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
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
The Revalu platform uses one million data points and an AI-powered accuracy checker to enable architects to compare the environmental impacts of different building materials. More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Surfacing brand Armourcoat has launched a range of textured, biodegradable wall plaster surfaces that combine the natural appearance of clay with enhanced durability. More
Promotion: Austrian facade specialist Rieder worked with architecture studio Faerber to preserve the original structure of a townhouse through the installation of a three-dimensional concrete facade. More
Designer Emy Bensdorp has found a way to clean PFAS "forever chemicals" from contaminated clay soil by firing it into bricks as part of a project showcased at Dutch Design Week. More
A group of design graduates from London's Royal College of Art have come up with a way to make RFID tags entirely from paper, with no metal or silicon components in a bid to cut down on waste from single-use electronics. More
British startup The Tyre Collective has begun to make products from the microplastic particles that come off car tyres as they drive on roads, producing results including jewellery, a lamp and a battery. More
British designer Gareth Neal and Dutch studio The New Raw have used thrice-recycled plastic and a new 3D-printing method to create the objects in the Digitally Woven series, which are printed in loops rather than layers. More
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
Danish toymaker Lego has abandoned its pilot programme to make recycled plastic bricks from discarded bottles after projections suggested that, adopted at scale, the material would ultimately have a higher carbon footprint. More
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