In Sweden, fast fashion leader H&M has launched a PETA-approved, animal-free collection featuring innovations like grape leather and a down made from flowers instead of geese. Dubbed Co-Exist, the line aims to emphasize that viable animal-free alternatives for fashion exist today. The line includes a puffer jacket made from down-alternative FLWRDWN, a vest made […]
In California, direct-to-consumer brand KOKOLU has raised $1 million in an angel investing round that it will use to expand its sustainable apparel offering. Its flagship product is a vegan leather shoe made entirely of bamboo, sugarcane, corn, beach tree and an undisclosed material it calls greenksole. The entire shoe will biodegrade in three years. […]
In Germany, specialty chemical leader Evonik has acquired Switzerland plant extract producer Botanica for an undisclosed sun. Botanica will be integrated into the Care Solutions business line within Evonik’s life sciences division Nutrition & Care. Founded in 2998, Botanica employs 43 people. Its portfolio includes over 1,000 different plants available for extraction. “By drawing on […]
In California, alternative protein startup Shiru has closed a $17 million Series A funding round and says it will use the funds to build a pilot-scale facility for “label-friendly” and animal-free alternatives to food ingredients such as methylcellulose, gelatin, and casein. Founder and CEO Dr. Jasmin Hume tells FoodNavigator-USA the company is combining machine learning […]
In Israel, Isaac Herzog has become the first president to try cultivated meat. At a National Climate Strategy hype event ahead of Herzog’s departure to the COP26 meeting, the president ate cultivated chicken produced by Future Meat. He called it “amazingly delicious” and emphasized the importance of taking advantage of COP26 meeting to showcase Israel’s […]
In New York, biobased textile startup Bucha Bio has raised $550,000 to scale its latest product, a renewable and biodegradable fabric made from bacterial nanocellulose. Dubbed Mirai, Bucha Bio says the material has the potential to replace animal leather as well as synthetic leather made from petroleum. Venture Capitalists New Climate Ventures, Lifely and MicroVentures […]
In the UK, a men’s underwear startup with a stellar copywriting team and biodegradable designs has raised £2.6 million ($3.6 million) to expand production and distribution. Founded in 2018 by couple Alex Walsh and Yang Liu, JustWears uses biodegradable materials like tree fibers, corn, and seaweed to create an ultra-comfortable boxer-briefs that also feature an […]
In New York, a startup is using captured carbon dioxide to produce ethanol for a proof-of-concept perfume. Dubbed Air Eau de Parfum, Air Company’s scent includes notes of fig leaf, orange and jasmine. Indistinguishable from traditional perfume, Air Eau de Parfum uses ethanol made from captured carbon dioxide, as opposed to corn-based ethanol that, while […]
In California, waste management technology firm bioforcetech has unveiled a pigment produced from sewage sludge. The company displayed the technology at Dutch Design Week, where its booth featured a sleek black planter made from polylactic acid and its OurCarbon pigment. bioforcetech said OurCarbon could replace coal-based materials while at the same time diverting materials like […]
In the Netherlands, a biomaterials advocate says buildings could be completely made from plant-based products and natural mineral materials. Lucas DeMan, CEO of Biobased Creations, tells architecture and design publication dezeen materials like hemp, straw, lumber, and mycelium could replace products such as steel and cement that contribute to the construction industry’s poor environmental performance. […]
