In North Carolina, plant-based hair extension company Rebundle has raised $1.4 million to increase production, but will continue to prioritize the environmental justice and equality principles it was founded to address. Rebundle was established in 2019 to offer an alternative to the synthetic hair extensions commonly used in African American braiding. Not only are these […]
In Bangladesh, the same scientist behind the popular Sonali jute bag has created biodegradable personal protective equipment using jute and chitosan, a material found in crustacean cells. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, scientific adviser to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, developed the material to help address the massive amount of PPE being produced and discarded amid the COVID-19 […]
In North Carolina, two entrepreneurs hope to bring lab-grown oyster meat to raw bars and leave real oysters doing what they do best: filtering waterways so other species can thrive. Dubbed Pearlita, Nikita Michelsen and Joey Peters say the startup is the first cultivated meat company to target the slurpable bivalve. “Instead of harvesting […]
In the UK, Philips Domestic Appliances has launched a line of home appliances made out of bioplastic. More specifically, the Eco-Conscious Edition, which includes a toaster, kettle, and coffee maker, is composed of polypropylene manufactured from used plant-based cooking oil. The collection includes a family-sized kettle that retails for £49.99 (US$68.24) and features automatic shut-off […]
In Finland, LUT University has launched the BIOPROT project to develop face masks that are renewable, biodegradable, and antimicrobial. The goal is to protect humans from COVID-19 while also reducing the mountain of waste generated by the surge in demand for personal protective equipment created by the pandemic. The ambitious project aims to produce enough […]
In South Carolina, sustainable yoga mat producer Yoloha is using biobased thermoplastic elastomers produced by Swedish plastics compounder Hexpol. The customized material has 55% biobased content, high melt strength, and the cushioning needed for both long asanas and intense sun salutations. “I have worked with and tested most foams on the market from Natural […]
In Las Vegas, tennis superstar Venus Williams and boxed bedmaker GhostBed are debuting a line of mattresses at the upcoming Winter Las Vegas Market meeting. The mattresses feature a soy-based foam layer as well as a far infrared technology layer, dubbed Venus FIT, that absorbs body temperature for a cooling effect that also increases blood […]
In Slovakia, German specialty chemical company Evonik Industries is planning to build the world’s first industrial-scale plant for rhamnolipids, which are used as biosurfactants in shower gels and detergents. The “three-digit-million euro” investment at Slovenská Ľupča supports a strategic partnership between Evonik and consumer goods giant Unilever that was announced in 2019. Unilever has set […]
In San Francisco, mycelium materials firm MycoWorks has raised $125 million in a series C financing, which it will use to expand production of leather alternatives for the fashion industry. The company says it will build a plant in Union County, South Carolina, having validated the scalability of its Fine Mycelium process at a pilot […]
In Germany, researchers are testing whether 3D-printed skin cells could work for wound care on long space voyages. The German Space Agency’s Bioprint FirstAid Handheld Bioprinter combines astronaut cells and biobased ink to create a plaster-like covering that can be applied directly to wounds. The device, which is small and manual, was included on […]
