In the UK, students from Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering have developed paper RFID tags that they hope will address the circuitry waste that results from the cheap and disposable tags. The four-person team, comprised of Chloe So, Barna Soma Biro, Rui Ma, and Jingyan Chen, have co-founded PulpaTronics to commercialize the […]
In South Dakota, soy turf maker SYNLawn Mountain West has entered into partnerships with the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, South Dakota State University, and South Dakota Mines to advance soy-based products. The collaboration includes a custom landscaping design SYNLawn Mountain West installed on the front lawn of the new POET Bioproducts Center […]
In San Francisco, startup GOZEN has raised $3.3 million in seed funding to accelerate research, development, and scaling efforts for its LUNAFORM plant-based leather. LUNAFORM is produced via fermentation and is free from both plastic and animal components. Unlike composite plant-based leathers that are assembled in layers, LUNAFORM is a singular, fully formed material with […]
In Germany, traceless materials has raised €36.6 million ($38.8 million) to scale its biobased plastic alternative. The company’s technology uses agricultural residues as feedstock and generates 91% lower CO2 emissions compared to incumbent materials. The Series A was led by UB FIGG and SWEN CP’s Blue Ocean fund. A local banking syndicate consisting of GLS […]
In South Carolina, Sage Automotive Interiors and biomaterials startup NFW have partnered to develop plant-based leather alternative for car interiors. The pact between Sage Automotive Interiors, a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Group, and NFW “enables another major step to support global automotive OEMs in reducing the environmental burden of the automobile lifecycle,” according to a […]
In Minnesota, Solugen and ADM have partnered to build a biobased specialty chemicals and building blocks production plant. Under the terms of the agreement, Solugen will build a new 500,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility adjacent to ADM’s existing corn complex in Marshall, MN. The facility will utilize ADM-provided dextrose to scale its current line of lower-carbon organic […]
In France, designer Jérémy Lucas has created a 3D-printed surfboard using sargassum algae to draw attention to the potential for the design community to address environmental challenges such as plastics waste. Dubbed Paradoxal Surfboards, the boards use algae collected from Spain’s Ris Beach along with thermoplastics, thermosetting materials and biosourced fibers. A limited number of […]
In New York, singer/songwriter/activist Billie Eilish will feature heavily in a Gucci campaign that includes a luxury bag made from vegan leather Demetra. The material was used for the spring 2024 Horsebit 1955 bag, an iconic Gucci silhouette shoulder bag. “I am honored to be part of Gucci’s evolution in rethinking tradition,” Eilish tells Vogue. […]
In the UK, PETA has placed 498 replica bears in front of the Ministry of Defence as a demonstration against the King’s Guards’ bearskin caps. The long black furry caps are an iconic element of the oft-photographed uniforms. The bears were made of a biobased faux fur manufactured by ECOPEL. According to SW Londoner, PETA […]
In Pennsylvania, climate tech startup Tandem Repeat is developing a textile fiber inspired by squids. Dubbed Squitex, the fiber is produced using protein fermentation and molecular farming. Molecularly, it is similar to a silk-like protein found in squid tentacles. The material is soft to the touch and can be blended with cotton, linen, wool and […]
