14-year-old makes biodegradable pots to reduce plastic waste
Srija, a 14-year-old girl from Telangana, a city in India’s Gadwal region, is a young environmentalist keen on supporting the natural world in her community. She involved herself in various tree planting efforts taking place in her city and at her school when one day while digging in the dirt to Read More...
This reusable and biodegradable sponge can help clean up oil spills
Most of the materials designed for removing oil spills from water are single-use, meaning that they’re bound to eventually end up in landfills. We've written about the potential to use shed dog fur for oil spill cleanups, and now, scientists have developed an oil-absorbing sponge that can be used Read More...
Bioplastic made from wood waste breaks down in three months
Finding alternative materials to plastic is a key step towards achieving a circular economy, where no harmful waste ever makes its way into the environment. In this pursuit, scientists have been using all sorts of biomass types to produce more eco-friendly bioplastics, and one of the latest Read More...
Lia is the world’s first flushable, biodegradable pregnancy test
The invention of at-home pregnancy tests was a huge step for reproductive autonomy for women. The ability to detect pregnancy early and discreetly in the privacy of one’s home was revolutionary, but the wasteful plastic design of these test sticks has remained largely unchanged and still leaves Read More...
Breaking down the real meaning of “biodegradable” and “compostable”
“Biodegradable” and “compostable” are terms that pop up frequently in our search to make our day to day purchases more sustainable, but what do they actually mean and what is the difference between the two? That’s exactly the question we’re tackling today. Let’s start with Read More...
These trainers are made from mycelium and dog hair
In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of big brands in the footwear industry make attempts at mitigating the environmental impact of their trainers. This comes as no surprise. Footwear has one of the heaviest carbon footprints of anything we wear, and most of the materials they use can Read More...
Scientists develop a compostable electronic display to help reduce e-waste
With global consumption of electronics on the rise, so is the already overwhelming amount of associated e-waste. One possible way to diminish the environmental impact of e-waste is by making electronic components biodegradable — at least that’s the line of thought of a team of scientists who Read More...
This biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam is made from discarded paper
As it’s non-biodegradable and a pain to recycle, Styrofoam packaging is one of the most pernicious types of plastic pollution. But thanks to an eco-friendly alternative developed by a group of scientists from Germany, it may not be long until the outdated plastic material becomes a thing of the Read More...
This air purifier filters the air in your home in an eco-conscious way
Most air purifiers improve the air quality in your home by removing dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria, using filters made from a combination of glass fibers and plastic. At the end of their lives, typically six to eight months, the nonrecyclable filters are tossed, eventually ending up in a Read More...
This eucalyptus-based hoodie can be composted in your garden
Just over a year ago, we wrote about Vollebak, a Dutch clothing startup making T-shirts that you can bury in your backyard once you’re through with them. That’s because the shirts are made entirely out of wood pulp and algae, which breaks down in soil and becomes “worm food” within months. Read More...