BIOSECT

The chemicals industry must decouple from the fossil dependency of the past and become a planet positive force for the future by embracing new sustainable raw materials and manufacturing processes.

The BIOSECT project focuses on next generation sustainable ingredients for cleaning products (e.g. liquid and powder laundry detergents) and other applications. The aim of the project is to assess the potential of new bio-based feedstocks and/or bio-manufacturing processes to replace existing fossil-based feedstocks and/or conventional chemical manufacturing processes.

The project will centre on two ingredients used in large volumes in detergents today:

(1) A solvent used in the production of laundry liquids and pods, and

(2) Chelating agents that are used to bond with metals ions to improve washing performance

The project will assess the feasibility of providing drop-in replacements or substitution of these ingredients with materials produced by bio-manufacturing using renewable carbon feedstocks, such as sugars from agricultural wastes or carbon dioxide captured from industrial waste gases. The project will assess the technical feasibility, the likely cost implications, and the potential environmental benefits of these new bio-derived materials.

Transitioning to a sustainable bio-based chemicals industry will not only help the UK meet Net Zero commitments, it also will also enable the industry to meet the growing public and industrial demand for eco-friendly chemicals and products, and so help deliver the UK's clean growth strategy.