Five innovative startups with female founders
CategoriesSustainable News

Five innovative startups with female founders

How many startups are founded by women? Although there are signs of progress, the answer remains ‘too few.’

According to data compiler Statista, the proportion of global startups with at least one female founder increased from 10 per cent in 2009 to 20 per cent in 2019. This long-term trend may be promising, but 20 per cent is still a strikingly low figure – significantly lower than the 32 per cent of S&P 500 board seats that are held by women, and far short of the 49.7 per cent of the world population that is female.

The headline figure also doesn’t tell the full story. As a worldwide statistic it masks significant regional variation, and it also smooths over imbalances between sectors. For example, one study of US companies founded between 2016 and 2021 showed that women make up 24 per cent of founders in the education sector, but only 10 per cent in fintech and energy, and 9 per cent in hardware.  

As Springwise reported last year, female founders are also getting short-changed when it comes to the amount of early-stage capital they receive compared to their male counterparts. And the proportion of venture capital funding allocated to startups with female founders has remained flat since 2011, even as the proportion of female-founded companies has increased.

At Springwise we regularly see inspiring work from female founders. To celebrate International Women’s Day, discover five of the most exciting innovations from female-founded startups.

Photo source The Earthshot Prize

There is perhaps no better place to start than Mukuru Clean Stoves, winner of the ‘Clean our Air’ category at The Earthshot Prize in 2022. Led by Kenya-born Charlot Magayi, the startup uses recycled materials to manufacture safe and clean cookstoves for low-income families in East Africa. One of the key benefits of the stoves is that they tackle household air pollution, which causes a range of health issues from strokes and heart disease to lung cancer. Magayi became aware of the issue in 2012, while she was researching safer stove designs after her daughter was burned by an overturned cookstove. Inspired to make a difference, she founded Mukuru Clean Stoves to make cleaner cooking affordable for all. Read more

Photo source Alterpacks

Countries across the globe are producing millions of metric tonnes of single-use plastic waste each year. And even the cardboard and paper containers that are increasingly common are not truly sustainable, as most contain a plastic coating to prevent leaks. To tackle this problem, Singapore-based startup Alterpacks has developed a line of compostable packaging made from malt and barley grain waste from beer brewing. Rather than relying on a coating, the whole container is leakproof, microwaveable, washable, and home-compostable. Alterpacks was founded by Karen Cheah. After 20 successful years working for entertainment companies, Cheah embarked on a change of career, founding the startup after completing a Master’s at Singapore Management University. Read more

Photo source Pexels

French startup Uptrade is on a mission to solve the fashion industry’s fabric waste problem. The company has developed a matchmaking platform that connects those with unused fabric to sell with those looking to buy. For buyers, Uptrade curates a selection of ‘sleeping stocks’ based on quantity, quality, and origin. Traceability is core to the platform, with the ‘Uptrade – Saved fabric’ label guaranteeing both the origin of a fabric and the sustainable approach of the seller. Uptrade also negotiates a price that is fair to both parties. For sellers, Uptrade takes care of all the logistics. All the seller has to do is prepare the parcel and let Uptrade know its weight and dimensions. Further instructions are then provided with the purchase order, with shipping costs borne by the buyer. Uptrade was founded by female duo Eleonore Rothley Lafon and Charlotte Billot. Billot had been working on reusing end-of-life products for 10 years before she met Lafon, who had experience with a social enterprise in Cambodia focused on environmental protection and natural fibre production. Together, the pair developed the idea of Uptrade. Read more

Photo source Localyze

The long-term economic success of many European countries is threatened by a persistent talent gap. And in hi-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, the problem is particularly acute. Faced with the challenge of filling vital positions, it is more important than ever that companies can access the best talent from around the world. But relocating employees and hiring across borders comes with administrative and logistical challenges. This is where German startup Localyze comes in. Part all-in-one platform, part personalised support service, Localyze takes care of the admin-heavy tasks involved with finding the best global talent. The company claims that HR teams can hand over cases involving global mobility to its experts in as little as two minutes. They can then easily keep tabs on the status of each case through an easy-to-use dashboard that notifies users when they need to act. Localyze was founded by three women: Hanna Marie Asmussen, Lisa Dahlke, and Franzi Low. The idea for the startup came from their shared experiences of employee relocation and its many challenges. Read more 

Photo source Puna Bio

A large proportion of the world’s arable land is already degraded by the effects of climate change, pollution, and salinisation, and this is set to get worse over time. At the same time, the agricultural industry spends a huge amount of money on fertilisers and other soil treatments. Now, Argentinian startup Puna Bio is developing a novel all-natural solution for improving crop yields using extremophile organisms – microbes evolved to thrive in extreme environments. Puna Bio co-founder Elisa Bertini scoured locations including Utah’s Great Salt Lake and South America’s high desert, known in Argentina as La Puna, for organisms that thrive in harsh environments like active volcanoes, saline wetlands, and desert soils. The extremophiles that live in these locations have evolved to live with a low amount of nutrients, such as nitrogen or phosphorus, making them very efficient. When transported to other soils, including those that are very degraded, these organisms thrive and improve yield. Bertini founded Puna Bio with two female co-founders, Caroline Belfiore and María Eugenia Farías, along with their male colleague Franco Martínez Levis. Read more

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

For more innovations, head to the Springwise Innovation Library.

Reference

Render of Forest Green Rovers mass-timber stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects
CategoriesSustainable News

Eleven upcoming buildings with mass-timber structures

A stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects and housing by Adjaye Associates feature in this roundup of upcoming wooden buildings, curated as part of our Timber Revolution series.

Also featured on the list are towers, university buildings and an airport terminal, illustrating mass timber’s potential for use in a variety of architectural projects.

Mass-timber products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam), are growing in popularity in architecture as they can offer a low-carbon alternative to commonplace materials including steel and concrete.

They also help to bring a natural aesthetic to buildings, supporting the principles of biophilia that can boost occupant wellbeing.

Read on for 11 upcoming buildings with mass-timber structures:


Render of Forest Green Rovers mass-timber stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects
Image by Negativ

Eco Park, UK, by Zaha Hadid Architects

Set to become the world’s first timber football stadium, Eco Park by Zaha Hadid Architects will be built in England as the home of Forest Green Rovers football club.

According to the studio, the 5,000-seat venue will be built almost entirely from wood – including its overhanging roof, structure and cladding.

It is also expected to be powered by sustainable energy sources, reflecting the values of the team, which FIFA named the world’s greenest football club.

Find out more about Eco Park ›


Render of the 32 storey tall Rocket&Tigerli in Switzerland
Image courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen

Rocket&Tigerli, Switzerland, by Schmidt Hammer Lassen

In Switzerland, the world’s tallest wooden building, designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, is currently under development. The 100-metre-tall tower will have a timber core and load-bearing structure.

Slated for completion in 2026, it will be clad in terracotta and sit alongside three other blocks. Together, these will form a complex containing everything from housing to shops.

Find out more about Rocket&Tigerli ›


Render of the exterior of the World of Volvo
Image courtesy of Henning Larsen Architects

World of Volvo, Sweden, by Henning Larsen Architects

This mass-timber building will house an experience centre and meeting place for the car manufacturer Volvo in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Its structural columns and beams will all be constructed from glulam while the floor slabs will be constructed from CLT.

According to the designer Henning Larsen Architects, the project is hoped to “set a new standard for the many ways we can use timber in architecture”.

Find out more about World of Volvo ›


Render of Timber House by Adjaye Associates
Image courtesy of Waterfront Toronto

Timber House, Canada, by Adjaye Associates

Timber House by Adjaye Associates is expected to become one of the largest residential mass-timber structures in Canada.

Once complete, it will combine affordable housing units with residences for senior citizens, enclosed by a distinctive gridded facade with planted balconies.

The design forms part of the wider Quayside development in Toronto, which will also feature buildings by Alison Brooks Architects and Henning Larsen Architects and is hoped to become “the first all-electric, zero-carbon community at this scale”.

Find out more about Timber House ›


Mass-timber interior of BIG's Dock A at Zurich Airport
Image courtesy of BIG

Dock A, Switzerland, BIG and HOK

Timber sourced locally in Switzerland will be used to construct Dock A, the mass-timber terminal that BIG and HOK are developing for Zurich airport.

Its main structure will be formed of V-shaped timber columns, giving the building a natural material palette that nods to the long-standing tradition of wood construction in the country.

“The visually calm material palette, natural light, and biophilia help redefine passenger expectations of the typical airport experience,” said BIG partner Martin Voelkle.

Find out more about Dock A ›


Tilburg University Lecture Hall by Powerhouse Company in the Netherlands
Image courtesy of Powerhouse Architects

Tilburg University Lecture Hall, Netherlands, by Powerhouse Company

Creating a circular building that eliminates waste and pollution is the aim of the Tilburg University Lecture Hall, which Powerhouse Company is designing in the Netherlands.

The square-shaped building will be built with demountable and recyclable components, including 4.6 kilometres-worth of structural timber beams and hung limestone facade panels.

Find out more about Tilburg University Lecture Hall ›


A render of a mass timber building in Iceland
Image courtesy of Jakob+MacFarlane

Living Landscape, Iceland, by Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark

Scheduled for completion in 2026, Living Landscape is a mixed-use building designed to transform a landfill site in Reykjavík.

According to its architects, Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark, it will become the “largest wooden building in Iceland” upon completion thanks to its CLT structure.

The studio is also aiming for the building to achieve net-zero lifetime carbon emissions, which will be achieved in part through the use of timber but also through renewable energy.

Find out more about Living Landscape ›


Construction of Naples Central Underground Station
Image by Paolo Fassoli

Naples Underground Central Station, Italy, by EMBT

Large, undulating sections of glulam are being used to create the sculptural Naples Underground Central Station, which is currently under construction in Italy.

Barcelona studio EMBT said that the use of wood is intended to “introduce a piece of nature” to Centro Direzionale, the surrounding 1970s district designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.

Find out more about Naples Underground Central Station ›


Mass timber interior of Homerton College entrance foyer
Image by Filippo Bolognese Images

Homerton College, UK, by Alison Brooks Architects

Another education building on the list is a student hub designed by Alison Brooks Architects for the University of Cambridge. It will have an expressed CLT and glulam structure, concealed externally by copper cladding.

The studio said the timber’s sequestered carbon “will more than offset the emissions from regulated carbon emissions produced from building services installations and unregulated carbon emissions from day-to-day building use”.

Find out more about Homerton College ›


Render of Dublin's Dock Mill by Urban Agency
Image courtesy of Urban Agency

Dock Mill, Ireland, by Urban Agency

One of the more unusual projects on the list is a mass-timber extension to an existing mill in Dublin, which will be one of the tallest timber buildings in Europe when it completes.

Named Dock Mill, the project by Urban Agency will use CLT to ease and quicken construction on the restricted waterside site.

A double-skin glass facade will wrap the timber structure of the new extension, which the studio envisions as a “modern take on the glasshouse”.

Find out more about Dock Mill ›


The Pirelli 39 development by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Stefano Boeri Architetti
Image courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Stefano Boeri Architetti

Pirelli 39, Italy, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Stefano Boeri Architetti

In Milan, a green-walled tower with a mass-timber structure is set to be built alongside the 1950s Pirellino office skyscraper.

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Stefano Boeri Architetti, it forms part of a wider renovation project of the existing Gio Ponti-designed building, to which it will be linked by a multi-storey glass bridge.

Its timber structure will be complemented by 1,700 square meters of green walls that will change colour with the seasons.

Find out more about Pirelli 39 ›


Timber Revolution logo
Illustration by Yo Hosoyamada

Timber Revolution
This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

Reference

Using insects as sustainable bioreactor replacements for lab research
CategoriesSustainable News

Using insects as sustainable bioreactor replacements for lab research

Spotted: One day in 2018, Matt and Jalene Anderson-Baron were standing in line at the University of Alberta Tim Hortons discussing how to grow a cell-based chicken nugget without using foetal bovine serum (which is harvested from bovine foetuses during slaughter). The two wondered if they could use fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, to act as a substitute for bioreactors. The result of this conversation was Future Fields and its fruit-fly-based EntoEngine.

Bioreactors (which look like giant steel tanks) are used to generate the biomolecules needed for things like medicine, vaccines, and cultivated meat. However, bioreactors have a large carbon footprint. To reduce this, Future Fields uses fruit flies as a replacement. The process begins by identifying the protein that they want to produce and cloning the necessary DNA sequence.

Future Fields inserts the DNA into the fruit fly genome and breeds the flies. It then extracts and purifies the protein, and tests for quality. Compared to traditional recombinant protein production methods, Future Fields’ insect-based EntoEngine uses less water and energy, emits fewer greenhouse gases, and has a smaller land footprint. It also produces waste products that have other uses, contributing to a circular economy.

Video source Future Fields

Co-founder Matt Anderson-Baron explains: “We’ve passed a tipping point where it’s scaling, not creating, biotech-based products that is the fundamental hurdle for founders, companies, and entire industries. Our approach is 30 times faster than tanks and more or less infinitely scalable with minimal investment.”

Future Fields recently $11.2 million (around €10.5 million), which will be used to scale the team and construct a “world first” production facility.

Researchers are increasingly turning to insects to improve sustainability. Some of the innovations Springwise has also spotted include a project that uses flies to convert food waste into animal feed and fertiliser, and salmon feed made from plastic-fed waxworms.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Climatically Climactic: 6 Modern North African Residences Reveling in Their Context
CategoriesSustainable News

Climatically Climactic: 6 Modern North African Residences Reveling in Their Context

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter. 

The architecture of North Africa is diverse and rich in history and culture, with a variety of architectural styles and building technologies that are influenced by the different civilizations who have inhabited the area that spans along the northern coast of Africa.

This is not to say that a region of that size and rich history is neither homogeneous nor singular in its architectural identity. On the contrary, this collection celebrates the heterogeneity of architecture in North Africa by sampling a handful of residential projects whose architectural elements have been remarkably responsive to the specificities of their sites’ environments, traditions and history while remaining modern and responsive to their time.


The Colonnade House

By Atelier Messaoudi Architectes , Tipaza, Algeria.

Photo by Reda Ait Saada

In this highly accessible house that was designed for two elderly parents in Tipaza, three factors guided the design process: privacy, weather conditions and activity, which reflected on the building envelope, building layout and building orientation. The design of the openings achieved the required level of privacy for Algerian culture, while opening up the house to the surrounding garden for natural ventilation, sunlight and views, taking in consideration the challenging weather conditions of the area.

The light colored and local building materials responded to the climate. Similarly, the overhanging colonnaded gallery adjacent to the main living spaces sheltered them against the southern sunlight, while simultaneously acting as an intermediate living space for the family for dining and circulation.


Villa Agava

By Driss Kettani Architecte, Casablanca, Morocco

Reinterpreting the courtyard layout, this house is reminiscent of traditional houses, highly introverted with openings and activity turned inwards, surrounded by enclosure walls and solid facades. The openness of the house increases along the north-south axis, complemented by three landscape sequences, beginning with a solid and closed façade containing the main entrance on the north, with the house gradually becoming more extroverted as it reaches an open garden on the south, in a manner that also responds to the weather conditions. Inside, the house layout is characterized with a high level of spatial fluidity, transparency and openness, with big windows opening to the outside pool, the mineral garden on the west and the huge vegetal garden on the south.


Cedar Street House

By Alia Bengana architect, Algiers, Algeria.

Photo by Myriam Bengana

The new remodeling of the Cedar Street House witnessed the enlargement of the 1950’s house and the addition of a new basement and terrace that overlooks the the Bay of Algiers. The new terrace comes as an extension of the living room, spanning over the expansion of the ground floor, extending up to the outdoor swimming pool. Huge local plants border the swimming pool to secure the privacy for the house owners and creates a more intimate outdoors space, while the white exterior walls succeed in reflecting the summer sun and ensure a more comfortable interior environment.


Dar bibi

By JELJELI studio, Tunis, Tunisia

The renovation of Dar Bibi was to accommodate the changes in the house users, after the passing of Hassene Jeljeli’s grandfather and his mother moving back into her childhood home to look after his grandmother. In that sense, the intergenerational use of domestic spaces is one aspect of the region’s culture and family structures that was exemplified in this project.

The changes consisted of turning the old living room into two new bedrooms, while adding a new and larger living room that would accommodate the whole family, in the form of a floating volume, which was added to the old building. The new white façade was designed as a climatic wall, consisting of modular breeze-blocks that are molded in situ, providing natural ventilation while diffusing the strong southern sunlight.


Reyard House Team Bosphorus

By Studio Hcrbzkrt, Ben Guerir, Morocco

 The name of the project consists of two parts: “Re” that stands for recycling and “Yard” that refers to the courtyard. Together the word reads as the word Riad, which is the traditional Moroccan courtyard house. The house was designed and built in Morocco by the Turkish Team Bosphorus for the Africa edition of the ‘Solar Decathlon’ competition. The team focused on finding solutions that would counter the hot and dry desert climate while honoring tradition.

The building envelope alternates between solid walls that ensure privacy and perforated walls that allow cross ventilation through the yard to cool off the interior. Built out of local materials consisting of rammed earth and wooden framed panels, the team increased the house efficiency by using a water treatment system and solar panels for energy.


Dar Mim 

Septembre, Hammamet, Tunisia

Photo by Sophia Baraket

Photo by Sophia Baraket

Located in the historic heart of the city, the renovation and the extension of Dar Mim demanded the addition of a new volume containing living areas for guests, adjacent to the existing traditional courtyard house used by the client. Adopting the traditional courtyard house layout, the living areas were distributed around the two existing courtyards, weaved together through a set of spatial and visual connections, both horizontal and vertical. Relying on local building materials and craftsmanship, the traditional building techniques and the use of lime paint and plaster on all exterior walls allowed the extension to fit with its context and adapt to the weather conditions and turned the walls into canvases that reflected lights and shadows.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter. 

Reference

Robots helping children with disabilities stay on track
CategoriesSustainable News

Robots helping children with disabilities stay on track

Spotted: Teaching in an inclusive manner that makes full use of accessibility technologies can greatly “improve the potential for learning in children and youth with learning disabilities.” Robots have been used in recent years to assist students with autism spectrum disorder, and now a team of researchers at the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Laboratory (SIRRL) at the University of Waterloo in Canada has created a robot to help students with learning disabilities stay focused on the tasks at hand.  

Led by Dr Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, the group tested a social assistance robot named QT in classrooms. Instructors use a tablet to communicate with the robot, including indicating when the robot is to lead a one-on-one lesson with a student. 

QT uses hand and head gestures, as well as changing facial expressions and speech to communicate. In order to help students stay attuned to the lesson, the robot uses a mix of jokes, games, breathing exercises, and physical movement.  

The studies found that the students who learned alongside the robot completed more of their tasks than those without QT. Now, the research team is planning further studies of the robot’s assistive capabilities, along with ways in which the technology could be made more widely accessible.  

From an online assessment that identifies children struggling to read to a mobile-first education platform, Springwise is spotting innovations making education fun and easy to access for a range of abilities.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Timber Revolution logo
CategoriesSustainable News

“We need to start using our wood more efficiently”

A Timber Revolution requires us to focus on reducing mass-timber structures’ raw-material use instead of trying to design the tallest possible wooden building, writes Maximilian Pramreiter.


The renaissance of wood as a building material continues and has major potential to support climate-friendly construction – but it must be used efficiently.

From the second half of the 19th century, almost every product in our lives changed from being made out of a bio-based material to a highly engineered fossil-based alternative. The materials used to construct our buildings changed from natural materials like wood, stone and clay – which were considered antiquated and inferior – to man-made materials like steel, cement and glass.

The renaissance of one of the oldest building materials – wood – has already begun

The combination of steel frames, formwork concrete and glass facades led to the emergence of skyscrapers and marks the beginning of the age of steel at the end of the 19th century. The ensuing race for the design of the world’s highest building reached its temporary climax in 2010 with the completion of the Burj Khalifa at a record height of 828 metres. Today, every well-known city has at least one famous skyscraper in its skyline and concrete, as well as steel, dominates the architectural landscape regardless of the size of the project or its structural necessity.

The debate about how to combat climate change is now putting increasing pressure on the built environment, which currently generates roughly 40 per cent of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, around a third of these building-related emissions are emitted during construction, also known as embodied carbon.

Much of the current discussion on climate protection therefore focuses on how to replace modern construction materials with climate-friendly alternatives. Against this background, the renaissance of one of the oldest building materials – wood – has already begun.

Wood has the ability not only to substitute carbon-intensive materials, but also store carbon in the built environment. This makes it the perfect climate-friendly building material and it is without question that wood will play a key role in transforming the global building sector into a carbon sink.

Quite naturally, a similar race to construct the highest timber building has started. Architecture publications are full of the newest, loftiest wooden skyscrapers, such as Ascent Tower in the USA, which is currently the tallest timber structure in the world at 87 metres, followed by the Mjøstårnet Building in Norway at 85 metres, the HoHo Tower in Austria at 84 metres and the Sara Kulturhus Centre in Sweden at 75 metres.

These innovative heights are achieved using a combination of concrete and engineered wood products, primarily cross laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (GLT). CLT especially has experienced rapid market growth, with production capacities doubling within a couple of years.

Both CLT and GLT have a distinct disadvantage: their raw-material footprint

Among other things, this success story is mainly driven by two factors. Firstly, engineered timber offers a high degree of homogenisation of the natural material wood, which simplifies structural design. Secondly, it provides the possibility to pre-fabricate complete wall and floor elements before delivery to the construction site, shortening overall construction times.

Nevertheless, both CLT and GLT have a distinct disadvantage: their raw-material footprint. It is estimated that roughly 2.5 metres-cubed of roundwood is needed in order to produce 1 metre-cubed of GLT or CLT, not counting cut-outs for windows and doors. The 1.5 metres-cubed of by-products generated are mainly used for low-value products like particle boards or burned. In comparison, timber-frame construction – which is only suitable for low-rise buildings – uses around 2 metres-cubed of roundwood per metre-cubed of timber-frame boards.

To use a real-world example, the aforementioned HoHo Tower is constructed using 365 metres-cubed of GLT and 1,600 metres-cubed of CLT. Based on our research, we estimate that around 4,100 metres-cubed of roundwood was needed to produce these materials.

So, should we stop using GLT and CLT? Quite clearly no. But we need to start thinking about how we can improve the material efficiency of GLT and CLT and whether we can use more resource-efficient wood products like laminated veneer lumber (LVL), laminated strand lumber (LSL) or oriented strand board (OSB) for some constructions.

The race to build the tallest mass-timber skyscraper is therefore missing the point over the longer term. The real race should be to build the mass-timber building with the smallest raw-material footprint.

Relying on a universal solution that can be applied to all projects, regardless of size, will not work and if the current path is followed thoughtlessly then history is going to repeat itself and society will not only have to deal with climate change, but also with severe resource shortages.

If the current path is followed thoughtlessly then history is going to repeat itself

To prevent that from coming to pass, we need to start using our wood more efficiently and to increase the proportion of material used in long-term products and constructions. As well as the raw-material footprint, the energy demand during production and the ability to reuse, repurpose or recycle the whole component or its constituents also needs to be considered.

At the same time, these challenges offer unprecedented architectural and designing possibilities. If we think about all the potential material combinations, as well as currently under-utilised wood species, the timber revolution offers a potential design versatility that is only surpassed by nature itself. It is not going to be a walk in the park, but pioneering never was.

Maximilian Pramreiter is a researcher in the Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Materials at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.

The photo is by Cristina Gottardi via Unsplash.


Timber Revolution logo
Illustration by Yo Hosoyamada

Timber Revolution

This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

Reference

Fully recyclable, custom 3D-printed footwear
CategoriesSustainable News

Fully recyclable, custom 3D-printed footwear

Spotted: According to Vivobarefoot, a staggering 22 billion pairs of shoes go to landfill every year. Working to make the shoe industry more sustainable is Zellerfeld, with shoes that are “printed, not made.”  

Customers use an app to scan their feet, and the scan is then used to 3D print their chosen style of shoe. Made from washable, breathable mesh, the shoes use no glue and have no seams, eliminating the many weak points at which traditional designs generally break. Because the shoes use no rubber, leather, or textiles, they are 100 per cent recyclable. They are also made from recycled materials that are turned into thermoplastics. By not adding any toxins to the material, the entire production process is made much safer and healthier than typical manufacturing.  

There are currently 15 models available, ranging from the more formal uniform style to high-tops, mules, and several other intricately detailed shapes. The company also offers an array of colours. Customers are encouraged to return their old pairs to the company for a fully circular product lifecycle. As well as recycling the old pair, shoppers can choose to upgrade to the latest version of the style, much the same way we periodically trade in our used smartphones for the newest model.  

The company is currently working to increase production from eight printers to 200, before expanding into a North American factory capable of producing 5,000 pairs a day. It currently takes 40 hours to produce a pair of shoes, something the team is working on reducing so a file can be transformed into product almost immediately with next day shipping.  

From baby shoes that dissolve in water to insoles that prevent workplace injuries, Springwise has spotted many ways that shoe tech is evolving.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

GoneShells juice bottle by Tomorrow Machine
CategoriesSustainable News

GoneShells is an edible juice bottle peeled like fruit

Design studio Tomorrow Machine has created a biodegradable juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material that can be peeled away like fruit skin and then eaten, composted or dissolved.

Called GoneShells, the bottle is currently a prototype that is still being developed by the studio in collaboration with global company Eckes Granini for its juice brand Brämhults.

GoneShells juice bottle by Tomorrow Machine
Top: a short video shows how the material dissolves once peeled and added to water. Above: GoneShells is a juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material

“We wanted a name that symbolised a natural way to protect food, similar to fruit peel or eggshells,” Tomorrow Machine founder Anna Glansén told Dezeen. “‘Gone’ connects to the unique invention behind the material with its multiple ways to make the packaging disappear after usage.”

Curved in shape, the bottle is made from a potato starch-based material and coated in a bio-based, water-resistant barrier on both its insides and outsides to preserve the juice it holds.

Biodegradable bottle that can be peeled and spiralised like fruit
The bottle can be peeled like fruit skin

Once the juice is finished, the bottle can be peeled into a spiral formation a similar way to fruit, which breaks its barrier and immediately begins the material’s decomposition process.

After this, the “peel” can be eaten or dissolved in water. Although Tomorrow Machine can’t currently disclose more details about the material, the studio said that it is biodegradable and compostable and does not contain any synthetic components.

“As long as you don’t activate the degradation process by peeling the bottle or tearing it apart in another way it works similarly to a traditional plastic bottle,” explained Glansén.

Clear bottle with green cap arranged next to sprouting potatoes
It is currently a prototype with a potato starch-based bottle cap

According to its creators, GoneShells can be manufactured using existing equipment designed to process fossil fuel-based thermoplastics.

The material design also aims to tackle landfill and address the lack of recycling and industrial composting facilities in some parts of the world.

“We started this project by asking ourselves, is it reasonable that the lifespan of a package spans over years or even decades when the content inside goes bad after a few days or weeks?” said branding agency F&B Happy, which collaborated on the project.

“By developing packaging with a lifespan that better matched the content inside, GoneShells aims to offer a new form of sustainable packaging, which skips recycling systems in a traditional sense,” it added.

The prototype bottle includes a green top that is also made from the potato starch-based material.

Although the packaging is currently emblazoned with manually foiled lettering, F&B Happy said that it is working on a printing solution “that follows the concept of the bottle”.

Circular sheets of biodegradable material developed by Tomorrow Machine
Tomorrow Machine says the prototype is biodegradable

GoneShells was informed by a previous project by Tomorrow Machine called This Too Shall Pass – edible packaging with a lifespan that matched the food it contained.

“We made a series of prototypes but the packaging was never meant to be put into production due to high material costs and complicated production methods,” said Glansén.

The designer explained that the existing manufacturing techniques and more affordable raw materials used to create GoneShells make it a viable product to market.

Increasingly, designers across the globe are looking for more sustainable ways to package products. Australian biomaterials company Great Wrap created a compostable bioplastic alternative to clingfilm made from waste potatoes while Packioli is peapod- and artichoke waste-based soap packaging.

The images and video are courtesy of Tomorrow Machine.


Project credits:

Branding: F&B Happy
Research partner: RISE Research Institute of Sweden
Funding: BioInnovation, a joint venture between Vinnova, Formas and Swedish Energy Agency

Reference

Growing seaweed between offshore wind turbines
CategoriesSustainable News

Growing seaweed between offshore wind turbines

Spotted: The global commercial seaweed market was valued at almost $17.9 billion (around €16.9 billion) in 2021 and projected to keep growing. This growth is driven by increased use of seaweed in food and cosmetics, and its use as a fertiliser. However, seaweed is disappearing from many places where it used to thrive because of global warming.

At the same time seaweed farming is becoming more difficult, the number of offshore wind farms is growing. Now, non-profit North Sea Farmers hopes to put the two together by locating seaweed farms between offshore wind turbines. North Sea Farmers plans to install its first seaweed farm, located off the coast of the Netherlands, this year and begin harvesting in Spring 2024. The 10-hectare farm is expected to produce at least 6,000 kilogrammes of fresh seaweed in its first year.

The demonstration project will be the world’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm located between offshore wind turbines. The aim is to kickstart more innovation in seaweed agriculture.

Eef Brouwers, Manager of Farming and Technology at North Sea Farmers, said: “Potentially, up to 85,000 full-time jobs could be created in the European seaweed sector by replicating North Sea Farm 1 across the North Sea.”

The project has received €1.5 million in funding from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, which will be spent on constructing the farm.

Seaweed is not only used in food and cosmetics. Springwise has also spotted a seaweed extract that could reduce the methane emitted by cattle, a seaweed-based packaging, and the use of seaweed-derived materials to prevent dendrite growth in batteries.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

A platform for tracking the climate footprint of food products
CategoriesSustainable News

A platform for tracking the climate footprint of food products

Spotted: The global food market is worth more than $9 trillion (about €8.5 trillion) and is going to continue growing. This volume of food has an equivalently large carbon footprint, something growers are aware of and working to change. Helping to capture those improvements is French software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Carbon Maps. Carbon Maps’ platform automates emissions calculations for food products. 

Such complex calculations rely heavily on algorithms, and Carbon Maps uses internationally recognised data standards and scientific models for its computations. Product life cycle assessments (LCAs) examine data from basic growing techniques to water usage, processing systems, recycling and more. By utilising the power of artificial intelligence (AI), Carbon Maps enables large industrial food distributors to assess the sustainability of a range of their products, even those that use a multitude of ingredients.  

As well as providing eco-scores for each foodstuff, the Carbon Maps system allows for easy updates of LCAs as information changes. A grower may alter their farming practices meaning less water is needed, so the automated emissions calculation system makes it easy for that improvement to be included in the scores for the many products that use those crops.  

Carbon Maps includes details such as biodiversity, animal welfare, and soil health in its calculations, allowing for a much more holistic view of the sustainability of an item. The company is currently working with two businesses on pilot programmes, and recently closed a €4 million seed funding round that will be used to expand its operational capacity. 

Reducing carbon emissions is such a global priority that – as Springwise has spotted– innovations in two of the worst polluting industries, food and fashion, are pushing the technology and tracking capabilities ahead as quickly as possible.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference