In Tokyo, consumer goods company Kao Corporation has joined a $120-million palm oil alternative venture launched earlier this year by Unilever and biobased chemicals producer Genomatica. The collaboration aims to commercialize an alternative to palm kernel oil being scaled by Genomatica. PKO is a precursor to multiple products in the home and personal care markets, […]
In Alberta, Canada, Flexible Solutions International, Inc. has announced the termination of its planned merger with Lygos Inc. FSI did not offer an explanation but did say in a press statement that the two companies “remain committed” to finding routes to sustainable aspartic acid and the myriad sustainable and biodegradable products that can be made […]
In New York, designer Peter Do included clothing made from shrimp and mushroom waste in his Spring Summer 2023 collection’s Fashion Week debut. The material—sourced from TômTex—was used in “glossy wide-leg trousers and rounded-neck tank tops, with one look featuring camel hues and the other a black finish,” according to design publication dezeen. TômTex’s material […]
In Israel, a “marketing tech” machine that deposits colorful designs on cocktails—think latte art, but boozy—can now use entirely plant-based pods. Manufactured by Ripples, a “bev-top media” category leader, the ability to print logos or designs on drinks is meant to target the ‘did-it-for-the-Gram [Instagram]’ demographic. Or, as Ripples puts it, “is designed to help […]
In London, intimates apparel brand Fruity Booty has released a collection of underwear using modal, a material partially made from beech tree pulp. Dubbed Bodywear, the collection includes seamless bras, thongs, and shorts. “We chose to branch out into seamless because we wanted to create a collection for our customers which was solely focused on […]
In Minnesota, synthetic biology company Calyxt says it is “evaluating potential strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value,” including financing alternatives, merger, reverse merger, other business combinations, sale of assets, licensing, or other transactions. Calyxt uses its proprietary PlantSpring™ technology platform to engineer plant metabolism to produce high-value, plant-based chemistries for use in customers’ materials and […]
In Austria, designer Julia Koerner has introduced kelp-inspired clutch bags made from kelp bioplastics for her JK3D fashion brand. Debuted recently at MQ Vienna Fashion Week and available in slate, mauve, and midnight blue, the Kelp Mini Clutch resembles tangled tendrils of kelp found along the coast of Malibu, with “strategic voids” that create a […]
In Spain, a group of design students has conceived a novel method of restoring diversity following forest fires—hanging biodegradable balls containing seeds, which fall to the forest floor or are eaten by birds and other animals and carried elsewhere for germination. Dubbed DISPERSEED, the 3D-printed balls are a national runner-up for the 2022 James Dyson […]
In Texas, a startup developing vegan leather from kombucha waste has closed a $1.1-million seed funding. Bucha Bio will use the funds to support development and commercialization for its process, which converts bacterial nanocellulose left over from kombucha production into its Shorai and Hikari biobased materials. It expects to make Hikari, a translucent material, available […]
In Illinois, a producer of vegan leather made from agricultural waste has added multiple brands to its Footwear Collective for promoting the use of biobased, low-carbon materials in shoes that that “return to the earth” when discarded. Natural Fiber Welding reports that New Balance, Wolverine Worldwide, Camper, Deckers and Allbirds have joined the sustainable shoe […]
