In Slovakia, German chemical company Evonik has broken ground on the world’s first commercial production facility for rhamnolipid biosurfactants. Rhamnolipids are 100% biobased and biodegradable surfactants. Their exceptional foam-forming properties make them suitable for use in household cleaners and personal care products like shampoos and micellar waters. Their pleasant taste also enables the formulation of […]
In France, a playfully macabre short film encouraging the consumption of people—specifically, Swedish people, going by the film’s title “Eat a Swede” and tagline “go Swegan”—has won the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes Lions festival. Commissioned by the Swedish Food Federation and created by McCann Stockholm, the 18-minute film uses shock value to promote alternative, […]
In the UK, former 007 and Sexiest Man Alive Pierce Brosnan has appeared in a public service announcement touting bioplastics as a potential solution to the waste plastics crisis. Brosnan, 69, and son Paris—a filmmaker and environmental activist—created the PSA with Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions. “We are facing a planetary crisis: climate change, air […]
In the United Kingdom, teen inventor Lily-Mai Spinks has won an award for coming up with a simple solution to music festival waste: biodegradable cardboard tents. Spinks, 17, tells BBC she got the idea for the tent—dubbed Isopod—after seeing how many non-biodegradable shelters are just left behind after large-scale music festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella. […]
In New Zealand, WoolAid has introduced natural bandages made of merino wool. The company claims the material is better for healing because it is soft, breathable and hypoallergenic, and also better for the environment because it biodegrades within 4-5 months of being thrown away. Founder Lucas Smith tells New Atlas the idea came to him […]
In Sweden, architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has created a biodegradable cremation urn made from wool and vegetable-tanned leather. Dubbed Ocke, the urn was commissioned by Systrarna Ocklind, an independent funeral home in Stockholm run by sisters Anna and Sofia Ocklind. According to Claesson, the urns break down in just months. “Textile burial […]
In Maryland, Stanley Black & Decker’s chainsaw brand DEWALT has launched biodegradable chainsaw oil made from North American plant oils. The USDA Certified Biobased Product contains no petroleum-based oils and can be used around waterways and other environmentally sensitive areas. “About 20 million gallons of bar and chain oil are discharged into the environment every […]
In the Netherlands, popular brewer Carlsberg has launched the largest trial to date of its biobased and fully recyclable beer bottles. Dubbed Fibre Bottle, 8,000 bottles will be distributed throughout Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom, Poland, Germany and France at select festivals and flagship events, as well as targeted product samplings. Testing at this […]
In Canada, researchers from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique and École de technologie supérieure have demonstrated the use of microbrewery waste to synthetize carbon quantum dots. Quantum dots boast a number of interesting physicochemical properties and applications in biomedical sensors and light-emitting diodes. But a limitation to wider use of the nanotechnology is […]
In Quebec, researchers at McGill University are looking into the potential of mistletoe to provide a natural source of glue. Generally known for the Christmas kiss tradition, mistletoe viscin, a sticky thread that allows its parasitic seeds to stick to other plants. The research began after Matthew Harrington—an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry […]
