In Estonia, startup Woola believes wool could be the next sustainable packaging option to address the environmental footprint of e-commerce. The company claims that 90% of wool produced in Europe is unused because it is too coarse to be used for yarn. Paired with paper, this unused wool could be used for plastic-free protective packaging […]
In Spain, fast fashion giant ZARA is using pineapple-based vegan leather called Piñatex in a range of sneakers, sandals and accessories. London’s Ananas Anam, which produces the leather alternative, tells vegconomist their material is the most sustainable plant-based leather alternative available at scale. The PIÑATEX x ZARA SA line uses Piñatex in the uppers of sneakers, and […]
In California, food tech firm Planetarians is converting spent brewers’ yeast sourced from AB InBev—maker of popular beer brands like Budweiser and Stella Artois—into vegan ribs and other meat alternatives. The idea was something of a win-win for both parties, according to Planetarians, which first approached InBev in 2021, because spent yeast can be expensive […]
In Australia, a husband-and-wife team of entrepreneurs has raised $24 million to advance commercialization of a compostable cling wrap made from potato waste. Called Great Wrap, the material breaks down into carbon and water within 6 months. Groundswell Ventures, Springbank Collective, and Trail Mix Ventures all participated in the Series A, which will help Great […]
In South Korea, K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK has announced its latest album, BORN PINK, will also be green. The highly anticipated sophomore album, which was two years in the making, is expected to do well, judging by their aggressive 2022-23 tour schedule and the explosion of interest in K-pop genre. But as ambassadors for climate change, […]
In California, cultivated meat maker Novel Farms has claimed production of the world’s first lab-grown, marbled pork loin. Many cultivated meat companies focus on making sausages or burgers because producing meat that mimics conventional meat cuts, with marbling and muscle fibers, is currently extremely difficult. Novel Farms claims to have solved the problem by developing […]
In the United Kingdom, synthetic biology firm Constructive Bio has launched with $15 million in seed investment to scale and commercialize a platform to create new classes of enzymes, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials. The technology is based on an exclusive license from the Medical Research Council of developed by Professor Jason Chin’s Laboratory. The Chin Lab […]
In Belgium, a meat alternative startup is expanding its product R&D efforts from the more conventional beef, chicken, pork and lamb varieties to wooly mammoths burgers. Paleo says it has been able to make a new protein by analyzing DNA of woolly mammoths, which roamed the earth from the Pleistocene era—over 2 million years ago—to […]
In the Netherlands, Fooditive has begun developing bee-free honey using DNA from honey and fermentation enzymes. The company says its faux honey has the same taste, texture and color as the real thing, and trials are set to begin next year. Being a “busy bee” of a company, honey is just the start for Fooditive. […]
In Massachusetts, bioplastics producer CJ Bio says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with hospitality giant Accor—owner of such brands as ibis, Sofitel, and Novotel—to develop biodegradable packaging material based on polyhydroxyalkanoates for hotel amenities that use single-use plastics. The MOU will help Accor deliver on its commitment to phase out all single-use plastic […]
