FranklinTill shares nine principles for a shift to regenerative materials
Design research agency FranklinTill has compiled a list of principles to help designers, makers and brands avoid greenwashing when sourcing textiles. More
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Snøhetta designs compostable hemp light Superdupertube
Norwegian studio Snøhetta has teamed up with lighting brand Ateljé Lyktan to create Superdupertube, an office lamp made from extruded hemp and sugarcane bioplastic. More
"The allure of the 'bio' prefix must be taken with some healthy scrutiny"
Biomaterials have the potential to significantly cut carbon emissions but designers should approach them with caution to avoid creating a whole new set of problems, warns Sioban Imms. More
Ganni makes BioFluff bags from "world's first plant-based fur"
Plastic-free, fake fur made from nettle, hemp and flax fibres envelops these special edition bags that Danish fashion brand Ganni has unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week. More
Food-waste dyes bring colour to mycelium leather in Sages and Osmose project
Two British materials companies, Sages and Osmose, have collaborated to dye sheets of mycelium with natural food waste, mimicking the appearance of tanned leather and suggesting a colourful future for the biomaterial. More
CornWall gives discarded corn cobs new life as tiles
Materials companies Circular Matters and StoneCycling have used corn cobs – one of the world's most plentiful agricultural waste materials – to make interior cladding that is biodegradable and almost entirely bio-based. More
Reef Rocket is a bio-cement reef grown from plant enzymes
Industrial designer Mary Lempres has created a bio-cement structure developed to mimic naturally occurring oyster reefs that tackle coastal flooding, filter seawater and promote biodiversity. More
Dezeen's top 10 innovative materials of 2023
As part of our review of 2023, Dezeen's design and environment editor Jennifer Hahn has rounded up 10 of this year's most significant material innovations, including bricks made from toxic soil and a 3D printer for wool. More
Alcova presents "investigation of design" at exhibition in Miami motel
Milan-based design exhibition Alcova has launched its Miami edition at Miami art week, meant to create a space for independent and experimental design studios at the annual event. More
Natural Material Studio creates restaurant panels from leftover beer
Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio has handcrafted swirly panels made of spent grain salvaged from beer production for a restaurant opened by the local ÅBEN brewery. More
RISD researchers create floating mycelium pods to cleanse waterways
A team of Rhode Island School of Design students and researchers have created tesselated, floating planting beds made of a mycelium biomaterial to cleanse waterways of pollutants and restore wetland habitat. More
Bamboo will "be a major player" in future of architecture says expert Chris Matthews
The strength and availability of bamboo give it the potential to be as dominant in construction as concrete and steel, argues Atelier One engineer Chris Matthews in this interview. More
Lightly chair by Formway for Noho
Dezeen Showroom: nylon derived from castor bean plants is used to make Lightly, a stackable chair designed by New Zealand studio Formway for the brand Noho. More
Five innovative biomaterial installations from Dubai Design Week 2023
The latest edition of Dubai Design Week has launched with a series of biomaterial installations, including a teahouse made from food waste and a light installation made from loofahs. More
Bananatex produces compostable jersey made from Abacá banana plants
Textile company Bananatex has developed a biodegradable lightweight jersey fabric by extracting fibres from the stalks of Abacá banana plants. More
Basse Stittgen creates "remade wood" objects using tree-based bioplastic
German designer Basse Stittgen has developed two methods for transforming lignin, an under-used plant-based polymer, into functional objects. More
Material Bank opens up "new realm of possibilities" in material sampling across Europe
Promotion: US material sample brand Material Bank is launching its services in Europe, which will offer European architects and designers "the most sustainable way to search and sample materials". More
SOM creates spiral of algae bricks for Chicago Architecture Biennial installation
In collaboration with Colorado-based Prometheus Materials, architecture studio SOM has created a spiral installation made of bio-bricks for the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial. More
Ganni unveils handbag made from bacterial leather at LDF
Bacteria were used to grow this one-off edition of the Bou Bag by Danish fashion brand Ganni, made from a leather alternative by London biotech company Modern Synthesis that contains no plastic or petrochemicals. More
Normal Phenomena of Life brand launches to sell biodesigned products
After years of exploring the merging of biotechnology with design, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Christina Agapakis have started what they describe as the "first biodesign lifestyle brand", which launched at London Design Festival. More