Styrofoam decomposing mealworms

Plastic-Eating Organisms – While mealworms normally feed on wheat bran, biologists at Stanford University and Peking University have given them polystyrene – a form of plastic foam – instead. Mostly, this material is used for polystyrene packaging, yoghurt cups or cable insulation. In a test experiment, the worms ate the material completely – approx. 40 mg per[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Mehlwürmer Frauenhofer Institut

Brill Food Printer

Culinary Products From the Printer – The Brill Food Printer enables a variety of culinary shapes and colors with its food-grade 3D printing technology. Using this innovative technology, chefs can produce visually unusual creations for confectionery, garnishes or figurines in different sizes. The result of cooperation between the companies Brill Inc. and 3D Systems, as well as various chefs, focuses[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Brill Food printer 3DSystems

EcoPaXX

Biobased Polyamide – EcoPaXX is an innovative high-performance plastic developed to provide a sustainable, bio-based and carbon-neutral packaging solution. Made up of 70% castor oil, the plastic offsets the amount of carbon emitted during manufacturing through the growth of the tropical castor plant. The polyamides are thus suitable in the food industry as well as in the[...]

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MILK MaterialLab EcoPaxx DSM Engineering Plastics

Cartamela Apple Paper

Paper From Apple Scraps – Since 2003, the South Tyrolean company FRUMAT has been drying and grinding the cellulose-containing fruit residues from apple juice production (so-called apple pomace) in order to produce natural paper from them. Nearly half a million tons of these fruit wastes accumulate in the European region every year and, due to their fungal hazard, have[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Car

Tuesa

Birch Bark Antiseptic Containers – Anastasiya Koshcheeva‘s storage boxes Tuesa are truly unique due to the natural birch bark and regional cedar wood. The oils contained in the natural materials ensure a long freshness of the stored food. The modern design was developed and handmade in Siberia. The aesthetic and practical focus is especially on the birch bark, which[...]

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NACHHÄLTER

Wood Cellulose Compostable Packaging – NACHHÄLTER are 100% recyclable and fully compostable packaging solutions whose raw material is created from forestry cuttings. For material recovery, viscose (soluble) is first extracted from the pulp, which is filtered through a pouring nozzle and runs into a precipitation bath, after which a transparent film of pure regenerated cellulose is produced. The Grünkunft[...]

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VEIO

Textile Shells – The scarf series VEIO, processed by turning, was created by Kathin Morawietz‘s idea of pressing the layers of old textiles together by a thin layer of glue. In the process, these become a dense block that retains the feel of the fabric and makes it a visually unique piece. Once the material is strong[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Veio Kathrin

Fungi Mutarium

Plastic Eating Fungus – The prototype Fungi Mutarium enables the cultivation of a fungal biomass that is suitable for consumption, in addition to its amazing ability to degrade long-lasting plastic waste. Specially designed agar forms based on a mixture of starch and sugar, known as “FU“, serve as the nutrient base for the fungus. In shape they resemble[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Fungi Muratium

Kompostier­bares Papier

Compostable Paper – Compostella natural paper is an extremely pure special paper that can be used as an alternative for cling film, aluminum foil, baking paper and wrapping film. The 100% compostable natural paper is made solely from water, cellulose and sugar. Only passing through a mechanical manufacturing process, the paper – without coating, varnishing or impregnation[...]

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Algae Offset Ink

Algae Printing Ink – This algae-based ink replaces petroleum-derived pigments used in conventional offset ink and have a much smaller carbon footprint. The project was carried out jointly by the Patagonia brand and Living Ink. After a successful test run, 8,000 brochures were printed on a 100% PCW recycled paper. Living Ink. has been working on algae-based ink[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Algae Offset Ink Cast Iron

Mak-Pak

Packaging Solution From Macroalgae – In cooperation with Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, Mak-Pak is a two-year scientific project – with the aim of developing a sustainably produced, disposable and, if possible, edible packaging solution from macroalgae. The area of application is the serving of food in the out-of-home consumption as well as in the snack segment. The packaging[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Mak Pak Nordsee

Ponto Biodesign

Bacterial Cellulose Film – Ponto Biodesign offers a sustainable alternative to plastic-based packaging materials. It is obtained from a mixture consisting of water, bacterial and yeast cultures (scoby), which – spread on a smooth surface and dried – produces a bacterial cellulose film with paper-like properties. On contact with water, the material develops an adhesive effect that can[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Ponto Biodesign Elena Amato