In South Korea, SABIC and CJ CheilJedang have developed ready-to-eat rice packaging bowls made with 25% certified renewable polypropylene. The innovative packaging, a part of CJ’s Hetbahn brand, uses food-contact grade TRUCIRCLE™ certified renewable PP resins produced by SABIC. The rigid bowls are manufactured using sheet extrusion and thermoforming for ready-to-eat-rice packaging formats in Asia […]
In the United Kingdom, two research projects at the University of York have received funding as part of a £42 million program aimed at collaborating with industry partners to develop sustainable technologies for healthcare, agriculture, cosmetics, and wastewater treatment. Working alongside specialty chemical company Croda Europe, Professor Ian Graham from the University’s Centre for Novel […]
In the UK, a company specializing in electrifying classic cars has redone an Aston Martin DB6 to also include renewable and recycled interior materials. Lunaz tells Motor1 the retrofitted ultra-luxury car is “the most sustainable Aston Martin ever created.” One of only 1,788 DB6s built between 1965 and 1970, Lunaz converted the car’s 4.0-liter gasoline […]
In London, sustainability focused fashion designer Stella McCartney has partnered with Veuve Clicquot to produce a leather alternative from champagne waste. Both McCartney and the popular high-end bubbly maker operate under the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton umbrella of brands. “I’d been looking at cross-industry collaboration within [LVMH], and one day I said to Mr. […]
In California, a 300-unit affordable housing complex called Phoenix is being built by Autodesk Research using mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Developers hope the innovation—dubbed mycotecture–will help decarbonize building and construction, which currently accounts for a about a third of global CO2 emissions. The buildings’ core is comprised of mycelium composite panels with exteriors […]
In Spain, Aimplas is coordinating an effort to convert brewers spent grain leftover from beer production into bioplastics. Dubbed BioSupPack, the project’s goal is to develop sustainable alternatives for packaging for food, cosmetics, and other consumer goods, and also evaluate the feasibility of a recycling process. BSG makes up most of brewing waste and can […]
In Denmark, a bioscience company dedicated to upcycling coffee waste has opened its first biorefinery. Kaffe Bueno’s newly inaugurated facility at Rodovre can upcycle 500 tons of coffee grounds annually. The company’s technology converts the proteins, antioxidants and fats that remain in coffee grounds into personal care ingredients, oils, and fibers. The company tells Beverage […]
In Italy, iGreenGadgets has created biodegradable cell phone cases with embedded seeds in an effort to reduce the waste associated with iPhone or Android upgrades. Made from cornstarch and natural pigments, the iGreen Cover case provides the same level of protection as a traditional case, but at the end of its life can be planted […]
In Antwerp, materials company StoneCycling has turned waste corn cobs into a recyclable, biodegradable, and carbon-neutral wall covering. Aptly called CornWall, the material is produced in collaboration with consulting firm Circular Matters. It is made by heating corn cobs to 150 degrees Celsius using solar power. No fossil fuels are used in the process, and […]
In Brooklyn, a startup developing leather-like materials from mushroom and seafood shell waste has raised $4.15 million in a seed funding round led by founder Uyen Tran. Investors also include Happiness Capital, SOSV, Parley for the Oceans, and MIH Capital. TômTex will use the money to add staff, boost manufacturing at its Brooklyn facility, and […]
