Mattress textiles could be used to make EV batteries

June 12, 2023  |  EcoNote

Electrodes in the lithium batteries that will power tomorrow’s electric vehicles could be made from recycled mattress textiles. In a three-year study at the National Institute for Materials Advancement at Pittsburg State University (PSU) in Kansas, researchers led by Dr. Ram Gupta developed a proc…
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Nanocellulose fibers are used to create biomaterial fabric

May 22, 2023  |  EcoNote

Biotechnology company Modern Synthesis has developed a biomaterial from bacterial fermentation that can be used to create a low-carbon alternative to traditional clothing fabrics. The biomaterial was developed in the company's London lab by growing nanocellulose (a lightweight material produced by b…
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Trerè introduces biotech base layers in the U.S.

May 8, 2023  |  EcoNote

Trerè Innovation, the sustainable apparel and footwear manufacturer based in Asola, Italy, will release its first line of 100 percent bio-based base layers (branded UYN) in the U.S., manufactured in Pennsylvania, in the fall of 2023. The fabrics are made from responsibility harvested plants. Marco…
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New plant-based fabric technology passes EPA hurdle

April 10, 2023  |  EcoNote

Noble Biomaterials, a producer of antimicrobial solutions for soft surface applications, announces that its latest antimicrobial technology has received official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration. Ionic+® Botanical uses a bio-based registered citric acid formula to inhibit the gro…
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Washing the clothes—and the bag they came in 

April 10, 2023  |  EcoNote

Keongho Park & Yejin Heo, designers from the Republic of Korea, have created a new clothing package that not only dissolves in water but disperses washing detergents. After receiving the clothes wrapped in the “Zero Bag,” both the clothes and packaging can be run though a washing machine bef…
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Partnership to develop high performance, bio-based protein fibers

March 27, 2023  |  EcoNote

German biotechnology companies BRAIN Biotech AG and AMSilk GmbH will cooperate to develop new bio-based protein fibers for the performance materials market. Petroleum-based textile fibers made of polyethylene or polyamide are well known to be a main source of microplastics, as well as causing the u…
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Spiber expands production in the U.S. 

March 13, 2023  |  EcoNote

Japanese biotech company Spiber Inc., the makers of branded “Brewed Protein” fibers derived from sugar cane and agricultural residues, expects to increase its production capacity shortly due to its partnership with U.S. industrial biomaterials developer ADM. The company is also researching how t…
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New PFAS regulation changes are coming

February 13, 2023  |  EcoNote

In 2023, consumer product manufacturers, importers and retailers of products containing PFAS must comply with many new regulations in California, Maine, Vermont and Washington. Companies will need to understand the chemicals used on products, the regulations themselves, and have relevant information…
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Solar-powered jacket needs no battery

January 23, 2023  |  EcoNote

In a program called “The Wardrobe of the Future,” students at Finland’s Aalto University students are experimenting with the development of wearable technologies and other innovations that may define what we may choose to wear someday. 
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Solar film use is growing in Europe 

December 19, 2022  |  EcoNote

Solar film, a relatively new product, is being developed by European firms such as the German brand Heliatek and the French enterprise Solar Cloth and has grown in its use recently. While existing solar panels provide an excellent source of clean energy, their rigid framework prevents them from fitt…
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