French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani has assembled a structure from 700 bioplastic bricks in the courtyard of a 16th-century palazzo, as this year's Milan design week installation for fashion brand COS. More about Arthur Mamou-Mani promotes circular design with bioplastic Conifera installation for COS
Eindhoven-based designer Thomas Vailly explores turning sunflower crop waste into bio-materials to make sustainable products from insulation panels to iPhone cases. More about Thomas Vailly uses sunflowers to make bio-based materials
Bioplastic buckets in the shape of mountains will be distributed across 25 UK beaches this summer as part of a participatory art project by artist Katie Paterson. More about Katie Paterson invites UK public to build sand mountains
Four designers from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College have developed a series of machines that turn seafood waste into a biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic. More about Shellworks turns discarded lobster shells into recyclable bioplastic objects
The latest movie in our Dezeen x MINI Living series explores architect Maria Vergopoulou's concept for self-build micro homes made of bioplastic, which came third in the Dezeen x MINI Living Future Urban Home Competition. More about Cocoon BioFloss would enable people to grow their own micro homes
Chile-based designer Margarita Talep has created a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to single-use packaging, using raw material extracted from algae. More about Margarita Talep develops algae-based alternative to single-use plastic packaging
UK national newspaper The Guardian has scrapped its polythene packaging in favour of a compostable wrapping made from potato starch, in a bid to reduce its plastic waste. More about The Guardian newspaper switches from plastic to compostable wrapping
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.
More about 10 bioplastic projects made from algae, corn starch and other natural materials
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 about Compostable natural plastic Nuatan can safely be eaten by fish
Sportswear brand Reebok has revealed the first product from its sustainability initiative Cotton + Corn — a pair of trainers with a bioplastic sole. More about Reebok launches plant-based Cotton + Corn sneaker
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 about Ying Wang's tea ceremony installation makes bioplastic using milk and vinegar
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 about Lego to launch sustainable bricks made from sugar cane
The winners of a lucrative competition tasking designers to come up with new materials to replace plastic packaging have been revealed. More about Winners of million Circular Materials Challenge prize for plastic alternatives announced
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet has harnessed a method of transforming wastewater into bioplastic, and used it to create a sustainable cremation urn. More about Studio Nienke Hoogvliet designs cremation urn using plastic derived from wastewater
Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros have developed a bioplastic made from algae, which they believe could completely replace fossil-derived plastics over time. More about Dutch designers convert algae into bioplastic for 3D printing
Slovakian designer Šimon Kern's Beleaf chair is made from a mixture of recycled leaves and bio-resin. More about Šimon Kern makes chair from recycled fallen leaves
Christien Meindertsma's Flax chair has won two Dutch Design Awards for its innovative use of flax fibre combined with bioplastic. More about Christien Meindertsma designs biodegradable chair using flax and bioplastic
Milan 2016: this eyewear collection by Crafting Plastics was created from test samples of new biodegradable plastics (+ slideshow). More about Crafting Plastics designs plastic sunglasses that are biodegradable
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 about Peter Marigold's pocket-sized FORMcard melts into mouldable plastic glue
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 about Jean Louis Iratzoki designs "first bioplastic chair"