In Japan, chemical company Asahi Kasei has released a concept car complete with a bubble top, a seating layout meant to encourage picnics, and sustainable materials. Dubbed AKXY2, the car showcases the conglomerate’s materials expertise and vision for the future of mobility. The bubble-shaped cover rises to allow entry and creates an open space for […]
In Rhode Island, luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz used the pandemic lockdowns to create a line of instruments using alternative biobased materials, such as eggshells, mushrooms, and honeycomb. Originally from France, Rosenkrantz tells ecoRI News she came to the US as an exchange student at Rhode Island School of Design. She hopes her work will help address […]
In Switzerland, tech startup Nothing has unveiled a smart phone that is more environmentally friendly than others on the market. Dubbed Nothing Phone (1), the device features a transparent back designed to invoke nostalgia. “We were inspired by our childhoods, the rush of engaging with our first-ever tech products—like the transparent Gameboy, or even old […]
In Iowa, the US Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for a new pilot program created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that aims to support the development of biobased products and increase the use of renewable agricultural materials. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the $10-million program at Dan and Debbie’s Creamery, a family-owned, 120-head […]
In Slovakia, German chemical company Evonik has broken ground on the world’s first commercial production facility for rhamnolipid biosurfactants. Rhamnolipids are 100% biobased and biodegradable surfactants. Their exceptional foam-forming properties make them suitable for use in household cleaners and personal care products like shampoos and micellar waters. Their pleasant taste also enables the formulation of […]
In France, a playfully macabre short film encouraging the consumption of people—specifically, Swedish people, going by the film’s title “Eat a Swede” and tagline “go Swegan”—has won the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes Lions festival. Commissioned by the Swedish Food Federation and created by McCann Stockholm, the 18-minute film uses shock value to promote alternative, […]
In the UK, former 007 and Sexiest Man Alive Pierce Brosnan has appeared in a public service announcement touting bioplastics as a potential solution to the waste plastics crisis. Brosnan, 69, and son Paris—a filmmaker and environmental activist—created the PSA with Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions. “We are facing a planetary crisis: climate change, air […]
In the United Kingdom, teen inventor Lily-Mai Spinks has won an award for coming up with a simple solution to music festival waste: biodegradable cardboard tents. Spinks, 17, tells BBC she got the idea for the tent—dubbed Isopod—after seeing how many non-biodegradable shelters are just left behind after large-scale music festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella. […]
In New Zealand, WoolAid has introduced natural bandages made of merino wool. The company claims the material is better for healing because it is soft, breathable and hypoallergenic, and also better for the environment because it biodegrades within 4-5 months of being thrown away. Founder Lucas Smith tells New Atlas the idea came to him […]
In Sweden, architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has created a biodegradable cremation urn made from wool and vegetable-tanned leather. Dubbed Ocke, the urn was commissioned by Systrarna Ocklind, an independent funeral home in Stockholm run by sisters Anna and Sofia Ocklind. According to Claesson, the urns break down in just months. “Textile burial […]
