The upcycling of ocean plastic waste

July 9, 2018  |  EcoNote

According to Parley for the Oceans, recent studies indicate that at least 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing more than 250,000 tons are now floating in the world’s oceans. The majority of the debris sinks or remains in the five areas of the oceans called vortexes. However, a significant per…
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FixIt plastic is an eco-friendly household repair product

July 5, 2018  |  EcoNote

Chris Lefteri Design has launched what it claims is the world’s first compostable, hand-moldable plastic stick meant put quick fixes for ordinary challenges back in the hands of the user. The plastic stick softens in 60 °C water and can then be molded to patch or handle any number of household or…
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Food crop waste to be used in fiber production

July 3, 2018  |  EcoNote

Circular Systems, a materials-science startup, plans to turn food crop waste like banana peels, sugarcane pulp, pineapple leaves, and hemp and flax stalks into textiles, according to an article in Sourcing Journal. The company’s proprietary closed-loop system, called Agraloop Bio-Refinery, is desi…
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Nut shells used for natural textile dyes

June 25, 2018  |  EcoNote

Basque outdoor brand Ternua has announced the launch of a project which will see it collect nut shells to be used to make natural dyes for its products. The initiative is supported by Spain’s Dept. of the Environment and by the regional government of the Gipuzkoa province, with the cooperation of …
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Archroma offers new indigo dye for denim

June 12, 2018  |  EcoNote

Chemical company Archroma has introduced Denisol Pure Indigo 30, an aniline-free* denim indigo dye. The company reports the new dye provides a nontoxic way to produce the traditional blue that consumers associate with denim. Currently, aniline impurities are an unavoidable element of producing indi…
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Sustainable oil-absorbent mats receive recognition

June 5, 2018  |  EcoNote

WellGro Tech has recently been recognized as a qualified supplier of pollution control equipment by the Indian Coast Guard. The Indian Coast Guard, under the Ministry of Defense, is the central coordinating agency for oil spill response. The company, based in Chennai, India, developed the biodegrada…
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Unifi receives UNC Sustainability Award

May 30, 2018  |  EcoNote

Unifi, maker of REPREVE performance fiber, announces that it is the inaugural business recipient of the 2018 University of North Carolina Sustainability Award from Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Center for Sustainable Enterprise and the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. The award recogn…
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Lenzing to produce EcoVero™ in China

May 23, 2018  |  EcoNote

The Lenzing Group marks a new milestone in its sustainability journey: It is introducing the eco-responsible process for the production of Lenzing™ EcoVero™ branded viscose fibers in Nanjing, China. The environmental awareness of consumers has been steadily growing over the past decade, and espe…
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Polymer from the ocean used in water-based fabrication

May 21, 2018  |  EcoNote

Under the leadership of designer and architect Neri Oxman, a group of researchers from the Mediated Matter group at MIT have developed a water-based digital fabrication platform using a renewable polymer from the ocean. The process combines an age-old, crustacean-derived material with robotic f…
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The nova-Institute names six finalists for Innovation Award

May 9, 2018  |  EcoNote

The nova-Institute has announced its six finalists for the Bio-based Material of the Year 2018 Innovation Award, which recognizes technologies in the bio-based chemicals and materials industry for suitable applications and new markets for their products. The finalists are from six different countrie…
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