In San Diego, Genomatica has announced a partnership with Japan’s Asahi Kasei, which aims to use Genomatica’s GENO HMD process to manufacture biobased hexamethylenediamine for production of nylon 6,6 for automotive and electronics industries. The pact comes shortly after Genomatica announced in January that, together with German chemical company Covestro, it had produced “significant” volumes […]
In Norway, a startup has developed a road repair process that uses recycled asphalt and a proprietary plant-based adhesive that sequesters carbon, offering a greener alternative for the particularly polluting road construction market. The company—appropriately named Carbon Crusher—starts by grinding up existing asphalt from stretches of road in need of repair. This reduces the emissions […]
In Japan, furniture company Meuble has partnered with two chemical companies to develop a resin material from non-edible rice that would otherwise be thrown away. Dubbed RICEWAVE, the material was conceived when Meuble, Biomass Resin Holdings, and Mitsui & Co Plastics Ltd. set out to create a renewable alternative to polyethylene. “We have been thinking […]
In California, Hidden Valley has unveiled a lab-grown diamond from its ranch seasoning mix. The two-carat stone—conceived to celebrate National Ranch Day on March 10—is being auctioned off to benefit Feeding America. To create the diamond, geologist Dean VandenBiesen heated ranch seasoning—which is comprised of ingredients like maltodextrin, buttermilk, and dried onion and garlic—to 2,500 […]
In New York, popular skincare and shaving cream brand eos has put out a public call for pubic hair to aid in the fight against soil erosion. The campaign—dubbed Pubes For The Planet—evolved out of a partnership between eos, renewable resource organization Matter of Trust, and marketing agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address. For the […]
In Ireland, costume designers on the set of Netflix hit “Vikings: Valhalla” have swapped out animal leather for a cactus-based alternative for the comfort of vegan cast member Sam Corlett. In a recent interview, Corlett shared that he found it challenging to wear leather. “I hadn’t worn leather in a long time,” he said. “The […]
In Brooklyn, Charlotte Böhning and Mary Lempres of design studio doppelgänger have developed a process to convert the exoskeletons of mealworms into an alternative for Styrofoam. Dubbed chitofoam, the material is lightweight, water resistant and can be used for food packaging or molded into shapes for everyday items like cups and packing peanuts. The solution […]
In Florida, the designer of a hemp-based car once featured on TV show Jay Leno’s Garage has wound down the project, and reported just two cars were produced. Renew Sports Car inventor and former Dell designer Bruce Dietzen tells Autoevolution the idea was “about seven years ahead of [its] time,” although the promise of hemp […]
In London, consumer goods giant Unilever has announced an “entrepreneurial challenge” aimed at identifying startups, scaleups and academic spinouts with promising functional ingredients for its Beauty & Personal Care products and packaging. The program is part of Unilever’s Positive Beauty Growth Platform, which launched last year with an inaugural challenge targeting social commerce. This iteration […]
In Brazil, researchers at São Paulo State University have made a food packaging material from gelatin, clay and black pepper essential oil. They say the material is edible, biodegradable, anti-microbial and higher performing than petro-based incumbents. The group, comprised of scientists at the University’s Composites and Hybrid Nanocomposites Group, used widely available gelatin as a […]
