In the United Kingdom, Eco Green Living is selling compostable diapers made from bamboo. Developed in partnership with Eco Boom, the company hopes the nappies help address the almost 3 billion disposable diapers that are thrown out in the UK annually. Conventional plastic diapers can take up to 500 years to break down, releasing greenhouse […]
In Switzerland, supermarket chain Migros has introduced the world’s first capsule-less coffee system for coffee pod machines. Dubbed CoffeeB, the convenient and eco-friendly alternative to the ubiquitous—and wasteful—Keurig-style coffee pods uses a natural and compostable encapsulating material produced by Delica. The material also protects against oxygen loss, ensuring your cup of joe stays fresh. “With […]
In San Francisco, Prolific Machines has emerged from stealth mode and announced $42 million in funding for its scalable cultivated meat platform. Backers in the “massively oversubscribed” seed and Series A financings include a long list of major foodtech investors and celebrities. The seed round was led by Arvind Gupta at Mayfield, the first investor […]
In Berlin, watchmaker Lilienthal Berlin has designed a watch made from used coffee grounds that it claims retains that invigorating smell for quick aromatherapy pick-me-ups on the go. The timepiece, named Coffee Watch, retails for $349 and is available in colors like Americano and Macchiato. It uses material invented by Kaffeeform, a German company that […]
In France, a startup is converting mussel byssus—the threadlike extensions mussels use to adhere to rocks—into textile fibers. Founded just 13 months ago by Robin Maquet and Florence Baron, Bysco has partnered with the region’s mussel farmers and aims to produce 35,000 square feet of the material within the next two years. Bysco meets demand […]
In France, animal-free dairy protein startup Standing Ovation has closed a an oversubscribed €12 million (US$12 million) Series A financing round, with participation from several leading foodtech VCs. The company will use the cash to accelerate development and scaleup of animal-free casein and cheese substitutes as well as begin the regulatory approval process. The round […]
In Switzerland, food and beverage giant Nestlé will begin piloting production of animal-free dairy proteins at a recently inaugurated R&D Accelerator. Using precision fermentation technology developed by California’s Perfect Day, the proteins are identical to whey found in cow’s milk but are more environmentally friendly to produce. “As the world’s largest food and beverage company, […]
In San Francisco, renewable footwear pioneer Allbirds has expanded its material slate into rice hulls and citrus peels with a new sneaker called Plant Pacer. Available for $135, the vegan leather shoe is made with Mirum, an agricultural waste-based material produced by Natural Fiber Welding, an Illinois-based startup Allbirds invested $2 million in last year. […]
In New Jersey, biobased materials firm Modern Meadow has been named a finalist in three categories of Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards. The company’s Bio-Alloy platform delivers 13 miscible blends of plant-based proteins and biopolymers. The blends provide varying mechanical and thermal properties with a number of commercial applications. Modern Meadow’s BioFabbrica Bio-Tex™, for […]
In the Philippines, a pair of engineering students have won a James Dyson award for a post-mastectomy bra that biodegrades when composted. The bra is named Brakong—a nod to bakong, the fast-growing aquatic plant used with polylactic acid to produce the prosthesis. “We can 3D-scan a patient or create a 3D model out of other […]
