UK government moves to end "vague and misleading" bioplastic terminology
The UK government has called for experts to help it develop standards for bioplastics and biodegradable plastics, amid rising concern over greenwashing. More
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Fish scale bioplastic wins UK James Dyson Award for student design
University of Sussex graduate Lucy Hughes used fish waste to create MarinaTex, a compostable alternative to single-use plastic that has won her this year's UK James Dyson Award. More
PriestmanGoode shakes up air travel to eliminate single-use plastic
Industrial design studio PriestmanGoode swaps single-use plastic for ground coffee beans and rice husk in its overhaul of throwaway cabin service goods from meal trays to toiletries. More
Carlo Ratti's orange squeezer serves juice in bioplastic cups made from the peel
Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati has developed an orange juice bar that turns the waste fruit peel into 3D-printed bioplastic cups to drink the contents from, as an example of the circular economy in practice. More
Cubitts makes Redux glasses from waste materials including human hair and potatoes
Corn husks, wool and yoghurt pots are some of the materials used in a series of experimental spectacles by British eyewear brand Cubitts. More
Bio Iridescent Sequin made from trees responds to growing demand for greener fashion
Designer Elissa Brunato has created the Bio Iridescent Sequin, a shimmering bead made from natural cellulose that is more sustainable than regular plastic sequins. More
Kartell creates bioplastic version of its iconic Componibili storage unit
Italian furniture brand Kartell has released a "fully sustainable" version of its bestselling Componibili storage unit made from bioplastic. More
Aivan grows headphones from fungus and yeast
Fungus, yeast-based bioplastic and other materials grown by microbes have been used to make the Korvaa headphones, designed by Finnish studio Aivan in collaboration with scientists. More
Basse Stittgen gives discarded eggs new life as bioplastic tableware
German designer Basse Stittgen aims to address the issue of global food waste and overconsumption with a series of tableware objects made solely from out-of-date eggs. More
Biodegradable plastics offer "no advantage" over conventional plastics in reducing ocean pollution
Bags made of supposedly biodegradable plastics remain intact and useable three years after being dropped in the sea or buried underground, researchers have found. More
Bioplastics could be "just as bad if not worse" for the planet than fossil-fuel plastics
Bioplastics could potentially be worse for the environment than conventional plastics, according to recycling expert Arthur Huang. More
Watch our talk with Arthur Mamou-Mani about his bioplastic COS installation
Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs spoke to architect Arthur Mamou-Mani about the design of Conifera, his 3D-printed bioplastic installation for COS, in this talk filmed by Dezeen during Milan design week. More
Icelandic design studio makes bioplastic meat packaging from animal byproducts
Reykjavík design studio At10 has created a bioplastic meat packaging made out of the skin of the animal itself to reduce waste surrounding meat consumption. More
Arthur Mamou-Mani promotes circular design with bioplastic Conifera installation for COS
French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani has assembled a structure from 700 bioplastic bricks in the courtyard of a 16th-century palazzo, as this year's Milan design week installation for fashion brand COS. More
Thomas Vailly uses sunflowers to make bio-based materials
Eindhoven-based designer Thomas Vailly explores turning sunflower crop waste into bio-materials to make sustainable products from insulation panels to iPhone cases. More
Katie Paterson invites UK public to build sand mountains
Bioplastic buckets in the shape of mountains will be distributed across 25 UK beaches this summer as part of a participatory art project by artist Katie Paterson. More
Shellworks turns discarded lobster shells into recyclable bioplastic objects
Four designers from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College have developed a series of machines that turn seafood waste into a biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic. More
Cocoon BioFloss would enable people to grow their own micro homes
The latest movie in our Dezeen x MINI Living series explores architect Maria Vergopoulou's concept for self-build micro homes made of bioplastic, which came third in the Dezeen x MINI Living Future Urban Home Competition. More
Margarita Talep develops algae-based alternative to single-use plastic packaging
Chile-based designer Margarita Talep has created a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to single-use packaging, using raw material extracted from algae. More
The Guardian newspaper switches from plastic to compostable wrapping
UK national newspaper The Guardian has scrapped its polythene packaging in favour of a compostable wrapping made from potato starch, in a bid to reduce its plastic waste. More