We\u2019ve covered food made from air here<\/a>,<\/strong> but Germany-based company Made of Air has developed a bioplastic derived from burnt plant and forestry waste, or biochar, that can be used in many ways. So far, H&M\u2019s sunglasses and HexChar panels installed on the facade of an Audi dealership in Munich uses their carbon-negative bioplastic and talks are in the works with a US furniture maker and automakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s Digest,<\/strong> how the bioplastic is made out of air, how women in India are turning an invasive plant into yoga mats, how an Israeli cultured meat plant can grow the equivalent of 250 chickens a day, and other fascinating innovations of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Germany, startup Made of Air says it has developed a bioplastic derived from burnt plant and forestry waste, also known as biochar, that can be used in a broad range of end products. Because the raw materials are plants that sequester carbon dioxide during their growth, the company is claiming its product is carbon-negative\u2014essentially storing two tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for every one ton of bioplastic produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile we are a materials company, really in our heart we are a climate company and that\u2019s the reason for our existence,\u201d chief commercial officer Neema Shams tells Dezeen. \u201cWe\u2019re aiming to help reverse climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Founded in 2016 by architects Allison Dring and Daniel Schwaag, Made of Air hopes to be producing enough bioplastic to sequester 1 gigaton of CO2e annually. Applications are pretty broad, and the material has already been used by H&M in a sunglass line. Made of Air is also in talks with a US furniture maker as well as automakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In India, six women from a fishing community are collecting water hyacinth, an invasive plant species, from Deepor Beel Lake and turning them into yoga mats. They hope the industry will help save the livelihoods those who rely on the Assam lake as well as migratory birds who have difficult finding fish amid the hyacinth-choked lake waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe water hyacinth covered the lake affecting the fishing activity and the livelihood of the fishermen,\u201d Mitali Mainu Das tells The Better India. \u201cIt further affected the migratory birds, as the dense plantation covering water made the fish in the water body inaccessible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The process involves collecting and drying the hyacinth, which is then woven with cotton threads to make mats. Natural dyes are added during the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The women received training and handlooms from India\u2019s Weavers Service Center. They have called the mat Moorhen after a bird commonly found in the Deepor Beel Wildlife sanctuary. To date, they have made 700 mats, 100 of which have already been sold in the US. To date, they have removed 10,000 kilograms of hyacinth from the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur venture is unique and has the potential to earn a good income,\u201d Mitali adds. \u201cWe wish to involve more women by offering free training and empowering the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Israel, Future Meat Technologies has claimed the world\u2019s first cultured meat factory as well as the emerging industry\u2019s most competitive price point\u2014$3.90 for a lab-grown chicken breast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new plant at Rehovot has the capacity to produce 1,000 lbs of cultured chicken, pork and lamb daily, roughly the amount of meat gained from raising 250 chickens. Future Meat Technologies intends to eventually produce beef as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter demonstrating that cultured meat can reach cost parity faster than the market anticipated, this production facility is the real game-changer,\u201d says Yaakov Nahmias, founder and chief scientific officer of Future Meat Technologies. \u201cThis facility demonstrates our proprietary media rejuvenation technology in scale, allowing us to reach production densities 10-times higher than the industrial standard. Our goal is to make cultured meat affordable for everyone, while ensuring we produce delicious food that is both healthy and sustainable, helping to secure the future of coming generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Future Meat Technologies also claims its output is 10 times faster than other cultured meat firms and that it generates 80% lower greenhouse gas emissions than a standard poultry farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Australia, Baxter Blue has become the latest high-end eyewear company offering compostable, plant-based frames. The company is using biobased acetate, which it says composts in as little as 115 days, or roughly the same amount of time as a coffee cup. The company modestly suggests, however, that its frames are so stylish most consumers would rather pass along to a friend than throw them on the compost heap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe know we are at the beginning, not the finish line, but change starts somewhere,\u201d the company says in a press release. \u201cBetween our give back promise, our sustainable packaging, and our bio ambitions, we here at Baxter are going for a better future. We\u2019re taking big steps towards a smaller footprint, and believe this is the future of luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The feedstock is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Delaware, DuPont Biomaterials has announced a collaboration in which JayaShree Textiles will launch a sustainable fabric collection incorporating DuPont\u2019s renewable Sorona fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n JayaShree, which is part of the Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group, will blend Sorona with linens to create garments with \u201cexceptional stretch and recovery, luxurious drape, and a smooth, soft hand feel.\u201d JayaShree popularized linen in India, using flax sourced from Belgium and France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DuPont and JayaShree say the offering will provide sustainable alternatives for designers and brands in the comfortable casual and fashion wear segments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe believe collaboration is the only way we will deliver on our promises to the textile industry. Our collaboration with JayaShree Textiles is a testimony to the type of effort that will allow more apparel brands the opportunity to address tomorrow\u2019s challenges through renewably sourced fiber materials without compromising performance and value,\u201d Renee Henze, global marketing and commercial development director at DuPont Biomaterials, says in a statement. \u201cSustainable fashion is the future, and this new collection is a great example of how you can create stunning designs while caring for our planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In France, sneaker startup MoEa is using pretty much all of the vegan leathers available to date, including materials made from apples, pineapple, corn, cactus, and grape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The apple and grape leathers are sourced from juice industry waste, the cactus and corn leathers are made from discarded skin, and the pineapple leather is made from leaves left over from pineapple harvesting. Other materials in the shoes include cotton, biobased polyurethane, recycled plastic, recycled bamboo, recycled rubber, and recycled wood fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sneakers are available in five colors through a Kickstarter campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all love sneakers. They\u2019re comfortable to wear and usable for a variety of different occasions. Unfortunately, they are also contributing negatively to the planet,\u201d Achille Gazagnes, founder and CEO of MoEa, tells vegconomist. \u201cStandard sneakers are made with leather or plastic, materials which are both highly polluting and cruel to animals. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve launched MoEa \u2014 to create sneakers that offer the same level of style and comfort you\u2019d expect to see in your favorite leather pair, whilst ensuring that the planet isn\u2019t some sort of a meaningless afterthought and that animals aren\u2019t treated with cruelty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the story, here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In California, popular outdoor gear brand Patagonia has signed an offtake agreement for a textile fiber made from cotton textile waste. Dubbed Infinna, the circular process is being commercialized by Finland\u2019s Infinited Fiber Company. The process involves breaking down cotton-rich textile waste to cellulose and forming new fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are humbled by their stamp of approval for Infinna as the circular alternative to virgin cotton going forward, and we\u2019re very proud of the long-term commitment they have now made to using Infinna in their future collections,\u201d says Infinited Fiber Company Key Account Director Kirsi Terho in a press statement. \u201cWe absolutely love working with Patagonia. We have shared goals, which means we\u2019ve been able to move forward quite fast, and we\u2019re so excited to be making circular textile production a reality together with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infinited Fiber Company recently announced plans to build a 30,000 metric tons per year factory in Finland\u2014enough for about 100 million t-shirts. Infinited is currently supplying customers from its R&D and pilot facilities in Espoo and Valkeakoski, Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n#1 Berlin startup Made of Air develops carbon-negative bioplastic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#2 Namaste news: Women in India are turning invasive plant into yoga mats<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#3 Israeli cultured meat plant can grow equivalent of 250 chickens a day<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#4 Baxter Blue embraces renewable eyewear trend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#5 DuPont partners with Indian textile major to expand market for Sorona renewable fibers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#6 The veganest vegan shoe to date: French brand uses 5 sustainable leathers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#7 Patagonia nabs recycled cotton fiber supply deal<\/h4>\n\n\n\n