In Paris, Neoplants has genetically engineered the common pothos to have 30 times the air-purifying ability of a regular houseplant. Dubbed Neo P1, the pothos was conceived by Neoplants while the startup resided at the Station F incubator. “We were surrounded by houseplants in this incubator,” Neoplants cofounder and CTO Patrick Torbey tells Fast Company. […]
In the United Kingdom, the red paper poppies that adorn war memorials, graves, and lapels to memorialize the commonwealth’s casualties of war and symbolize hope for a peaceful future on Remembrance Day will soon be completely biodegradable. The new poppies will swap plastic “stems” for fiberboard on 130,000 wreaths, beginning in 2023, according to the […]
In Spain, luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has designed a coat made from the mushroom leather Ephea. Marking Balenciaga’s first use of the material, the black hooded coat made its runway debut in March and is now available for sale at the extravagant price of €9,000. “Balenciaga acknowledges the role that fashion plays in depleting and […]
In New York, a new company called Transcend is signing up future corpses to turn into trees. The startup hopes to tap into the green burial trend while also reforesting the world, Matthew Kochmann, Transcend founder and CEO, tells Forbes. The company’s process involves wrapping a body in an organic flax linen shroud and burying […]
In Portugal, designer Gui Giantini has created a 100% biodegradable tote bag from garlic waste. Dubbed Sacalho—Portuguese for sackcloth—the bag is made by sewing sheets of material produced using modular mixing molds in the shape of tote bags. According to a do-it-yourself submission to design publication designboom, Sacalho was “developed in an academic and scientific […]
In Germany, an eco-friendly “coin” for making wishes in wishing wells has won the prestigious iF Design Award from Hanover’s International Forum Design. Comprised of dried algae pressed into coin shapes, Wishing Feed provides an alternative to coins that can choke fish and turtles. The custom of making a wish and tossing a coin into […]
In Germany, F/LIST GMBH has unveiled a portfolio of biobased materials for custom interiors of business and private jets, yachts, and homes. The offerings include F/LIST AENIGMA, a decorative material made from stone by-products and ground mother of pearl; F/LIST WHISPER Leather, a plant-based textile for surface finishes for sidewalls and bulkheads; and F/LIST LINFINIUM, […]
In Ireland, a company called Candy Claw Clips has become an influencer favorite with its plant-based hair accessories. The brand new company launched the biodegradable clips just a month ago, and they have already graced the perfectly done updos of Irish influencers Sophie Murray and Niamh Cullen, presenter and model Katja Mia, and singer Erica […]
In California, mushroom-based materials firm MycoWorks has added GM Ventures, the investment arm of General Motors Co., as an investor and strategic partner. The two are jointly developing Fine Mycelium™ materials for potential use in a range of applications within automotive design, including interior elements. MycoWorks’ Fine Mycelium technology uses mycelium, the root structure of […]
In India, a group of engineering students at Government Engineering College Barton Hill have built an electric car using renewable and recycled materials. Dubbed Vandy, the prototype took the nineteen-member Team Pravega ten months to design. It weighs just under 80 kilogram and features a 3D-printed polylactic acid body and underbody made of recycled cloth […]
