Philippines café goes viral with coconut-leaf straws
In the Philippines, a café owner’s Facebook post has spurred interest in using coconut leaves as a sustainable alternative to plastic straws.
Café Editha manager...
German consumer group says bamboo cups release harmful chemicals
In Germany, consumers are being warned to steer clear of reusable bamboo cups because they leech melamine, a chemical implicated in kidney and bladder...
British startup recognized by Scientific American
In the United Kingdom, bioplastic company Chrysalix Technologies has been named to Scientific American magazine’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2019.
Founded in 2017, the...
Clothing and skincare in one: Functional fibers from seaweed, milk and coffee claim duel...
In France, Euronews has identified a growing trend of producing fibers from natural sources that also enable skincare claims.
Florida’s Nanonic has created a fiber...
Mushrooms could address Alaska’s fish-shipping Styrofoam problem
In Alaska, researchers at the University of Alaska-Anchorage are looking to use mushrooms as shipping insulation for the state’s fishing industry. The “bio-boards” take...
Batteries from trees: Stora Enso looks to produce anode materials from lignin
In Finland, Stora Enso is investing €10 million (USD$11.2 million) to build a pilot plant for lignin-based battery materials at the company’s Sunila Mill.
“Using...
Ontario bioplastic startup has big-brand backing ahead of plant startup
In Ontario, startup Origin Materials is set to produce recyclable, carbon-sequestering bioplastic from sawdust to meet offtake agreements already in place with large consumer...
New cling wrap may create secondary market for canola
In Canada, University of Alberta researcher Marleny Saldaña has created a biodegradable cling wrap using cellulose nanofibers from canola straw.
"We have a huge problem...
Sunglass company goes natural with cottonseed frames
In California, sunglass company OTIS Eyewear has launched a new line made from renewable materials.
Dubbed the Eco-Acetate collection, the sunglass frames are produced from...
British Columbia microbiologist eyes pulp and paper waste as feedstock
In Canada, a researcher at the University of British Columbia is looking to convert black liquor—a waste product from the region’s large pulp and...