Collaborate Disseminate
The outdoor industry has a history of using merino wool in new, previously unexpected ways, but that still didn’t prepare us for the wool bandages showcased at this year’s summer Outdoor Retailer show. New Zealand’s WoolAid says that its natural bandag… Continue reading Merino wool bandages deliver breathable, biodegradable healing
Last year, scientists at Northwestern University announced a transient pacemaker that dissolves when no longer needed. They’ve now improved the device, and incorporated it into a linked suite of wearable sensors.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, Scien… Continue reading Dissolving pacemaker links up with wearables to better control the heart
Discarded shoes are a particularly bulky form of waste, with their molded rubber soles joined to often synthetic uppers. Blueview shoes reportedly offer a greener alternative, however, as they’re claimed to completely biodegrade once thrown away.Contin… Continue reading Made partially from algae, Blueview shoes are made to fully biodegrade
While all non-recyclable plastics aren’t very eco-friendly, expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam is particularly problematic, as it’s bulky and frequently used in disposable packaging. It could one day be replaced by a new biodegradable material, however, m… Continue reading Sawdust-based material could be an eco-friendly alternative to EPS foam
If you’re designing a plastic for applications such as food packaging, you want it to stay clean but you don’t want it to stick around for centuries once discarded. A new lotus-leaf-inspired material may fit that bill.Continue ReadingCategory: Material… Continue reading Leaf-inspired bioplastic shrugs off liquids and biodegrades in soil
It’s ironic that even though many people are starving, a great deal of food gets discarded because it spoils before it can be eaten. A new natural-source packaging material could help, by making foods last longer – plus it’s biodegradable.Continue Read… Continue reading Corn-based biodegradable film shown to help fresh foods last longer
As 3D-printed electrical circuits become more widely produced, the problem of electronic waste could correspondingly get worse. That’s why Swiss scientists have developed a new natural-source “e-ink” that biodegrades once discarded.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Biodegradable e-ink makes for eco-friendlier 3D-printed electronics
Although there are now biodegradable single-use electronic devices such as environmental sensors, the batteries which power those devices can still pose an ecological problem. That’s why scientists have now created a fully biodegradable paper-based bat… Continue reading Flexible paper-based battery is designed to biodegrade once discarded
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam is a problematic material, in that it’s cheap and lightweight but also non-biodegradable and difficult to recycle. German scientists have developed a possible alternative, though – foam made out of popcorn.Continue Readi… Continue reading Popcorn used to create an eco-friendly alternative to polystyrene foam
Producing leather from animal skin is a practice humans have engaged in for thousands of years, but the environmental consequences of modern processing techniques have led some to seek a greener alternative. Among them are scientists at Finland’s VTT T… Continue reading Scientists produce continuous sheets of sustainable mushroom leather