In Europe, a multi-country collaboration is looking to replace synthetic dyes in bioplastics with non-toxic alternatives made from turmeric. The Interreg Northwest Europe project CurCol includes partners from research labs in Ireland, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands and is looking to develop biodegradable yellow pigments based on curcuma, or turmeric root. Curcumin is found mostly […]
In Denmark, Braskem and Haldor Topsoe have begun producing monoethylene glycol—a precursor to widely used bottle plastic polyethylene terephthalate—from sugar at demonstration-scale. Using the jointly developed MOSAIK technology, the Lyngby plant will help the companies provide samples to strategic partners for testing and validation and evaluate process economics before deciding whether to proceed to commercial scale. […]
In New York, “premium, timeless, and elegant eyewear” brand Christpher Cloos has tapped equally timeless NFL star Tom Brady to promote its line of 100% biodegradable eyeglasses. The second Cloos x Brady collection, to be launched in Spring 2021, is made from Italian M49 acetate, a 100% recyclable and biodegradable product made from sustainable wood, […]
In the United Kingdom, Moolec Science is looking to “molecular farm” by coaxing crops to create animal proteins. The company believes that by leveraging the scale of agriculture, the company can create meat more effectively than emerging cultured meat processes. “Molecular farming is not yet a fully explored technology in the alternative protein space,” says […]
In India, a push for eco-friendly firecrackers for the Hindu Diwali celebration has led one pyrotechnics company to develop firecrackers that have the potential to grow plants after the festival has ended. Vadivel Pyrotechs Private Limited says the Seedstar Firecrackers are made from vermicompost-treated paper, clay and heat-resistant seeds. After the firecracker is spent, the […]
In Colombia, a disposable tableware company is creating life out of waste by selling plantable plates with embedded seeds. More specifically, Lifepack is producing plates made from pineapple waste that can be added to soil and grow into pineapple plants. “We are using agricultural residues that people were just throwing away, and we are transforming […]
In the US, edible straw maker SORBOS has landed its first restaurant franchise deal. Tropical Smoothie Café will use the straws for a limited time, beginning November 11. The 100% flavored and biodegradable plastic straw alternative is made of sugar, water, cornstarch and gelatine and stays rigid for 40 minutes in cold and frozen […]
In Italy, design firm Carlo Ratti Associati has created an ecofriendly pen complete with compostable materials and edible ink. The pen, developed for tech company Scribit, has a barrel made from wood, recycled aluminum, or biodegradable PHB plastic. The nib and ink cartridges are made from natural fibers, while the ink is water-based with organic […]
In Boston, a team of Northeastern researchers have developed single-use tableware from bamboo and sugar waste that biodegrades in just 60 days. Hongli Zhu, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, tells Fast Company she wanted to pursue biodegradable products after coming to the United States in 2007 and seeing how much single-use plastic waste was […]
In India, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have converted cucumber peels into cellulose nanocrystals with the potential to be used in food packaging. Prof. Jayeeta Mitra and N. Sai Prasanna tell EET India that their high-cellulose material overcomes the strength, elongation, and barrier and optical property shortfalls of other biopolymers. “Our […]
