In Nara, Japan, a local man has created an edible packaging material from rice bran and milk cartons after several of the city’s sacred deer died after ingesting plastic bags. Hidetoshi Matsukawa, a souvenir wholesaler at the popular tourist destination, developed Shikagami, or deer paper, in partnership with a local design firm and paper company. […]
In Bermuda, spirituous beverage giant Bacardi has announced it will launch polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic bottles that biodegrade in 18 months. The new packaging, which will be on shelves by 2023, will eliminate 3,000 tons of plastic from circulation. BACARDI rum will be the first spirit to appear in the new bottle, before the new material […]
In Detroit, two University of Michigan graduates have developed a process to convert a nuisance plant into environmentally-friendly hair extensions. Nana Britwum and Jannice Newson tell Crain’s they founded their company, Lillian Augusta, to commercialize “hair without harm.” Formulated for black women, the extensions use phragmites, an invasive plant with fibrous characteristics. Britwun and Newson […]
In New Zealand, green sneaker pioneer and fashion favorite Allbirds says it is expanding its product line into clothing. The new collection will include a T-shirt made from waste shellfish, sweaters made from merino wool, and a puffer coat comprised of merino wool, recycled materials, and renewable Tencel fiber. The company claims the T-shirt material, […]
In Israel, cell-based meat production firm Meat-Tech 3D Ltd has invested €1 million (USD$1.2 million) in Peace of Meat, a cultured fat developer, and, pending milestone achievements, announced plans to acquire the entire company for about $17.5 million over the next two years. Peace of Meat, based in Antwerp, Belgium, has developed a stem-cell-based technology […]
In the United Kingdom, a University of Cambridge spinout making single-use plastic out of pea proteins has appointed a Unilever sustainability veteran as chairman. Jeff Seabright, who worked for the consumer goods giant from 2014-2019 and later cofounded sustainability consulting firm IMAGINE, has joined Xampla’s board to help the company bring its biodegradable plastic to […]
In Sweden, doctoral candidate Sweta Iyer has created bioluminescent textiles using enzyme immobilization and plasma treatments. “The important research question was to understand the bioluminescent reaction mechanism that exists in different living organisms and the selection of the reaction system. This was important in order to make it possible to use the luminescent effects in […]
In Texas, a cell-based meat startup aims to have a brisket prototype ready in just two years. Katie Kam, cofounder and CEO of the cleverly named BioBQ, tells The Spoon the company grows fat, muscle, and collagen cells using scaffolding to produce the marbling associated with the slow-cooked barbeque mainstay. “With each sheet about two […]
In Massachusetts, researchers at Tufts University are demonstrating that cultured meat can be made healthier than conventional meat by genetically engineering cow cells to also produce beta carotene. This was achieved by inserting the carotenoid pathway from golden rice. “Cows don’t have any of the genes for producing beta carotene,” Andrew Stout, Biomedical Engineering PhD […]
In London, popular design publication Dezeen has done a deep dive on renewable leather alternatives as fashion and design markets look to move away from both animal-based leather and non-biodegradable petrochemical products. “Leather and fur have long epitomized luxury in the worlds of fashion, accessories and furniture,” writes Dezeen’s Jennifer Hahn. “But recently, popular opinion […]
