A sponge made from a fusion of cotton fibre and squid bone could help to clear some of the world's microplastic pollution after a team of Chinese researchers found it can soak up as much as 99.8 per cent of the particles from water samples. More
The World Cement Association has predicted that global demand for cement and clinker will decrease more than previously expected by 2050 due to changing market trends and sustainable material advancements. More
The realities of climate change have driven another big year in material innovation in 2024. Here are 10 of the best solutions that have put a promising spin on cement, plastic, fur, linoleum, or even introduced something new. More
For the V&A museum's 2024 Make Good installation, design and research studio Material Cultures has developed alternatives to plywood and OSB made from underused woodland resources including pine needles and birch bark. More
The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features Kvadrat's launch of its first recycled polyester textile. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now. More
Fossil fuel-based polyurethane foam has been a firm favourite in furniture manufacturing for over half a century. Jane Englefield investigates the consequences of this dependable but unsustainable material. More
Textile brand Kvadrat has worked with designer Teruhiro Yanagihara to launch its first recycled polyester textile made of waste fabric instead of the usual plastic bottles. More
Ukrainian architecture practice Makhno Studio has developed a range of textured clay panels for use as insulation and interior decoration that naturally regulate humidity. More
British textile brand Kirkby Design has created what it believes to be the first interior fabric made from aloe vera – a plant that grows without need for chemicals, fertilisers or additional watering. More
Dutch designers Suzanne Oude Hengel and Joris de Groot have developed a shoe using just one material – a recyclable thermoplastic that can be knitted, 3D-printed and welded. More
Researcher Tavs Jorgensen has created a method of extruding cob into brick shapes, in an effort to make the low-carbon biomaterial more accessible. More
Omani design collective Nawa has created a plastic-free filament for 3D printing using waste date seeds, which is on display at Dutch Design Week. More
Tokyo-based design studio We+ has released a portable table lamp made from a material that it has developed, which contains rubble and debris from building sites. More
Material-saving and reversible construction approaches are showcased in the spine-like Cadenza concrete spiral staircase, created by researchers at technology university ETH Zurich working with ROK Architects. More
Designer Christopher Bellamy has sought to marry biotechnology and craft in a series of works that combine traditional knowledge from artisans in the Pacific Islands with a new material made from bioluminescent algae. More
US researchers working with SHoP Architects have created a potential alternative to steel and concrete as a structural floor material: recyclable panels made entirely from bioplastic and wood flour. More
Furry seating, biomaterial lights and tactile AI devices feature in Dezeen and ASUS Zenbook's Design You Can Feel exhibition, which is open to the public until 22 September. More
Promotion: this year's Brick in Architecture Awards has opened for submissions, with competitors encouraged to submit innovative brick projects to showcase "brick's virtually limitless versatility". More
A garment clad with iridescent wooden sequins is among the projects on display at the Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition at Finland's Aalto University, demonstrating innovative applications of cellulose. More
Future Facility has created a conceptual artificial intelligence device that aims to provide a "calmer" relationship with technology for ASUS Zenbook and Dezeen's Design You Can Feel exhibition, which opens tomorrow at London Design Festival. More