Topic: Zero-Waste

Landbox

Straw Insulating Packaging – The Landbox is an alternative to conventional polystyrene packaging made of straw. Annually, a large amount of the agricultural by-product remains unused. Landpack uses 1,500 tons of straw per year to press it using thermal processes with steam and pressure. The stalks are preserved and hardly damaged mechanically. Since the market price is €80[...]

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YES Straws

Sustainable Straws – YES Straws are made from wheat and sugar cane straws, making them 100% plant-based. The stalks are cleaned and sterilized using the company’s proprietary technology process. For this purpose, the use of chlorine is dispensed with and a high-temperature steam is used. The reeds are sourced from the Poltava region of Ukraine, one of[...]

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Twiice

Edible Drinking Cups – Stephen and Jamie, a father-son duo from New Zealand, founded Twiice to produce edible drinking cups. The handmade and additive-free cups can be consumed after their use, avoiding any packaging waste. They are made from wheat flour, sugar, egg, and vanilla essence, making them an edible alternative to traditional plastic cups. Twiice is available[...]

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HAY! Straws

Straws Like In the Old Days – The special feature of the compostable HAY! Straw wheat straws is their gluten tolerance. The bio-based grain is cut into length, rinsed several times with sterile water and thus preserved. At no time does the genetically unmodified plant come into contact with glyphosate or other chemicals. Many small Dutch farmers supply the company with[...]

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E6PR

Compostable Six-Pack Ring – The E6PR is an innovative six-pack ring that replaces traditional plastic rings on can multipacks. The ring, made from by-product waste and other compostable materials, decomposes within a few days or weeks, depending on its environment. The start-up was created by the merger of several companies that want to put an end to environmental[...]

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Edible Seaweed Packaging

Biodegradable Plastic – Indonesian researchers Dr. Noryawati Mulyno and David Christian developed the Edible Seaweed Packaging made from seaweed. In their homeland, 90% of plastic waste is disposed of in the ocean and at the same time it has a large supply of algae. To produce a plastic-free alternative from the marine plants, they founded the company[...]

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MILK MaterialLab EdibleSeaweedPackaging Evoware Noryawati Mulyno

Smart Materials – Bioplastics

Bioplastic From Food Scraps – The Smart Materials research team at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Genoa uses food scraps to make a bioplastic. To do this, they studied plant waste products such as cocoa pod shells, rice husks, and vegetables that were pulverized for use in vegetable drinks and colored pasta. Depending on the properties of the[...]

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Chitosan Bioplastics

Material From Shrimp Shells – The biodegradable material Chitosan Bioplastics was developed as a research project by industrial designers Paul Kheem and Ronny Haberer during their studies at New York’s Pratt Institute. In order to reduce global marine pollution, they use the chitin found in shrimp shells to develop a plastic alternative from it. Acetylation of the biopolymer yields[...]

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MILK MaterialLab ChitosanBioplastics PaulKheem

Vivomer

Compostable Bioplastics Made With Microorganisms – Shellworks produces Vivomer, a sustainable bioplastic made with microorganisms found in marine or soil environments. Four designers, Ed Jones, Insiya Jafferjee, Amir Afshar and Andrew Edwards of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College, developed the nature based mono-material. As a bio-based polymer, the PHA is 100% vegan and free from microplastics, while[...]

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Tômtex

Material From Chitin and Coffee Grounds – Tômtex makes leather from seafood waste and used coffee grounds. Seafood shells contain a large amount of chitin, which promotes biodegradability of the material. After preparation, the raw materials are refined with a layer of beeswax. Sealing ensures the water resistance of the material and allows individual surface texture. This allows design patterns such[...]

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Gone

Compostable Disposable Packaging – As a result of the environmental impact following sporting events, Lizzie Wright developed the concept of Gone. She was looking for a solution that would replace the plastic packaging of energy gels while being biodegradable. After consumption, athletes can throw “Gone” on the street or in nature without polluting it. The material, which consists[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Gone Lizzi Wright MILK-MaterialLab-Gone-Lizzi-Wright-9

Biotrem

Wheat Bran Disposable Tableware – Growing up in a family that had already been running a mill for decades, Jerzy Wysocki decided to give the residual product of grain milling, wheat bran, a use. He developed a natural material from the grain shell and a small amount of water, which is suitable for use as disposable tableware by hot[...]

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