Category: Chemicals & Materials

Bioplastic sculptures from External Reference and LaMáquina by Noumena also purify the air in your home

Bioplastic sculptures from External Reference and LaMáquina by Noumena also purify the air in your home

August 21, 2023 |

In Milan, plant sculptures that are 3D-printed, air-purifying, and made from bioplastic polylactic acid were displayed at the city’s prestigious Design Week.   Dubbed Pure Plants, the sculptures are a collaborative effort between architectural firm External Reference and 3D-printing design studio LaMáquina by Noumena. Pure Plants use Pure.Tech natural mineral compounds capable of absorbing and […]

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Foodtech firm Enough raises €40 million to scale mycoprotein

Foodtech firm Enough raises €40 million to scale mycoprotein

August 21, 2023 |

In Scotland, Enough has raised €40 million (US$43.5 million) to double mycoprotein production capacity at its production site in the Netherlands. The funds will also be used to add staff at the company’s’ offices in Glasgow, London, and Sas van Gent. Founded as 3F BIO in 2015 by Jim Laird, the company employs proprietary technology […]

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Woolworths introduces mannequins made from jute fiber

Woolworths introduces mannequins made from jute fiber

August 21, 2023 |

In the United Kingdom, storied retailer Woolworths has created biodegradable mannequins made from fiber glass and jute fiber repurposed from used coffee bean sacks.  The company tells CapeTalk that it has invested heavily in the “eco” mannequins, which come in a range of body types and have been used in displays at 80 “Woolies” in […]

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Wärtsilä to contribute its liquefaction expertise for major energy transition project in Finland

Wärtsilä to contribute its liquefaction expertise for major energy transition project in Finland

August 17, 2023 |

In Finland, technology group Wärtsilä said it will provide the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the liquefaction and storage of liquefied synthetic methane (LSM). The company said that the plant is to be built by Koppö Energia Oy, a joint venture company between Germany’s Prime Green Energy Infrastructure Fund and CPC Finland Oy, in Kristinestad, […]

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Leonardo DiCaprio joins Nature Coatings seed funding

Leonardo DiCaprio joins Nature Coatings seed funding

August 14, 2023 |

In Los Angeles, a company developing a renewable alternative to carbon black has raised $2.45 million in a seed funding that included participation from A-list actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio as well as Regeneration.VC and The 22 Fund. Nature Coatings will use funds from the oversubscribed round to expand manufacturing capabilities, strengthen the senior team, […]

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Excuse me, waiter? There’s biodegradable plastic feedstock in my soup

Excuse me, waiter? There’s biodegradable plastic feedstock in my soup

August 14, 2023 |

In Texas, researchers are looking at dead flies as potential feedstock for biodegradable plastic. The idea gained momentum as Texas A&M University was looking for raw materials that don’t compete with food.  “For 20 years, my group has been developing methods to transform natural products – such as glucose obtained from sugar cane or trees […]

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Setas Mushrooms set to bring fungi coffin concept to US

Setas Mushrooms set to bring fungi coffin concept to US

August 14, 2023 |

In Pennsylvania, a mushroom farm exec’s personal loss has inspired a new offering in environmentally friendly burials: biodegradable, fungi caskets. Max Justice, chairman of Greencastle’s Setas Mushrooms told local news Fox43 the idea came while he was sadly making funeral arrangements for his younger sister. Justice said he was troubled by cremation’s large environmental footprint […]

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Seed Paper India sells Indian flags out of seaweed

Seed Paper India sells Indian flags out of seaweed

August 14, 2023 |

In India, Seed Paper India has produced Indian flags that are made out of seaweed paper and biodegradable within 30 days. Currently available in Bengaluru—the capital of India’s southern Karnataka state—Seed Paper India has already sold 10,000 of the tri-color flags to ITC Hotels. Early buyers also include corporations, resident welfare groups, and NGOs. “The […]

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MycoWorks set to start up new mushroom materials capacity

MycoWorks set to start up new mushroom materials capacity

August 14, 2023 |

In South Carolina, mushroom materials maker MycoWorks will bring a new production facility online in September. The facility will add millions of square feet of capacity for the company’s Reishi-brand vegan leather.  The Union plant will employ over 350 people, according to Retail Dive, and was financed through a $125 million funding round closed in […]

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Japanese consortium taps NESTE for biobased PET feedstock

Japanese consortium taps NESTE for biobased PET feedstock

August 14, 2023 |

In Japan, Mitsubishi Corporation, Suntory Holdings Limited, ENEOS Corporation, and NESTE Corporation have joined forces to establish a sustainable supply chain for polyethylene terephthalate bottles made from renewable resources. Under the terms of the deal, NESTE Corporation will supply biobased naphtha produced from waste and residue oils, including used cooking oil.  ENEOS will convert the […]

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