This month I refer you to several interesting “threads” from the Guardian Sustainable Business Network:
- A new Swedish fabric made of 100% recycled cotton using a process that is highly scalable
- Solar fiber, that harvests solar energy through a photovoltaic fibre woven into fabrics
- And finally, fiber made from captured carbon emissions. Earlier I reported on the idea of using captured carbon emissions as a new source material, and this article shows how the effort is expanding and addressing fibers.
To keep it all clean we can turn to smog-eating laundry detergent, as reported in fastcoexist. It’s a fascinating project now in development with a major detergent maker.
Despite all the wonderous news about 3D printing — artificial body parts, food, toys, buildings! — there is an environmental underside to it that isn’t as widely publicized. One recent article (in 3DPrint.com) points out heavy metal (antimony) content in 3D print filament. Another article (in TechRepublic) gives us “10 things to watch” including energy… Continue Reading
Designers working on making paper from ag waste favor Rye fibers, reports Shea Gunther for Mother Nature Network. Professor Eric Benson (graphic design) and partners at the University of Illinois are running project Fresh Press to explore how they can turn locally available agricultural waste into paper, creating a “zero waste” alternative paper-making. They’ve built… Continue Reading