In Jerome, Idaho, a sustainable construction materials company has successfully scaled hemp-based home insulation. Over 1,800 investors and grants funded Hempitecture’s 33,000-square-foot facility, which manufactures the company’s HempWool thermal insulation. “We are thrilled to celebrate this monumental milestone that symbolizes the immense amount of work put into the brand’s facility from concept to completion,” Mattie […]
In New York, a new mail-order prescription service is launching with a sustainable twist: in-home reusable pill bottles and bioplastic pouches for shipping. Cabinet Health tells Fast Company the model’s main goal is to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s plastics waste. Nearly 200 billion plastic pill bottles are produced each year for pill bottles alone. According […]
In South Korea, automaker Kia has revealed plans for electric vehicles that also employ renewable materials like mushroom root, hemp, and flax fibers. In a presentation at Seoul’s recent “EV Day,” Kia announced its plans to transition away from leather interiors toward biobased and recycled materials. The company told Automotive News that consoles for its […]
In France, a collaboration between shoe brand Veja and fashion label Reformation is making sure the eco-friendly sneaker trend isn’t leaving dads behind. Their new style, Venturi, features the renewable accents traditionally associated with Veja sneakers, such as jute J-Mesh and recycled polyester, but designed in the “dad-core” sneaker style—presumably to keep dads comfortable while […]
In the Netherlands, Dutch Design Week is featuring an innovative pop-up shop where customers can exchange a jar of their own pee for a bar of Piss Soap. The novel barter opportunity from Nieuwe Instituut—a Rotterdam museum for architecture, design and digital culture—challenges patrons to consider consumption patterns that are less transactional and more resource […]
In Madrid, biomaterial firm Polybion has partnered with the Fashion for Good incubator to advance Polybion’s bacterial leather and Fashion for Good’s circular fashion industry goals. The deal, which comes several months after Polybion participated in Fashion for Good’s annual innovation program, also includes an undisclosed investment in Polybion by the incubator. Polybion uses microbial […]
In Boston, Ginkgo Bioworks has been tasked with helping Switzerland’s QL AG, a food technology solutions company, develop dairy proteins. QL AG will tap into Ginkgo’s strain engineering capabilities across multiple chassis organisms to support its goal of providing the market with high-quality, nutritionally equivalent dairy proteins. The dairy industry faces significant pressures as climate […]
In Sarnia, Ontario, biobased chemicals maker Origin Materials has begun commercial-scale production at Origin 1. The Sarnia plant is Origin’s first large production asset and the first commercial plant of its kind. The facility uses Origin’s technology for converting sustainable wood residues into intermediate chemicals, including chloromethylfurfural, hydrothermal carbon, and oils and extractives. These building […]
In South Korea, LG Chem and GS Caltex have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance their efforts to develop biobased 3-hydroxypropionic acid, an essential raw material for biodegradable plastics. The MOU follows a 2021 Joint Development Agreement between the two companies and construction of a 3HP testing plant at the GS Caltex Yeosu Plant […]
In California, biotech-based specialty chemicals company Sensegen has launched seven autumnal flavors just in time for leaf-peeping/spooky season. This biobased “culinary journey through autumn” includes vanilla, caramel, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, coffee, and lavender. The ingredients are all produced using precision fermentation. “Our seven Fall Flavors are purposefully crafted to resonate with the moods of autumn. […]
