About 70 billion tons of raw materials are extracted world wide annually. That is twice as much as at the end of the 1970s. This trend is continuing – even with finite resources. One way to have enough materials available for manufacturing new goods in future is to recycle continually. Fraunhofer researchers are working on the advanced "Molecular Sorting" project for the next-generation circular economy. They will be presenting their results at the IFAT Trade Fair in Munich, Germany, 5-9 May 2014 (Hall A5, Booth 219/318).

Germans consume about 200 kilograms of raw materials per person each day according to the Federal Ministry of the Environment (Umweltbundesamt). Which means Germans are in first place.

The Asean region comprises some of the fastest growing economies in the world today. And right now they are gearing up for regional economic integration as the ASEAN Economic Community. The AEC will be officially launched in 2015 and form the world's third largest trading bloc - over 600 million people.

Energy consumption in the ASEAN region has been growing in tandem with economic growth. Renewable energy is now a top priority for developing ASEAN member states.

Expanding on Atmel's SAM4Cx platform, the ATPL230A delivers a seamless and cost efficient integrated solution for next-generation smart metering

Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a global leader in microcontroller (MCU) and touch solutions,  today announced the release of the Atmel ATPL230A, a Power Line Communications (PLC) modem, implementing the physical layer of PRIME (power line intelligent metrology evolution) standard. ATPL230A offers OEMs a seamless and cost-efficient solution for smart metering platforms, providing best-in-class modem features.

German researchers present the prototype of an electric motor that may shape the future of electromobility: Small, light and efficient. The electric motor was created and constructed by the four German partners in the European research project "MotorBrain": Infineon Technologies, Siemens, the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at the Technische Universität (Technical University) Dresden and ZF Friedrichshafen.

UPM Biofore House in Helsinki, Finland has been awarded LEED® Platinum Certification established by U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is transforming the way we think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe.

UPM Biofore House is designed by Helin & Co Architects and Pöyry was acting as construction management and LEED consultant. Biofore House includes several sustainability features that align UPM's Biofore strategy and company's commitment to environmental responsibility, energy efficiency and also to its employees.

In a step forward for sustainable IT, product certification organization TCO Development announces the first products to meet a new certification for computer displays containing a minimum of 85% post consumer recycled plastics.

Unlike metals and other valuable materials, recycling of plastic is less common and presents several challenges. The TCO Certified Edge certification recognizes products that feature leading edge sustainability attributes: in this case that at least 85% of the total weight of all plastic parts come from post consumer recycled materials.

Sappi Fine Paper North America, the City of Westbrook, Friends of the Presumpscot River, the Conservation Law Foundation, and state and federal regulators, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, have agreed on a plan to evaluate two potential designs for fish passage at the Saccarappa Falls dam.

"We are committed to a collaborative and open process to explore alternative fish passage designs to allow sea-run fish to move beyond the Saccarappa Falls dam," said Donna Cassese, managing director of the Westbrook Mill.

UPM joins WWF's Global Earth Hour 2014 climate event, and will turn off the lights at the Biofore House in Helsinki, Finland, on 29 March 2014 from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.

WWF Earth Hour is an important reminder of the importance of actions to reduce energy consumption and increase the share of renewable energy. "In the core of our Biofore strategy is to constantly reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and to improve our energy efficiency", says Päivi Salpakivi-Salomaa, Vice President, Environment and responsibility, UPM. "UPM has a wide range of energy sources and we maximize the use of carbon-neutral energy. Globally, 67 % of the fuels we use are biomass based and in Finland the figure is as high as 84 %."

The Biofore Concept Car, a joint production of UPM and the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, celebrates the International Day of Forests on Friday 21 March at the UN's Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The car is a prime example of innovative use of renewable biomaterials that originate from responsibly managed forests. As such, the car is a perfect match with the day's theme which focuses on innovative forest fibres, and their contribution to a greener economy.

"I think The Biofore Concept Car presents a brilliant example of collaboration between an industry and a university. It shows real innovative thinking with a real mission. A mission to make cars more sustainably and resource-efficiently in the future", says Päivi Kairamo, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva in her speech at UN.