Could biodegradable plastics made from natural substances such as algae replace fossil-fuel polymers? Here are 10 examples of designers that are experimenting with environmentally friendly alternatives.
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A type of compostable bioplastic made of corn starch, sugar and used cooking oil, created by Crafting Plastics Studio, could replace "all the packaging we know", according to its designers. More
Sportswear brand Reebok has revealed the first product from its sustainability initiative Cotton + Corn — a pair of trainers with a bioplastic sole. More
Central Saint Martins graduate Ying Wang has recreated a traditional tea ceremony ritual that uses milk and vinegar to produce an alternative to single-use plastic. More
Lego is set to launch a range of botanical elements made from a plant-based plastic sourced from sugar cane, in a bid to reduce its plastic waste. More
The winners of a lucrative competition tasking designers to come up with new materials to replace plastic packaging have been revealed. More
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet has harnessed a method of transforming wastewater into bioplastic, and used it to create a sustainable cremation urn. More
Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros have developed a bioplastic made from algae, which they believe could completely replace synthetic plastics over time. More
Slovakian designer Šimon Kern's Beleaf chair is made from a mixture of recycled leaves and bio-resin. More
Christien Meindertsma's Flax chair has won two Dutch Design Awards for its innovative use of flax fibre. More
Milan 2016: this eyewear collection by Crafting Plastics was created from test samples of new biodegradable plastics (+ slideshow). More
London-based designer Peter Marigold is launching a remouldable bioplastic card that can be used to make new tools and modify or repair broken objects (+ movie). More
Maison&Objet 2015: Basque designer Jean Louis Iratzoki has moulded the shell of a chair from a plant-based polymer that is fully recyclable and biodegradable (+ slideshow). More
This conceptual project by Royal College of Art graduate Johanna Schmeer builds on developments in nanotechnology to create synthetic foods for feeding the world's burgeoning population (+ movie). More
Dezeen and MINI World Tour: in our next movie from Eindhoven, design graduates Aagje Hoekstra and Evelien Crooy show us the bioplastic and ink made from insects that they presented at this year's Dutch Design Week. More
The spiky modules used to build this curving pavilion in Stuttgart, Germany, are made from a bioplastic containing over 90 percent renewable materials (photography by Roland Halbe). More
Dutch Design Week 2013: design graduate Aagje Hoekstra has developed a plastic made of pressed insect shells. More
Royal College of Art graduate Jeongwon Ji has made her own bioplastic from crab shells. More