In Sweden, fast-fashion giant H&M has partnered with shoe maker Good News to more broadly market footwear incorporating banana fiber, grape leather, and recycled materials. The unisex collection includes seven trainers and one slider style featuring waterproof fiber Bananatex and grape waste leather Vegea. Other materials include recycled cotton and Bloom Algae EVA made from […]
In Singapore, a consortium of companies have founded Spydasilk Enterprises to develop and commercialize luxury streetwear made from spider silk. Spydasilk owners are spider silk producer Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., trading company Kings Golden Harvest Pte Ltd., and Kings Golden Harvest streetwear subsidiary M the Movement. “Based on our initial efforts, there is a definite […]
In Berlin, boudoir brand Womanizer has launched a renewable and biodegradable adult toy line called Premium Eco. Developed in partnership with British singer/songwriter Lily Allen, the toy is made from the corn starch-based biopolymer biolene. Womanizer also launched a $20,000 kickstarter, the proceeds of which will go to the nonprofit One Tree Planted. “The Womanizer […]
In Georgia, bioplastic maker Danimer Scientific has announced a $700-million investment in polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production capacity at Bainbridge. The announcement closely follows Danimer signing a partnership with Mars-Wrigley to develop home-compostable plastic packaging for the latter’s iconic SKITTLES candy brand. “Georgia companies like Danimer continue to lead the way toward a green manufacturing future, and […]
In Newfoundland, researchers at Memorial University have described a process to turn fish heads, bones, skin and guts into a biodegradable replacement for polyurethane. The researchers first extracted oil from Atlantic salmon waste polymer, then added oxygen to form epoxides. When reacted with carbon dioxide, the epoxides become connected by nitrogen-containing amines, creating a new […]
In New York, mycelium-based materials firm Ecovative has raised $60 million to add capacity and advance development and commercialization in textiles, packaging and food sectors. The Series D round brings Ecovative’s total funding to $100 million. It was led by Viking Global Investors, and Senator Investment Group, Trousdale Ventures, and AiiM Partners also participated. Mycelium […]
In Houston, NexEvo is gearing up for a 2022 Mardi Gras celebration that is not only more festive than 2021’s toned-down, mid-pandemic celebration, but is also greener. Called “throws,” bead necklaces thrown to passerby are key to any Fat Tuesday celebration but generate large amounts of waste plastic. According to Houma Today, 46 tons of […]
In South Korea, design firm Newtab-22 is turning waste shells from seafood and aquaculture industries into a terrazzo-like material. Dubbed Sea Stone, the shells are ground and mixed with natural, patent-pending binders to create a material that can replace concrete in small products like tiles, table tops and vases. Shells contain calcium carbonate, or limestone, […]
In Japan, blade maker Kai will soon introduce what it claims to be the world’s first paper razor. The razor’s design is inspired by origami and milk carton packaging. Consumers receive the blade and flatpack, water-resistant handle, which they have to fold into shape themselves. “Paper Razor aims to transform the razor into a plastic-free […]
In Massachusetts, researchers at Boston College are considering spinach as an edible scaffolding material to produce lab-grown more cost effectively. After paring the leaves down to just its veins, the researchers were able to grow bovine animal protein along the spinach’s vascular network. The cells were viable for two weeks and differentiated into muscle. “Cellular […]
