New, cheaper route to P3HB identified
In Colorado, chemists at Colorado State University have chemically synthesized bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from biobased succinate—a route that could be cheaper than fermentation-based synthesis of...
That’s the pits: Mexican company makes straws from avocado seeds
In Mexico, Biofase is making straws out of avocado pits—a concept poised to gain ground as plastic straw bans proliferate globally.
Based in Michoacán, Biofase...
Cali company launches compostable coffee cups
In California, World Centric is producing compostable coffee cups from sugarcane fiber, a byproduct of the sugarcane extraction process.
Coffee cups have been a particularly...
Fashion student turns heads with kombucha-based dress
In Scotland, a fashion student has used fermented kombucha tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast to produce clothing.
Aurelie Fanton, 23, studies at Edinburgh College of...
Textiles maker uses coffee grounds, castor beans
In Taiwan, sustainable fabric maker Singtex is using organic materials to produce biobased textiles.
The Biotec series includes materials made out of coffee grounds and...
P&G hair-care megabrand taps expertise of UK’s Royal Botanic Gardens
In Cincinnati, Procter & Gamble brand Herbal Essences has partnered with United Kingdom’s Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) to incorporate botanical science into its shampoos...
Textile recycling process gives used garments a second life
In Austria, fashion label Sabinna and the Wearable technologists Engage with Artists for Responsible innovation (WEAR) project have developed a process to turn used...
Essential oils evaluated for diesel blend stock
In Australia, researchers are using waste oil from oranges, tea trees, and eucalyptus as a diesel blend stock with comparable performance to all-diesel fuel.
Queensland...
Cali seeks new uses for almond waste amid nut boom
In California, the Almond Board of California is looking for new applications for the 4.3 billion pounds of almond waste hulls grown annually in...
Bee nesting material creates buzz for Kiwi bioplastic startup
In New Zealand, a biotech startup is looking at how to harness the properties of bees’ nesting material to produce a superior bioplastic film,...