Category: Chemicals & Materials

Sashay away, animal leather: Stella McCartney moves mushroom alternatives from runway to retail

Sashay away, animal leather: Stella McCartney moves mushroom alternatives from runway to retail

May 2, 2022 |

In London, vegconomist reports that fashion sustainability pioneer Stella McCartney is set to introduce a luxury bag made from Mylo-brand mushroom leather. First showcased at Paris Fashion Week last October, commercial launch of the Frayme Mylo bag is planned for later this year.  “What you see on the runway today is the conscious fashion industry […]

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DiCaprio and Kutcher invest in shrimp shell foam startup

DiCaprio and Kutcher invest in shrimp shell foam startup

April 25, 2022 |

In California, a manufacturer of a biobased alternative to Styrofoam has added Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher to its roster of investors. The two A-listers will also serve as advisors to Cruz Foam, which will use the unspecified funds to scale up production of its certified-compostable biopolymer foams and shift from development to commercialization.  “Cruz […]

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Floating Fungi: Mycelium-buoy test planned for Maine coast

Floating Fungi: Mycelium-buoy test planned for Maine coast

April 25, 2022 |

In Maine, buoys made of fungi root material mycelium could help reduce the impact of plastics waste from the fishing industry.  The myco buoy is the brainchild of Sue Van Hook, a mycologist who as a child helped her grandfather with lobster buoys and was part of the team behind Ecovative, a company making packaging […]

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Indian team develops space bricks

Indian team develops space bricks

April 25, 2022 |

In India, researchers at the Indian Space Research Organisation and Indian Institute of Science have jointly developed a building material from bacteria, guar beans, and moon or Mars soil.  They claim that “space bricks” made from the material are load-bearing and tough enough for infrastructure use.  “It is really exciting because it brings two different […]

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Sound investment: Music collective introduces bioplastic LP record

Sound investment: Music collective introduces bioplastic LP record

April 25, 2022 |

In the United Kingdom, a music industry sustainability collective has unveiled the world’s first bioplastic record as an eco-friendly alternative to standard vinyl LPs.  The launch by Evolution Music was part of Music Declares Emergency’s Turn Up the Volume week, an event meant to coincide with Earth Day and serve as a “call for unity […]

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Wilson serves up sustainability with new tennis racket launch

Wilson serves up sustainability with new tennis racket launch

April 25, 2022 |

In Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods has launched new sustainable offerings for tennis players, including performance rackets made from bioplastics, recycled plastics, and waterborne coatings.  Hans-Martin Reh, Global General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports, says in a press statement that the Earth Day Series of rackets are “thoughtfully crafted in a more sustainable manner, while not […]

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British supermodel signs on to pilot PUMA’s biodegradable sneaker

British supermodel signs on to pilot PUMA’s biodegradable sneaker

April 25, 2022 |

In Germany, shoe brand PUMA has announced that supermodel/actress/brow trendsetter Cara Delevingne has signed on to their biodegradable sneaker pilot program.  Delevingne and the other 499 participants in the pilot will wear RE:SUEDE for six months and then send the sneakers back to PUMA for assessment and composting in an industrial unit operated by the […]

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Fendi taps London academics for lab-grown fur  

Fendi taps London academics for lab-grown fur  

April 25, 2022 |

In London, luxury brand holder LVMH and its portfolio company Fendi are collaborating with Imperial College London and Central Saint Martins at the University of Arts London to create lab-grown fur fibers. The pact comes as high-end fashion looks to distance itself from the sustainability and cruelty concerns of traditional fur.  “The ultimate goal at […]

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Saucony sneakers swap leather for pineapple alternative

Saucony sneakers swap leather for pineapple alternative

April 25, 2022 |

In London, pineapple leather produced by Ananas Anam will be used in Saucony’s classic Jazz Court RFG sneaker style. According to vegconomist, the material, trade named Piñatex, will be used to substitute all components and overlays that are usually made with leather on the popular design. The sneakers also include hemp laces and plant-based mesh […]

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Let them eat lab-grown caviar

Let them eat lab-grown caviar

April 18, 2022 |

In London, scientists at Caviar Biotec and University College London have grown sturgeon caviar in a lab using cells from a fish egg sac. The process achieved such efficiency that a 300-square-meter facility could generate more caviar than is produced globally every year.  At such yields, the delicacy that normally retails for upwards of $200 […]

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