In Finland, forest-based fuels and chemicals maker UPM said its planned biobased ethylene glycol and propylene glycol plant at Leuna, German will be delayed about year, citing challenges stemming from the pandemic and widespread supply chain disruptions. “[T]he pandemic has materially slowed down the completion of the detailed engineering in Leuna,” says Jussi Pesonen, UPM […]
In New York, mycelium materials company Ecovative has launched Forager, a division focused on designing, marketing, and manufacturing mycelium-based materials and foams for the fashion and automotive industries. Grown on agricultural byproducts like corn husks, Forager’s pure mycelium materials are fully biodegradable and home compostable. Forager will utilize Ecovative’s AirMycelium™ technology to produce large sheets […]
In Edmonton, bioplastics maker TerraVerdae Bioworks Inc. has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire 100% of the equity in PolyFerm Canada, a company developing a portfolio of biobased and biodegradable elastomeric polymers known as medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHAs). The addition of PolyFerm will enhance TerraVerdae’s ability to produce biopolymers and resins for […]
In Montreal, subversive artist Gab Bois has crafted a couch from burger and hot dog buns meant to resemble the vaguely loaf-like Camaleonda sofa popularized in the early 1970s by designer Mario Bellini. Bois’s work, dubbed Loafa, went viral after being shared by Estonian rapper Tommy Cash, who claimed IKEA had agreed to produce the […]
In Ecuador, an entire village has been planned using renewable construction materials, including 3-D-printed cacao waste. Complete with an education and research center and chocolate factory, Cacao Eco Village was conceived by Sydney-based architecture studio Valentino Gareri Atelier at the behest of chocolate manufacturer MUZE Cacao. The village is planned for the seaside town of […]
In Milan, luxury brand Valentino has introduced two sneakers designs made from recycled and renewable materials. Featuring uppers and sides made of viscose and polyurethane produced using corn-based polyols, the sustainable sneaks are available in the brand’s Open and Rockstud Untitled styles. The sneakers also include recycled polyester laces and rubber soles. A lifecycle assessment […]
In New York, mainstay cosmetics brand Maybelline has vowed to make 95% of its formulas either biobased or derived from minerals or circular sources by 2030. The company’s new sustainability program, Conscious Together, aims to create a more responsible business model for the brand by transforming its processes, innovations, and mindset to reduce its […]
In Scotland, a startup with six-figure funding support from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre is developing a surfactant from fish farming byproducts. Fish oils account for about a quarter of aquaculture’s total by-product output. Such oils are rich in fatty acids and can be converted into biofuels, but Eco Clean believes biosurfactants for use in […]
In North Carolina, plant-based hair extension company Rebundle has raised $1.4 million to increase production, but will continue to prioritize the environmental justice and equality principles it was founded to address. Rebundle was established in 2019 to offer an alternative to the synthetic hair extensions commonly used in African American braiding. Not only are these […]
In Bangladesh, the same scientist behind the popular Sonali jute bag has created biodegradable personal protective equipment using jute and chitosan, a material found in crustacean cells. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, scientific adviser to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, developed the material to help address the massive amount of PPE being produced and discarded amid the COVID-19 […]
