In Singapore, startup Insectta is using black soldier fly larva to turn food waste into usable materials, including high-value ingredients used in markets like personal care. Founded in 2017 by Chua Kai-Ning Chua and Phua Jun Wei, Insectta uses waste from soybean factories and breweries to cultivate maggots. The insects can be freeze dried into […]
In Oregon, Nike is working with Newlight Technologies to explore the possibility of producing sneakers and apparel that actually sequester carbon instead of releasing it. The partnership will look at using Newlight’s AirCarbon material, which is a biomaterial made from methane that escapes from defunct coal mines. According to Newlight, for every 1 kilogram of […]
In Chicago, design student Gabe Tavas has been awarded the prestigious James Dyson award for developing a process to convert kombucha waste into an alternative for wood, including exotic and endangered species. Dubbed Pyrus, the material is made from a sheet of bacterial cellulose that is a byproduct of kombucha production. Tavas created the first […]
In San Francisco, the ubiquitous, no-frills Old Navy summer flip-flop is getting a renewable makeover thanks to EVA foam made from sugarcane. On sale now for $4.99-$8.99, the flops are available in four styles—classic, T-strap, Jelly Criss-Cross and Jelly Slide. All feature an EVA outsole that is 51% sugarcane-based. “These flip-flops are partially made from […]
In Sarnia, Ontario, a biobased succinic acid built that went offline in 2018 is getting new life thanks to a new, more efficient process from LCY Biosciences. The Taiwan-based company tells The Sarnia Journal is has more than doubled the 8,000 metric tons per year of annual capacity achieved by BioAmber, the bankrupt former owner […]
In Brazil, Swiss specialty chemical Clariant has bought out the 70% of shares it did not already own in Beraca, a manufacturer of natural ingredients for the personal care industry, from company’s founders. Beraca produces natural ingredients for the personal care sector, including inter alia fats, oils and botanicals, which are all collected and extracted […]
In Boston, Swiss specialty chemicals giant Givaudan has partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks to enable fermentation-based production processes for ingredients that are in demand but only available in minute quantities in nature. Under the terms of the deal, Ginkgo will use its cell programming platform to develop organisms that produce these rare products at high yields. […]
In London, sustainability-focused clothing brand Pangaia has added two new biobased fabrics to its collection. Made entirely from agricultural waste, PlntFiber and FrutFiber will help the company replace both synthetic fabrics based on petroleum as well as traditional, but water-intensive, plant-based materials like cotton. Sixty percent of FrutFiber is bamboo, while the balance is comprised […]
In Singapore, cultivated meat startup Shiok Meats recently held a tasting event for what it claims is the world’s first cell-based crab meat. At an August 26th tasting event, samples were available for crab cakes and chili crab, with crab meat grown in a lab from cells extracted from crustacean shells. The dishes were conceived […]
In California, a company that boasts A-listers Oprah and Katy Perry among its investors has raised $250 million to advance its plant-based, shelf-life-extending produce coatings. Apeel Sciences recently closed the Series E round, which brought its total funding to over $635 million and values the company at over $2 billion. The company’s Invisipeel is a […]
