Unlocking new quality productive forces from biowaste valorization through the 5B initiative

The escalating anthropogenic biomass production leads to an unprecedented rise in biowaste generation, exceeding the decomposition capacity of natural microbial communities. This disturbance of global nutrient cycling substantially threatens the habitability and thriving of Earth's life system. To address this challenge, the newly launched 5B Initiative (Biowaste, Bioconversion, Bioproduct, Biosafety, and Bioeconomy) provides a global collaborative framework that drives a paradigm shift from waste to wealth by four synergistic objectives: characterizing biowaste generation, advancing bioconversion technology, enhancing biosafety, and facilitating the bioeconomy. Integrating above objectives, the 5B initiative plan to propose a BioCyclos model framework, that traces and optimizes biomass bioconversion processes in bioresource-biowaste-bioproduct chain to promote bioeconomy and ensure biosafety. This integrated platform positions biowaste-to-bioproduct conversion alongside nature-based solutions and thereby promotes the transition toward a circular, decarbonized, and sustainable bioeconomy while restoring and maintaining balance in Earth's nutrient cycles. © 2026 The Author(s).