief shout-out for the work of WASTE, which aims to catalyse scalable, system-level solutions to urgent challenges in the area of sanitation and solid waste management. WASTE is an international organisation that develops and manages …
A recent perspective paper on wastewater treatment will please many readers while ruffling a few feathers for some others. The paper notes that over the last century wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have essentially evolved in a piecemeal way to address a number of issues, rather than adopting holistic design approaches …
A recent review paper looks at the application of anaerobic digestion (AD) for treatment of tannery wastes – including waste generated in leather production, and sludges from the treatment of tannery effluents. Leather production has historically been a notoriously polluting process, and despite technology improvements it continues to produce a …
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has launched a report with 10 recommendations for the sector and the UK Government to capitalise on the drive to net zero and a circular economy. The report is based on an independent review commissioned by CIWM’s Policy & Innovation Forum, looking at …
A new paper looks at innovative tools in chemical biology, and the power of combining these with multi-omics approaches to provide detailed insights into the behaviour of complex microbiomes. Highlighted techniques include bio-orthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), stable isotope probing (SIP), and Raman-activated cell sorting (RACS). These non-destructive tools …
The International Water Association (IWA) has a range of publications freely available to read or download in electronic format. Books in particular can be eye-wateringly expensive [no pun intended] for the individual reader, so these are a very valuable resource. A recent addition, published in September 2025, is Environmental Technologies …
Earlier this year UKWIR published a study entitled Circular Economy – Water Treatment Sludges, which aimed to assess the current uses and marketplace for water sludges. The work forms part of UKWIR’s Big Question 11 – how do we embed and maximise a sustainable circular economy within the water sector …
Each month we are showcasing selected stories from our Green Stories: Microbes to the Rescue anthology, equivalent to about 30 mins in the Audiobook version. The anthology is also available as a free eBook on the Resources page. The first two have a futuristic flavour: Chapter 15: Future Tree by Nick Sidwell, UK – environmental biotechnology …
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology has a new themed issue on wastewater surveillance. The issue opens with an editorial entitled Wastewater surveillance for public health: Quo Vadis? It includes articles on integration of point-of-care diagnostics in SARS-CoV-2 wastewater-based epidemiology, use of wastewater surveillance …
EBNet loves learning about extremophiles, if only because they teach us humility with respect to the limits of our current understanding of individual organisms; never mind that of the complex microbial communities which we harness for environmental protection and remediation. In the present example, scientists from Spain and Germany have …
Earlier this year EBNet’s PFAS WG presented a Position Statement identifying knowledge gaps and the need for development of cost-effective approaches able to degrade PFAS. Since then the WG has: run a successful international workshop co-sponsored by EBNet and the Environmental Biotechnology Innovation Centre (EBIC) – see video playlist presented …
