Sustainable Material Innovations

♻️ Recycling, reimagined. I came across Ameru’s AI Smart Bin — and it made me realize something we rarely talk about in sustainability: We don’t fail to recycle because we don’t care. We fail because the friction is too high. This bin doesn’t just collect waste. It sees what you throw, sorts it automatically, and even gives you real-time feedback. The results? ✅ 95%+ sorting accuracy ✅ Analytics that show you how to reduce waste ✅ ROI in under 2 years 👉 Here’s the hidden insight: Let’s be honest: recycling is broken. Most of us want to recycle, but the system is designed for failure — too much friction, too many rules. The real innovation isn’t in AI or edge computing. It’s in making sustainability invisible. No guilt, no extra steps — just default behavior upgraded. 💡 Actionable thought: Whether you’re building tech, a product, or even a habit, ask yourself — how can I make the right choice feel effortless? Because effort scales linearly. But effortlessness? That scales exponentially. PS: Imagine when every trash bin becomes a data point in the circular economy. 👉 Do you think this kind of “invisible innovation” could transform how we recycle at home and at work? #GreenTech #AI #Innovation #Sustainability #CircularEconomy

RECYCLING GAME-CHANGER? CHINA SWITCHES ON FIRST FULLY AUTOMATED TEXTILE WASTE SORTING LINE: China has switched on its first fully automated textile-waste sorting line with Databeyond Technology. Using machine vision and hyperspectral imaging, it sorts post-consumer garments by fibre and blend, achieving over 90% purity for polyester, cotton and nylon and flagging elastane blends. The operator says a 15-tonne eight-hour shift that once needed more than 30 workers now runs with four, slashing labour and operating costs. The line is in operation at Zhangjiagang Shanhesheng Environmental Technology Co. Soon after commissioning, Shanhesheng says it received a 200-tonne order for high-purity post-consumer textiles from a global apparel company. A second phase will extend automated sorting to shredded garments and factory offcuts to feed both chemical and biological recyclers. Automated, blend-aware sorting tackles the sector’s key bottleneck between rising collections and the specification-grade inputs recyclers need. It also aligns with China’s push on textile circularity, which aims to expand recycling capacity, recycle roughly a quarter of textile waste, and produce millions of tonnes of recycled fibre. Apparel Insider Insider story in comments.

Fry to Future It takes two kilos of potatoes to make just one kilo of chips. Let that sink in. Between peeling and cooking, half the weight disappears. Water turns to steam. Skins hit the bin... all in the pursuit of the perfect peeled chip. It's a cost baked into fast food. Multiply it globally, and the numbers start to look ugly. But waste doesn't have to be where the story ends. With the right thinking, it can be the start of something better. Innovators are already on it. Take Peel Saver. Created by students Pietro Gaeli, Simone Caronni, and Paolo Stefano Gentile, it turns discarded potato peel into chip cones. No wax, no additives. Just peel, macerated and dried, held together by the starch already in the skin. Packaging made from the very waste of what it holds. And potatoes aren't the only skin in the game. PulpWorks is making Karta-Pack from agricultural scraps. INNOPOM is exploring potato-based bioplastics. Biotrem is turning peel and wheat bran into plates and cutlery that hold up to both heat and rigorous scrutiny. The exciting part isn't just the material science. There's been a clear mindset shift in recent years. What was once considered waste is now being seen as a potential resource. Not a leftover. A starting point, if you will. Partly driven by sustainability, partly by cost-saving. For brands, it's a reminder: your next big packaging idea might already be on the floor. You just need to peel it back. Circular design? Or just starch dressing? 📷Pietro Gaeli , Simone Caronni, and Paolo Stefano Gentile

92 million tons of old jeans and discarded t-shirts are building the future - literally. In London, a groundbreaking idea is converting the fashion industry's waste into a solution for the construction sector. Architecture student Clarice Merlet has connected these two fields with a new innovation: bricks made from discarded textiles. In 2017, Merlet realized the construction industry’s huge environmental impact and turned to discarded clothing as a solution. By 2019, her initiative, 'Fabric', was turning old fashion into new building materials. Here's why Fabric's innovation is capturing attention across industries: > Dual impact:  ‘Fabric’ addresses two major environmental issues at once: the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of waste each year (Global Fashion Agenda) and construction causes 39% of global carbon emissions (World Green Building Council). This solution tackles both problems together. > The process is remarkably straightforward: Collect and sort discarded clothing Shred the textiles into fibers Mix with eco-friendly binding agents Compress the mixture into molds Air-dry to create solid, durable bricks > These aren't just bricks. They're building blocks for furniture, décor, and architectural elements, opening new avenues for sustainable design. > These fabric bricks retain the colors of original textiles, eliminating the need for additional dyeing and further reducing environmental impact. > With global textile waste expected to rise to 148 million tons by 2030 (Global Fashion Agenda), Fabric is a prime example of the circular economy in action. This innovation highlights that cross-industry collaboration can lead to unexpected environmental solutions, and waste from one sector can become valuable in another. As fashion professionals, Fabric's story challenges us to think beyond conventional boundaries. How can we reimagine 'waste' in our field? What unexpected partnerships might lead to the next sustainability breakthrough? #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy

Rare earth elements are the backbone of the technologies shaping a sustainable future including electric vehicles and wind turbines, yet today, less than 1% are recycled. With China’s latest export controls on rare earth minerals disrupting global supply chains, securing these critical materials has never been more urgent. Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund is committed to investing in advanced sustainability technologies that create new markets and solutions and ensure supply chain resiliency. This is especially important right now with the export controls because developing a new mine outside of China can take up to 15 years. But what if we could recover rare earth elements more efficiently through recycling? That’s where our investment in Cyclic Materials comes in. Their groundbreaking recycling process is revolutionizing the recovery of rare earth elements. By strengthening local supply chains and reducing environmental impact by 63% compared to traditional mining, they’re keeping critical materials in circulation—helping to build a more resilient and sustainable economy.

Thermocol stays in the environment for 500 years. This disappears in 60 days. Every winter, we watch our cities get swallowed by smog. Every year, the conversation turns to stubble burning. And every time, farmers are blamed - without ever being offered a better option. At the same time, we’re shipping products across the country in packaging that pollutes for centuries. Styrofoam and thermocol are cheap, yes. But they’re toxic, non-recyclable, and take 500+ years to break down. Now here’s the twist. What if the solution to both problems was the same? I recently sat down with the team at Dharaksha Ecosolutions, and I left the conversation genuinely inspired. They’re doing what most people may only talk about: turning pollution into possibility. Dharaksha collects crop residue that would otherwise be burned and turns it into biodegradable, compostable packaging. Looks like thermocol. Functions like thermocol. But decomposes in 60 days. Merging innovation with impact 💡 ✅ Farmers get paid for waste that would’ve been burned ✅ Businesses finally have a real, scalable alternative to thermocol ✅ And the planet gets a break from plastic packaging and particulate pollution  Circular, thoughtful, low-carbon, and local. Changing the system from inside. Because the future isn’t plastic. It’s plantbased, purpose-driven, and powered by ideas like these. What’s one form of ‘waste’ you’ve seen reimagined like this? #packaging #recycle #biodegradable #innovation #plantbased #sustainability

These beasts are building a $500M factory in France to turn complex textile waste into virgin-quality fibers 🧵♻️ Their company, Circ®, is the first in the world to do this at scale. And this is why their technology is awesome: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 🔬💧 First tech to fully recycle polycotton (polyester + cotton) blends: • Their output fibers sell for prices very close to virgin ones. • Uses only water, heat, and pressure - no harmful chemicals. 𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 📊🎯 No more textile waste going to landfills: • 97% polyester recovery and 90% cotton recovery. • As-good-as-virgin quality materials in just 2 hours. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 🌍🪶 Compared to new virgin fibers, this process: • 80% less water and 60% lower emissions. • 50% less energy and drastically reduced land use. They currently have partnerships with Patagonia and Zara and their massive plant opens soon. Yet they've already raised $90+ million and won huge awards. 📈 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: • The plant will avoid 300K tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. • Less than 1% of clothing waste currently becomes new clothes - they're changing that. • Polyester and cotton represent +80% of the global textile market and polycotton blends alone -> 33% If you could ask the Circ team one question about their tech/industry, what would it be? Congrats Peter Majeranowski, Conor Hartman, Luke Henning and the whole team for solving one of fashion's biggest challenges and thanks for all the hard work. 🎉 – If this company sounds interesting to you 👇 🗞️ Grab my 5 min newsletter issue about them: https://lnkd.in/eiz6UprU

Eliminating plastic waste in food packaging at a fraction of production cost? The food industry is a significant contributor to plastic waste, with packaging accounting for approximately 40.5% of all plastic produced in Europe. In the UK alone, supermarkets generate around 29.8 billion pieces of avoidable plastic waste annually, equating to over 1,000 pieces per household. This excessive plastic use not only leads to environmental pollution but also poses health risks, as microplastics have been found in various food products, potentially causing inflammation and other health issues. Transitioning to seaweed-based packaging offers several cost-saving benefits for the food industry: →Reduced Raw Material Costs: Seaweed is renewable and doesn’t need land, fertilisers, or fresh water, cutting production expenses. Example: Seaweed farming can yield up to 10 tons of dry mass per hectare annually. →Lower Waste Management Expenses: Biodegradable and compostable, seaweed packaging reduces disposal costs. Example: The UK spends around £700 million annually on plastic waste disposal. →Decreased Environmental Compliance Costs: Eco-friendly packaging helps meet regulations, avoiding fines. Example: The EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive drives sustainable packaging adoption. →Enhanced Brand Value and Consumer Appeal: Sustainable packaging boosts reputation and sales. Example: 74% of consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly options. →Potential for Government Incentives: Sustainable practices can earn grants or tax breaks. Example: The UK Plastic Packaging Tax incentivises biodegradable alternatives like seaweed. Example project is Citizens of Soil | B Corp that has introduced single-serve pipettes for their Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, utilising Notpla's seaweed-based materials that are 100% natural, biodegradable, home-compostable, vegan, and even edible. This innovative packaging aligns with their commitment to sustainability, offering consumers a convenient and eco-friendly way to enjoy premium olive oil. By adopting Notpla's solution, Citizens of Soil aims to reduce their environmental footprint and address plastic pollution in the food industry. Good to the economy and the planet. #oliveoil #food #sustainability #decarbonisation #waste #wastemanagement

Have you ever wondered how textiles is made from wood pulp? 🪵 🧻 🤔 Well, this time last week I was invited on a field trip to the Swedish forest to visit OnceMore® and find out how textile waste is being blended with wood pulp to create a high quality, dissolving pulp from sustainable managed forests. The day consisted of a trip to the Södra forest, a guided tour of the facility in Mörrum (where OnceMore® production is based), and an excellent presentation from the team at Södra and OnceMore® to understand more about forestry, chemical recycling, LCA's, environmental impact,  and the opportunity to scale OnceMore® with forward thinking brands. This is what I learnt: 🇸🇪 OnceMore®, is part of Södra , Sweden's largest forest owner’s association (52,000 family members!) 🌳 The forest has been in existence since 1938, and the mill was established in 1962. 🏭 The mill is the ONLY facility in the world who can produce both dissolving pulp and paper pulp In the same facility. ♻️ OnceMore® is a chemical recycling process. 🪵 They collaborate with partners who provide them with poly cotton blended textile waste. The cotton is separated from the polyester, and they revive the cotton cellulose from the cotton by combining with renewable wood cellulose. 👗 The process turns textile waste into a high quality material, used as an alternative for viscose and lyocell production. Key facts you need to know: ✅ BESTSELLER, FILIPPA K and Lindex have all introduced OnceMore® into their ranges as an alternative to viscose and lyocell. ✅ Since their partnership started in 2022, Lindex have produced over 1 million garments using OnceMore® 👏 ✅ Brands can access OnceMore® through partnerships with viscose and lyocell producers through their 'OnceMore Together' Supplier Hub. ✅ The wood is FSC / PEFC certified and the textiles in RCS certified. ✅ Todays product is 20% recycled textiles and 80% renewable wood ✅ Their goal is to offer 50% recycled textile material and 50% wood material ✅ The fibre produced is recycled and renewable ✅ From the conversations I had on the day, the price - its workable 🤞 Do you use viscose or lyocell  in your products? To find out how you can incorporate OnceMore® into your supply chain visit: https://lnkd.in/de737ifX This was the second ‘field trip’ that OnceMore® have arranged, so I was honoured to be asked to join, so thanks again to the team for such a wonderful and insightful day! Åsa Alvhage Ida Fager Stark Tina Lemke Madeleine Bernhard Images: Hall Photography

Two entrepreneurs looked at a cactus and saw the future of materials. Adrián López Velarde grew up in an entrepreneurial family in Mexico, while Marte Cázarez was raised in a family connected to the automotive industry. Their different backgrounds gave them complementary perspectives: one understood business, the other understood industrial manufacturing. Together, they spent years asking a difficult question: could high-performance materials be made without relying on animal leather or petroleum-based synthetics? The answer wasn't immediate. For nearly two years, they self-funded their research, experimenting with the nopal cactus, one of Mexico's most resilient native plants. Their goal wasn't simply to create another "vegan leather." They wanted a material that could meet the durability, flexibility and aesthetic standards demanded by the fashion and automotive industries while reducing environmental impact. In 2019, they introduced Desserto, a cactus-based biomaterial, at the Lineapelle leather fair in Milan. What made it remarkable wasn't just the innovation itself, but the discipline behind it. Mature cactus leaves are harvested without damaging the plant, allowing it to regenerate naturally. The material also requires significantly less water than livestock farming and avoids many of the environmental costs associated with conventional leather production. Since then, Desserto has been adopted by global brands including Adidas, Fossil, Karl Lagerfeld and Mercedes-Benz, while also earning international recognition, including the Good Design Award Gold Accolade. They challenged the assumption that sustainability requires sacrificing quality or commercial viability. The greatest breakthroughs rarely come from discovering something entirely new. They come from seeing familiar things through a different lens and having the persistence to turn that vision into reality. #Story #Power #Innovation #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship