Category: Chemicals & Materials

Attention manscapers: Skincare brand eos is collecting pubic hair to fight soil erosion

Attention manscapers: Skincare brand eos is collecting pubic hair to fight soil erosion

March 14, 2022 |

In New York, popular skincare and shaving cream brand eos has put out a public call for pubic hair to aid in the fight against soil erosion.  The campaign—dubbed Pubes For The Planet—evolved out of a partnership between eos, renewable resource organization Matter of Trust, and marketing agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address.  For the […]

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Cactus leather helps costume vegan Vikings: Valhalla star Sam Corbett

Cactus leather helps costume vegan Vikings: Valhalla star Sam Corbett

March 14, 2022 |

In Ireland, costume designers on the set of Netflix hit “Vikings: Valhalla” have swapped out animal leather for a cactus-based alternative for the comfort of vegan cast member Sam Corlett.  In a recent interview, Corlett shared that he found it challenging to wear leather.  “I hadn’t worn leather in a long time,” he said. “The […]

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Designers make Styrofoam alternative from exoskeletons of Styrofoam-eating mealworms

Designers make Styrofoam alternative from exoskeletons of Styrofoam-eating mealworms

March 14, 2022 |

In Brooklyn, Charlotte Böhning and Mary Lempres of design studio doppelgänger have developed a process to convert the exoskeletons of mealworms into an alternative for Styrofoam.  Dubbed chitofoam, the material is lightweight, water resistant and can be used for food packaging or molded into shapes for everyday items like cups and packing peanuts. The solution […]

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Cannabis car retired, was “ahead of [its] time”

Cannabis car retired, was “ahead of [its] time”

March 14, 2022 |

In Florida, the designer of a hemp-based car once featured on TV show Jay Leno’s Garage has wound down the project, and reported just two cars were produced.  Renew Sports Car inventor and former Dell designer Bruce Dietzen tells Autoevolution the idea was “about seven years ahead of [its] time,” although the promise of hemp […]

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Unilever launches innovation challenge for natural beauty ingredients

Unilever launches innovation challenge for natural beauty ingredients

March 14, 2022 |

In London, consumer goods giant Unilever has announced an “entrepreneurial challenge” aimed at identifying startups, scaleups and academic spinouts with promising functional ingredients for its Beauty & Personal Care products and packaging.  The program is part of Unilever’s Positive Beauty Growth Platform, which launched last year with an inaugural challenge targeting social commerce.  This iteration […]

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Pepper-infused bioplastic film developed for beef packaging

Pepper-infused bioplastic film developed for beef packaging

March 14, 2022 |

In Brazil, researchers at São Paulo State University have made a food packaging material from gelatin, clay and black pepper essential oil. They say the material is edible, biodegradable, anti-microbial and higher performing than petro-based incumbents.  The group, comprised of scientists at the University’s Composites and Hybrid Nanocomposites Group, used widely available gelatin as a […]

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Growing demand for Malaysia’s pineapples spurs waste valorization efforts

Growing demand for Malaysia’s pineapples spurs waste valorization efforts

March 14, 2022 |

In Malaysia, researchers across multiple universities are converting the country’s large volume of pineapple waste into products like baby bottle liquid cleansers, meat tenderizers, and even drones.  “In recent years, we have seen a rising demand for pineapple-based products like tinned pineapple, jam and vinegar,” University Putra Malaysia professor Aizi Nor Mazila Ramli tells The […]

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Anheuser-Busch partners with UBQ for waste-based plastics in Brazil

Anheuser-Busch partners with UBQ for waste-based plastics in Brazil

March 7, 2022 |

The Brazilian arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev—the world’s largest brewer—has tapped Israel’s UBQ Materials to integrate waste-based, climate-positive thermoplastics into its packaging mix.  UBQ’s process diverts unsorted municipal solid waste from landfills, including all organics, and converts it into a sustainable alternative for petroleum-based plastics, wood, and concrete.  “Using waste in the form of a recyclable […]

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Actress-activist Pamela Anderson endorses apple leather handbag

Actress-activist Pamela Anderson endorses apple leather handbag

March 7, 2022 |

In Paris, Baywatch star and animal activist Pamela Anderson has partnered with designer Ashoka Paris to introduce a second line of purses made from apple leather.  The leather alternative, called Apple Skin, was invented in 2004 by Alberto Volcan in Northern Italy. The material is made from apple waste leftover from the fruit juice industry.  […]

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Next-day sustainability: Amazon launches product line with biobased focus

Next-day sustainability: Amazon launches product line with biobased focus

March 7, 2022 |

In Seattle, amazon has launched a new line of “everyday essentials” with an emphasis on renewable raw materials. Dubbed Amazon Aware, the line includes apparel, home, and beauty products, all “thoughtfully designed” and made from materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton, and biobased ingredients. “People want to shop more consciously, and at Amazon we […]

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