In South Africa, Prince William rocked biobased sneakers at the annual award ceremony for his Earthshot Prize competition. Several well-known brands, including Allbirds and Cariuma, tout the renewable content of their sneakers, although the Manila Times report did not provide more details on the Prince’s footwear. The Prince of Wales launched the Earthshot Prize in […]
In Japan, AirKamuy Inc. has unveiled a biodegradable, cardboard-based drone at the DSEI 2025 trade show. The AirKamuy 150 is a fixed-wing drone constructed from cardboard and biobased adhesives. Costing under $3,000 each, and with a flight time of 1-2.5 hours, potential applications include reconnaissance, logistics, training, and threat simulation. It can also be assembled […]
In Azerbaijan, Mercedes has debuted the first biobased carbon fiber composite on a W16 racing car, which came in second. Applying the 30% biobased materials to the rear brake duct wheel shields, with their intricate aerodynamic surfaces, demonstrates the technology can withstand the extreme conditions of Formula One racing. “We are proud to be powering […]
In the UK, a new report has determined that the National Health Service could drive £30-120 million (US$40-$163 million) in sales for the bioeconomy if it switched single-use plastic products such as syringes and gloves to biobased alternatives. The report, “Buying into Biomanufacturing: Harnessing Public Procurement for the UK Bioeconomy,” was authored by Jonathan Hobson […]
In Bengaluru, India, BacAlt Biosciences has raised INR 18 crore (US$2.0 million) to fund R&D, add staff, and advance to pilot-scale production. Founded in 2023 by Pranav Nair and Shruti Kutmutia, BacAlt Biosciences converts crop residues into bacterial cellulose and poly gamma glutamic acid. Derivatives of these products have applications in cosmetics, textiles, and agriculture. […]
In Germany, precision fermentation firm Bioweg has closed a €16 million ($19 million) Series A funding, which it will use build a manufacturing plant. The company’s technology converts food waste, including from Germany’s storied beer breweries, into bacterial cellulose, which has applications in cosmetics, personal care products, and pesticides. “Our technology directly replaces AMPS [airborne […]
In the US, Solar Foods has submitted a Generally Recognized as Safe notification to the United States Food and Drug Administration. The company aims to obtain a no questions letter for its alternative protein’s safety assessment. Dubbed Solein, the protein is made by a specific microbe, which undergoes fermentation with air and electricity. The “nutritionally […]
In France, specialty chemical maker Arkema has partnered with Catalyxx to develop a new value chain for low-carbon, biobased acrylic resins. Catalyxx is planning to build a first-of-its-kind industrial facility to produce bio-alcohols, including bio n-butanol, from bioethanol. These biobased alcohols, based on a patented technology validated at a demonstration plant in Seville, Spain, offer […]
In California, artificial Christmas tree maker Balsam Brands will launch a new line of trees for 2025’s holiday season that use needles made of 95% biobased ethylene. Dubbed BH Balsam ReNew fir, the biobased content comes from sugarcane. “While our trees have always been reusable, these advances are a game-changer for the Christmas tree industry,” […]
In California, an artist and “mycologist” has crossed 26 miles of ocean in a kayak made of mycelium, the root system of mushrooms. Sam Shoemaker made the record-setting, twelve-hour journey from Catalina Island to San Pedro in August, persevering amid seasickness and curiosity from a fin whale. “It was just like a psychedelic experience,” Shoemaker […]
