In Canada, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today that Advanced Foods and Materials Canada is receiving an important investment to turn by-products of flax and hemp into high-quality fiber. AFM will use this $500,000 investment to increase production capabilities of the technology developed by Blue Goose Biorefineries. AFM states that the development of this technology […]
In Canada, Energy Innovation Corp. will begin producing 2.6 million gallons a year of biodiesel from flax seed in a facility it is developing in Toronto. The process uses 40% of the seed for fuel while the rest is meal, with some processed into flour for human consumption. It has also developed a technology produce […]
In the Isle of Man, Tech Explore reported that Professor David Chiaramonti, an expert in energy systems and power generation at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, wants land that is unused, marginal and degraded to produce clean fuels for jets. The fuels would come from oilseed plants such as Camelina sativa and replace […]
In Copenhagen, fashion brand Ganni has designed handbags using faux fur made from nettle, hemp and flax. San Francisco startup BioFluff produces the shaggy material. “We source the fibers in Europe and create the fur in Italy using our patented process,” BioFluff co-founder and CEO Martin Stübler told Dezeen. “We use a combination of existing […]
In South Korea, automaker Kia has revealed plans for electric vehicles that also employ renewable materials like mushroom root, hemp, and flax fibers. In a presentation at Seoul’s recent “EV Day,” Kia announced its plans to transition away from leather interiors toward biobased and recycled materials. The company told Automotive News that consoles for its […]
The Energy Independence and Security Act is sixteen years old this year, going on seventeen, and when I think the industry that has sprung up to deliver the advanced fuels contemplated by the Bush Administration, I think of the old lyric from The Sound of Music: You are sixteen going on seventeen Baby, it’s time […]
In Spain, sustainable automotive company LIUX has unveiled a 3D printed electric vehicle prototype that uses 90% recycled and plant-based materials. Named Animal, the car’s body, interior, and chassis are made from biopolymer fibers and resins. Body panels are made from cork and linen. “A large part of the outer bodywork” will be made of […]
Among the newest adopters, we’re reporting this week that cactus leather slip-ons prove G.H. Bass isn’t “loafing about” on sustainability. In addition Tarform has revved up use of renewables for its electric motorcycles, using a flaxseed and biobased resin composite dyed with algae-based pigments. Finally, Germany’s Playmobil will soon expand its Wiltopia bioplastic range of […]
In Brooklyn, Tarform has launched an electric motorcycle that incorporates several biobased materials. Dubbed Luna, the bike’s body is made from a flaxseed and biobased resin composite dyed with algae-based pigments. A leather alternative made from either pineapple, mango, or corn is used for the Luna’s seat, and recycled aluminum is used for its frame. […]
In New York, a new company called Transcend is signing up future corpses to turn into trees. The startup hopes to tap into the green burial trend while also reforesting the world, Matthew Kochmann, Transcend founder and CEO, tells Forbes. The company’s process involves wrapping a body in an organic flax linen shroud and burying […]
