How deep is our addiction to crude oil? Can we ever stop relying on it?
Only with the bioeconomy.
The bioeconomy means supplying what society needs (our economy) from renewable plants, animals and microbes (biological sources). It’s what we did before we ever discovered
crude oil with all its modern uses. And it’s our best option to replace it.
But despite how important the bioeconomy is to our future, most people haven’t heard of it. That’s why we ran a national campaign to raise awareness. We think everyone should know
what the bioeconomy is and why we are depending on it. We toured a mobile exhibit up and down the country to bring this information directly to you!
inside the bus
Fossil fuel, petroleum, crude oil…whatever you call it, it’s everywhere! And there’s no better place to demonstrate this than inside our homes. That’s why our exhibit will let you explore a standard Irish household and discover just how many day to day products we rely on that have crude oil components. Take a peek at the design of our exhibit below:
Unfortunately the BioBus was a temporary exhibit. But you can still explore a digital version of it below:
Unfortunately the BioBus was a temporary exhibit. But you can still explore a digital version of it below:
Unfortunately the BioBus was a temporary exhibit. But you can still explore a digital version of it below:
Resources
We developed a number of resources for the BioBus campaign, as well as discovering many more. Explore the ones we’ve gathered in the tabs below. Whether you’re looking for general tips for households, educational activities for schools, or even resources specific to your county, we’ve got you!
TIPS FOR A SUSTAINABLE HOUSEHOLD
NATIONAL RESOURCES
Discover local stores selling unpackaged or plastic-free goods!
Find a local professional who can repair your stuff!
Learn how and where to dispose of your waste.
Meet new people through local environmental groups!
TOUR ROUTE
The BioBus visited 36 locations across the Republic of Ireland between October and November 2023. Our tour route and dates are archived below and you can click on the map on the right to be taken to an interactive Google map with more details.
Week 1 of our tour went to the following locations.
- Saturday 14th – Blanchardstown, Dublin
- Sunday 15th – Tallaght, Dublin
- Monday 16th – Bray and Greystones, Wicklow
- Tuesday 17th – Break
- Wednesday 18th – Wexford, Wexford
- Thursday 19th – Carlow, Carlow
- Friday 20th – Naas, Kildare and Portlaoise, Laois
This part of the tour coincided with Bioeconomy Ireland Week.
Week 2 of our tour went to the following locations.
- Saturday 21st – Kilkenny City, Kilkenny
- Sunday 22nd – Waterford City, Waterford
- Monday 23rd – Cork City, Cork
- Tuesday 24th – Break
- Wednesday 25th – Break
- Thursday 26th – Mallow, Cork
- Friday 27th – Killarney,
Kerry – 9-12h
Tralee, Kerry – 13:30-16:30h
Week 3 of our tour went to the following locations.
- Saturday 28th
- Ennis, Clare – 10:30-13:30h
- Limerick, Limerick – 15-18h
- Sunday 29th – Galway City, Galway – 11-18h
- Monday 30th
- Castlebar, Mayo – 9-12h
- Sligo, Sligo – 14-17h
- Tuesday 31st – Break
- Wednesday 1st – Letterkenny, Donegal – 11-18h
- Thursday 2nd – Carrick-On-Shannon, Leitrim – 11-18h – POSTPONED
- Friday 3rd – Longford City, Longford – 11-18h
Week 4 of our tour will go to the following locations.
- Saturday 4th
- Roscommon, Roscommon – 10:30-13:30h
- Mullingar, Westmeath – 15:50-18:00h
- Sunday 5th
- Navan, Meath – 10:30-13:30h
- Cavan, Cavan – 15:30-17:30h
- Monday 6th – Monaghan, Monaghan – 10-17h
- Tuesday 7th – Carrick-On-Shannon, Leitrim – 10-17h
- Wednesday 8th – Break
- Thursday 9th – Dundalk, Louth – 10-17h
- Friday 10th
- Tullamore, Offaly – 9-12h
- Nenagh, Tipperary – 14-17h
Week 5 of our tour was Irish-speaking only and went to the following locations.
- Saturday 11th – Break
- Sunday 12th – Ring, Waterford – 11-16h
- Monday 13th – Baile Mhúirne, Cork – 11-16h
- Tuesday 14th – Corca Dhuibhne, Kerry – 11-16h
- Wednesday 15th – Cois Fharraige, Galway – 10-16h
- Thursday 16th – Béal an’Mhuirthead, Mayo – 10-16h
- Friday 17th – Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal – 10-16h
This part of the tour coincided with SFI Science Week and ended with a final stop outside Leinster House!
OUR FUEL
Fuel and energy are the first things we think of when it comes to fossil fuels. And for good reason. It makes up 86% of fossil fuel use. Green electricity is one solution but it has its limitations, such as energy output, reliability and need for battery storage. That’s why it’s important we also have liquid fuel that is bio-based. The BioBus used Certa’s bio-diesel, which is made from hydrotreated vegetable oil. It’s mainly used by commercial operators right now but will be coming to household boilers very soon, so keep an eye out!
The Impact of the BioBus
The BioBus had a huge impact, raising public awareness about what the bioeconomy is, why it’s important and how citizens can help. Our bright orange bus was a noticeable addition to many public squares, drawing in the Irish public to have important conversations with us. We gathered information about what you as citizens want and need in order to support a sustainable, circular bioeconomy and will feed this into our future activities at BiOrbic. For now, explore our impact in numbers below:
