First full-height timber wind turbine opens in Sweden
The world's first full-scale timber wind turbine has started turning in Sweden, with a tower built by wood technology company Modvion. More
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Researchers find bioplastic drinking straws intact after over a year buried underground
The 5 Gyres research institute says bioplastics are "not a silver bullet solution" for plastic pollution, following a study that raises concerns about so-called biodegradable products. More
Studio Bark devises structural use for waste timber in English woodlands
British architecture practice Studio Bark has worked with students from the University of East London to devise a roof-supporting column with otherwise unusable timber at a site within ancient English woodland. More
"We need to design for human behaviour if we're ever to get rid of single-use plastics"
Packaging designs aimed at boosting recycling rates and reducing the prevalence of single-use plastics are destined to fail unless they help to change people's behaviour, writes Matt Millington. More
Dezeen Agenda
Dezeen Agenda
Dezeen Agenda features apartment building made from Lego-like blocks
The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features an apartment block in California constructed like a "real-life Lego-kit". Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now. More
"Real-life Lego kit" used to create Palm Springs apartment block
Florida-based manufacturer Renco has used stackable, Lego-like blocks made of repurposed materials to build an apartment block in Palm Springs designed by architecture studio Arquitectonica. More
What Design Can Do's climate action challenge returns for 2024
Promotion: design platform What Design Can Do has announced its Redesign Everything Challenge, calling designers to submit ideas that "radically redesign our world". 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 Agenda
Dezeen Agenda
Dezeen Agenda features Australia's ban of engineered stone
The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features Australia's decision to ban engineered stone due to rising cases of silicosis. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now. 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
Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk
Australia has become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone, following rising cases of silicosis among workers who handle the material. More
Stella McCartney presents Sustainable Market of material innovations at COP28
A grape-based leather alternative and sequins made from tree cellulose are among 15 material innovations on show as part of fashion house Stella McCartney's exhibition at the COP28 climate conference. 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
Puma reveals results of Re:Suede experiment to make a biodegradable shoe
Sportswear brand Puma has said it is a step closer to launching a truly biodegradable shoe, following a trial in which a specially made version of its Suede sneakers decomposed under strict conditions. More
Human Material Loop sets out to commercialise textiles made from hair
Dutch company Human Material Loop is using an unusual waste source to make a zero-carbon wool alternative that requires no land or water use: human hair. More
Yi Design turns ceramic waste into water-permeable bricks
Chinese materials company Yi Design has developed a porous brick made from recycled ceramic waste that could be used to prevent flooding in urban areas. More
Five products that use wool in new and unexpected ways
A 3D-printed sofa, a biodegradable urn and a "net-zero carbon shoe" are among a growing cohort of products that are pushing the envelope of what sheep's wool can do. More
Colorifix harnesses bacteria for non-toxic clothes dyeing
The process of using bacteria to colour textiles has been brought to a commercial scale by British company Colorifix, which hopes to cut the fashion industry's use of toxic chemical dyes. More