In Kansas, a company called Human Plant Solutions has developed lower-extremity prosthetics using a hemp fibers. The company was cofounded in 2017 by medical device entrepreneur Sam Spallitta and prosthetic technician Kyle Trivisonno after the two met at a hemp conference. The company is using hemp yarn sourced from China and automated knitting equipment […]
In Vancouver, high-end athleisure brand Lululemon has begun selling two products made from Bolt Thread’s mushroom-based material. The offering includes the Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag, a 3-in-1 yoga mat bag that doubles as a floor mat and can be carried rolled up or folded in half, and the Barrel Duffel Bag. Adding sustainability to […]
In Austria, a team at Johannes Kepler University Linz has created a squishy robot by 3D printing a gel made from gelatin, sugar, citric acid, and glycerol. The team published the first iteration of this recipe in 2022. In their most recent work, published in Science Robotics, they added citric acid to keep microorganisms away […]
In Germany, fashion brand Hugo Boss has partnered with HeiQ AeoniQ LLC to advance its cellulosic filament yarn. HeiQ AeoniQ LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Swiss innovator HeiQ Plc, says the fiber can replace petroleum-based incumbents like polyester and nylon and binds carbon from the atmosphere. Hugo Boss also made a $5 million equity […]
In the Philippines, designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng has created ceramic tiles made from waste eggshells collected from local bakeries and kitchens. Ng, whose studio Nature Squared makes the tiles, tells Yanko Design she was inspired to use eggshells because their high calcium content makes them durable. The carbon-absorbing tiles are called CArrelé and can […]
In the Philippines, three companies developing plant-based textile fibers have created a marketing organization to link producers such as themselves with the fashion industry. Dubbed the Fibral Material Alliance, the group was founded by Dr. Carmen Hijosa of Ananas Anam Ltd, Hannes Schoenegger from Bananatex, and Ricardo Garay of Regenerate Fashion. Ananas Anam produces a […]
In Poland, synthetic rubber producer Synthos has advanced its partnership with Lummus subsidiary Green Circle for biobased butadiene production. After completing a successful feasibility study in 2021, Lummus and Synthos have concluded that the technology is ready for implementation and have agreed to move into the engineering and design phase. They have also decided to […]
In South Carolina, private equity firm Apollo Funds says it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Novolex Holdings LLC, which makes packaging from fiber, renewable, recycled and biobased materials and resins, from Carlyle. Financial terms were not disclosed. Carlyle will retain a minority stake in Novolex, which has more than […]
In India, cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma have invested in Mumbai-based alternative protein startup Blue Tribe Foods. The couple, who married in 2017, will also act as brand ambassadors. Blue Tribe Foods was founded in 2019 and is one of a number of companies pursuing “smart proteins” in the lucrative Indian market. […]
In Norway, up and coming designer Mari Koppanen is revisiting a mushroom leather that was once commonly used in the Transylvanian region. She recently featured the nearly-lost technique in the Fomes furniture range. Comprising a stool and matching bench, the pieces were upholstered in amadou, a spongy, suede-like material made from Fomes fomentarius. The fungus’s […]
