In Hollywood, actor Keanu Reeves has thanked researchers for the “surreal” honor of having a deadly but useful molecule named after him. Fungus-killing keanumycins were so named by the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology as an homage to John Wick, an assassin pulled out of retirement to hunt down a puppy […]
In India, a young product designer has created a prototype of 70% biodegradable headphones made out of bamboo. Twenty-six-year old Aakansh Chaturvedi tells The Better India he chose to pursue headphones because it’s a widely used product globally. “I found out that it is actually quite difficult to manufacture a headphone without plastic,” he says. […]
In Los Angeles, environmental group RCGD Global sent A-listers a sustainable style guide ahead of the 95th annual Academy Awards, held Sunday to much fanfare. The guide recommends attendees wear vintage garments or clothes with natural textiles. Launched in 2010 as a design competition Red Carpet Green Dress, RCGD Global aims to create opportunities for emerging […]
In Switzerland, an engineering project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne is envisioning edible drones as a means to increase the payload of life-saving emergency provisions. According to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, drone cargo is currently limited to 10–30% of overall mass—meaning drone drops of food to the stranded can be […]
In Wales, a young surfer/eco-entrepreneur has developed a prototype surfboard out of mushrooms and coral. Twenty-three-year-old Steve Davies came up with the idea while researching mycelium packaging as part of his master’s program at Cardiff Metropolitan University. He chose coral as a framing material so that if the board becomes lost in the ocean, the […]
In the Netherlands, a producer of biodegradable urns is helping families ensure that their loved ones’ end-of-life journeys “reflect their life philosophy.” Legendurns’ latest offering is made from 99% made from Brewers’ spent grains—a residue from malted barley used to make beer. According to the company, conventional urns often contain heavy metals that cause environmental […]
In Seattle, online retail behemoth amazon has invested an undisclosed sum in bioplastics startup Genecis. Luna Yu founded Genecis at the age of 21 to convert organic waste into biodegradable plastic. The funds were distributed from amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, which has earmarked $50 million for female-founded and -led climate technology companies through its Female […]
In Washington, DC, the US Department of Agriculture celebrated the inaugural National Bioproducts Day on March 8. The day is intended to highlight organizations and individuals working to improve sustainability within the federal government. A key component of these federal sustainability efforts is USDA’s BioPreferred® Program, which Congress created under the 2002 Farm Bill. USDA […]
In the Netherlands, Huntsman said its Rotterdam and Wilton, UK manufacturing facilities have achieved the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) for mass balance following audits by Bureau Veritas. The company explained that ISCC PLUS is a global sustainability certification system that makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of circular […]
In India, Projects Today reported that Bhairav Biofuels intends to set up a grain-based distillery unit to produce ethanol in Madhya Pradesh. According to the report, the project will also involve setting up a 2-MW co-generation power plant. The proposed ethanol plant will span over 60.39 acres of land and will generate employment for about […]
