Tag: Naturally Sourced
Point William: a peninsula in Canada as an experimental site for architecture
2021 RAIC gold medal Shim-Stycliffe architects have developed a twenty-year-long project, on the same site, with the same crew
Gweave – A biodegradable polyester that could disrupt the fashion industry
While compostable textiles seem to be a sustainable solution, MAKE is going to bring to the market a new polymer which is biodegradable and long-lasting
Perry Lethlean: a first botanical garden solely for Australian native species
«Expressing the love–hate relationship Australians have with their landscape». In conversation with Perry Lethlean, TCL’s managing director on The Australian Garden
Henry Glogau makes self-sufficient, sun-powered water distillers in Chile and beyond
Glogau’s structure can be built with local waste: communities can use seawater, rainwater or water from polluted sources. Leftovers become a source of power for LED lights
Checking rainwear’s carbon footprint – the Maium case
The planet-conscious know that rainwear often consists of harmful fluoro-chemicals. In conversation with Anita Palacios, founder of brand Maium, who is changing that notion
Desserto – Vegan leather starting from cactus plantations: the upcoming steps
The textile is developed exploiting the state of Zacatecas green fortune, creating occupation opportunity for inhabitants and capturing CO2
The Pirque Greenhouse: modernism molded with nature in the heart of Chile
«Knowing that humans are not your main audience makes it all the much different». In conversation with Max Núñez of Max Núñez Arquitectos on Santiago Chile’s Pirque Greenhouse
Seaweed harvested from England «a growing reservoir of renewable natural resources
«Seaweed has a large uptake of minerals, which it absorbs directly from the sea». Using these in skincare can help alleviate the negative impacts of the industry
Emphasizing the virtues of wood: AHEC and Brdr. Krüger showcase new hardwood furniture
Whereas demand for European oak has long outstripped supply, maple, cherry and red oak grow abundant in American hardwood forests and remain underused. Curated by Sara Martinsen, the Home of...
Synthetic fur vs. natural fur debate: the industries reached an aggregated value of $25 billion
While animal fur shows biodegradation, polyester-made fake fur can be down-cycled, but consumer opinion is divided with 47% adults in US deeming fur inappropriate
Recycling feces: the business case for elephant dung paper
Elephant dung is the raw material for this low-impact paper production unit based in remote villages of the island nation, Sri Lanka
Blue carbon: nature-based techniques to control the impact of anthropogenic activities
The carbon sequestered in coastal soils can stay trapped for centuries due to the water saturation allowing for a sustained carbon build-up, giving them a role to play in climate...
Jacaranda, Fueguia 1833. Botany based on the activation of existing resources
«Sustainability is about finding imperfections and transforming them into something that can be used». Julian Bedel, founder of Fueguia 1833, celebrates the richness of South American heritage
About how to make the alcohol industry more sustainable? Discarded Spirits Co. case
Here is to the most rubbish drink you’ll every taste, Discarded. Made from waste and forgotten ingredients which they rely on as hidden treasures
Flowers – an industry worth at an estimated figure of 64.5 billion euros
The carbon impact from the transportation of blooms, the hidden environmental costs of bouquets in the Western world: the flowers you find in Europe are mainly coming from East Asia
Tackling fashion’s waste problem with compostability – Three students from Central Saint Martins
Three students from Central Saint Martins created a fashion film centering a garment made of paper cups, eggshells and cornstarch - then buried it after filming
Bio polyurethane: corn-derived polyols could relay be an alternative to leather?
The added value of the material created through corn is the possibility of making the product biodegradable, if processed without affecting its natural integrity
Nature takes over urban waste. What will need to live in synchrony with nature
The Tree Column is Blast Studio’s latest design. Made from recycled coffee cups and mycelium, it is yet another viable option for the future in sustainability
Crabyon – what is this? We are not there yet, but it could be a solution
Crabyon cannot be produced at a large scale. However the large quantities of waste available mean that in the future, it could be a new alternative to viscose
Viticulture: hybrid varieties, cross breeding resistant varieties with varieties of good wine quality
Viticulture, closely intertwined with the land and our earth, is threatened by the precarity of our environment. Wineries all over are being forced to reassess their practices
Dog hair spun into yarn and pre-repaired sneakers: what’s next?
«My aim was to show natural materials that have potential in a product, not to make a sneaker». In conversation with Emilie Burfeind and Matthew Edwards
Our thousands of years old glaciers don’t contain water alone, but our history too
Like archives, glaciers store microbiological and viral data that can help scientists to predict our future climate thanks to new knowledge about ancient ecosystems
Is the felt industry sustainable? The case of Voylok shoes made by mono-materials
Made avoiding the use of dyes, bleach, stitches or glues. By-products from production, such as wool scraps and muddy water, are turned into fertilizers for farmers
The catalyst for the decarbonization of the energy sector in Berlin: Berliner Stadtwerke
Clients know where their electric power comes from. Although Berliner Stadtwerke is not a large company using eco certificates to provide green power, it’s one-hundred percent solar and wind powered
Cotton recycling: the chances we have working on man-made cellulosic fibers
«If cotton or other cellulosic fibers can satisfy the 100 million tons of demand, there’s no reason why we can’t use a regenerated natural fiber from beginning to end»
Carbon sequestration is not a competition, but Biochar is winning. NetZero case
«Many things can be used to fight climate change – biochar is the most mature for scaling and we should push it asap». In conversation with Axel Reinaud, founder of...
Urtica Dioica: the sustainable nettle fabric that looks like silk
«Nettle is the replacement for synthetic fibers since it is the most stable fiber in the natural fibers range»
Vineyards in mineral rich volcanic soil: the case of Lanzarote
What volcanic soil can teach us about regenerative agriculture and the role of biochar in nurturing infertile soil
Colorifix – Tackling one of the textile industry’s most environmentally damaging processes: dyeing
CEO Orr Yarkoni explains how cells can be manipulated to dye fabric, cutting back on water wastage and chemical pollution globally. Water use is cut by 50 percent to 90...
Vividye converts garments into a blank canvas, enabling efficient recycling and reuse
A deeper look into the complacency recycling has lent to fashion consumers and the nuances that make or break efficient recycling processes; through the lens of start-up, Vividye
The giant Himalayan stinging nettle — what it means to wild harvest
«Regenerative process means that as you produce, you’re improving the Earth» - how to go beyond sustainability, in conversation with Himalayan Wild Fibers
Fiquetex: crafting vegan leather and fabrics from Colombian succulents
«We use about one third of the energy needed to craft animal leather». Gabriel Moreno, Fiquetex, winner of the Oxford University Best Postgraduate Idea
Street style becomes a uniform for climate change, inspired by death
Defining Fictional streetwear: using ‘dead stuff’ and making it into something new, reimagining these materials in their own image – the idea of death runs through the entire project
Nūdo: all-natural biodegradable beauty essentials designed to blend back with nature over time
From bamboo to sisal, all-natural raw materials replace plastic offering an alternative to everyday products that already exist
The KAIKU machine – the future of color comes from fruits and vegetables
«It’s a multi-steps process that makes us get the color that we need. Then, in the end, we get this biomass for fertilizer and biofuels». Nicole Stjernswärd, design technologist
The state of paper recycling – challenges and opportunities for a circular industry in Europe
In Europe, Fibre-based packaging is contributing to the circular biobased economy, as eighty-four point six percent of paper and board packaging is recycled
Change starts with farming: regenerative farming and foresting – From Farm to Fabric to Fashion
Experiences coming from farms and attention to the biodiversity that surrounds them highlight the ethical success of the development in the fashion system
The overlay of six different shades of Musk, more about Musk complexity fragrance
The union of a single natural raw material such as musk together with wood, spices, fruits and flowers searches for three-dimensionality in the collection of fragrances
Alvaro Catalàn de Ocon blending plastic bottle with Bogota’s craftmanship
Alvaro Catalàn de Ocon creates PET lamps: he could be considered a precursor of sustainable design bridging the gap between industrial production and craftmanship
Powder to liquid soap: a simple answer to complicated issues. The Forgo case
«If we have things with the system of refilling or of re-use, then throwing something away or recycling doesn’t have to be the first option». In conversation with Forgo cofounder Allon...
Castor oil plant material – Neubau opening up a new perspective on green eyewear production
How through the use of biopolymers derived from a renewable substance, Neubau’s eyeglasses perform equally or better than the material with the polymer mix
Knitting experimentation and natural dyeing: Olivia Rubens
Olivia Rubens grew bioplastic on material from algae, without releasing toxicity in the process «We use humor as a shield and as a pathway»
How paper waste can get up-cycled instead of down-cycled – the case of Honext
Barcelona-based startup Honext has developed a way to transform paper waste into panels, using materials which already exist rather than consuming raw materials
Biodegradable clothing will not spontaneously disappear from your closet: the AlgiKnit case
You can’t eliminate harmful materials, such as polyester, without replacing it with something else. Kelp can be turned into fiber and that is what we will work with
The struggle of creating an entirely new textile: leather from shell seafood by Tomtex
«They have a lot of interesting properties but they have a lot of interesting problems that go with it» In conversation with Ross McBee on what vegan leather actually means
Challenges in developing materials for the automotive sector: Volkswagen is reusing coffee waste
Silverskin: Volkswagen is developing, among a series of bio-based materials, a leatherette with coffee waste as a principal component of the filling
