Dezeen Showroom: Andreu World and Patricia Urquiola have evolved their Bolete chairs to incorporate the brand's BIO thermopolymer, a material produced from living microorganisms that is said to be biodegradable. More about Bolete chair and armchair by Patricia Urquiola for Andreu World
Inspired by local microbreweries, London-based start-up Arda Biomaterials has made a plastic-free leather alternative by altering the protein structures in brewer's spent grain. More about Arda transforms beer waste into plastic-free faux leather
Environmental organisation A Plastic Planet has removed the paywall around its PlasticFree database, giving designers and brands unfettered access to its directory of expert-verified plastic substitutes. More about PlasticFree makes database of hundreds of plastic alternatives "forever free to all"
Material research studio Matter at Hand, founded by Assemble co-founder Lewis Jones, has created a prototype clay-based construction method named Poured Earth that emulates casting concrete. More about Poured Earth is a sustainable construction method modelled on concrete casting
New materials brand Hyphyn has launched what it claims is a first-of-its-kind biodegradable performance vinyl fabric, which breaks down over 90 per cent in two years in landfill conditions without leaving behind microplastics or toxic chemicals. More about Hyphyn impregnates vinyl with plastic-eating enzymes to enhance biodegradation
Central Saint Martins graduate Peerasin Punxh Hutapheat has developed Growink, a bio-ink that uses fungal pigments in place of petroleum-based dyes. More about Peerasin Punxh Hutapheat designs Growink to "print with life"
Wool takes the place of wiring, plastic and circuit boards in electronic devices created by designer Hinna Khan, a recent Central Saint Martins graduate inspired to find a new use for the material after watching farming documentaries. More about Conductive wool replaces wiring and circuits in WoolTech electronics
Despite its huge environmental benefits, cob is an extremely niche construction material. As part of our Building with Cob series, architecture editor Lizzie Crook explores what it would take to change that. More about How to make cob a mainstream building material
Continuing our Building with Cob series, we take a look at a cob classroom designed for educational charity Global Generation, which is being built from waste earth sourced near its site in King's Cross. More about Waste earth forms walls of cob classroom in King's Cross
For the next instalment in our Building with Cob series, we take a look at the first home to be built with CobBauge, a cob construction system developed to meet modern building regulations. More about Hudson Architects brings cob construction into the 21st century with CobBauge House
Cob is a low-carbon material poised for a revival, according to scientist Steve Goodhew. In this Building with Cob interview, he explains how his invention, CobBauge, is guiding the way. More about Cob not just "a hobbit house" material says researcher developing modern version
It's time for the construction industry to bring back cob, but innovation is needed to solidify the age-old material's place back within our toolkits, design collective Cella tell Dezeen in this Building with Cob interview. More about Cob can be "a mainstream building material once again" say Cella
Dezeen's latest series investigates one of the world's oldest building materials – cob. Building with Cob will explore how this ancient, earth-based material is being reinvented for the modern age. More about Are we on the verge of a cob comeback?
Clothing brand Sheep Inc has launched a pair of swimming shorts made from Merino wool and lined with a biodegradable mesh. More about Sheep Inc launches Merino wool swimwear
A sofa, a coffin and a stackable multipurpose cube are among the items that were displayed in Add Wood, an exhibition exploring the potential of recyclable and biodegradable 3D-printed timber. More about Add Wood exhibition showcases 3D-printed-wood furniture
Omani design collective Nawa has created a plastic-free filament for 3D printing using waste date seeds, which is on display at Dutch Design Week. More about RePit is a 3D printing filament made from leftover date pits
Local design firm Fefostudio and architect Kamilla Csegzi have created a large table made from mycelium inset with openings for custom glassware for the Collectible design fair in New York. More about Fefostudio and Kamilla Csegzi create mycelium-based Ephemeral Table
Tech start-up Pentaform has devised a potential solution to e-waste: making gadgets that dissolve in water and leave behind only their electronic components for recycling. More about Aquafade water-soluble electronics provide way to tackle e-waste
Danish firm Natural Material Studio has created four biomaterials out of sawdust salvaged from the sawmill of flooring manufacturer Dinesen to explore the potential of using wood waste to make building materials. More about Natural Material Studio turns wood offcuts into biomaterials to "utilise the whole tree"
Two British materials companies, Sages and Osmose, have collaborated to dye sheets of mycelium with natural food waste, mimicking the appearance of tanned leather and suggesting a colourful future for the biomaterial. More about Food-waste dyes bring colour to mycelium leather in Sages and Osmose project