In Vatican City, Pope Francis is solving his mobility issues with a religiously tricked-out wooden wheelchair. Designed by Paul de Livron, the Apollo Wooden Wheelchair is helping the Bishop of Rome adjust to persistent knee pain in places where his popemobile presumably can’t go. The wheelchair uses pieces of wood sourced from Notre-Dame Cathedral and […]
In London, cultivated meat company Meatly has produced the world’s first can of cultivated cat food. Made in collaboration with Omni, a novel protein pet food company also located in the UK, the development is a significant step in Meatly’s B2B plans. Once granted regulatory approval, Meatly expects pet food made from cultivated meat to […]
In the United Kingdom, a cosmetics retailer credited with popularizing colorful “bath bombs” and unique soaps is using 100% edible packing peanuts instead of Styrofoam for its e-commerce business. Made from vegetable starch, an employee at Lush tells HelloGiggles the packing peanut alternative has a texture similar to cheese puffs and tastes like Pirate’s Booty […]
In Miami, Bezos Earth Fund has committed an initial $60 million to establish the Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein. The centers, which are part of the Bezos Earth Fund’s $1 billion commitment for transforming food, will target major technological barriers to reducing cost, increasing quality, and boosting nutritional benefit of alternative proteins by advancing science […]
In Massachusetts, Keurig Dr Pepper has unveiled a more sustainable vision for the future of single-serve coffee pods, which have boomed in popularity thanks to their convenience but are associated with significant plastics waste. Keurig’s vision is based on its K-Rounds™ plastic-free pods, a revolutionary new form of single serve coffee. K-Rounds pods are created […]
In Shanghai, biobased textiles company Ecopel has launched a new plant-based and 100% chemical-free material called Flur. The company is currently giving brands a preview of the material and, according to Women’s Wear Daily, expects to scale production this summer ahead of fall runway season. “This is really a revolution for the market, and I […]
In Pennsylvania, New Energy Blue has formed New Energy Chemicals to manufacture ethylene using ethanol produced via corn stover. The bio-based ethylene will be used by Dow to manufacture polyethylene, in line with a production pact established in May 2023. New Energy Chemicals will use the ethylene to produce sustainable aviation fuel at its Port […]
In Massachusetts, Biophilica, the company behind Treekind plastic-free leather alternative, is using products from paper and pulp company Sappi, to make Treekind look and feel more realistic. Specifically, Biophilica is applying Sappi’s high-fidelity, 3D, leather grain solution to impart texture to Treekind through the application of Sappi’s Ultracast Viva® release paper. “Inclusion of plastic-containing coatings […]
In Ohio, industrial designer Connor Rusnak has developed an eye-pleasing wifi router prototype using cork as a casing material. Dubbed Pella, Rusnak tells Yanko Design a biodegradable material was chosen to help address the millions of tons of electronics waste that gets tossed every year. “The cork is not just a building material but an […]
In Japan, household name watchmaker Casio has added watches partially made from castor beans to its outdoors-focused Pro Tek Climber line. Already available on Amazon, the Pro Trek PRG-340SC-5 and PRG-340SC-2 are designed for “rugged performance in challenging terrain.” The watch cases and straps are made from bioplastics sourced from plant-based materials, including castor oil. […]
