Dubbed Bio-e-Nails, the University of Colorado group said the customizable press-on nails can also be reshaped multiple times. “With Bio-e-Nails, there can be a second life, a third life, a fourth life,” said lead developer Eldy Lázaro Vásquez, a doctoral student at the ATLAS Institute. “The material can be remelted and reshaped into new objects. You can make a new nail, for sure, but also a coaster for your coffee cup.”
Composting would be the last alternative, she added. “We want to keep the materials in use as long as we can. In biodesign, it’s not just about replacing traditional materials with biodegradable ones — it’s about rethinking the entire design process, considering the life cycle of the material and eventual products, and how they can stay in circulation and be transformed before they ever return to nature.”