Charlotte Böhning and Mary Lempres of Doppelgänger have developed a bioplastic version of polystyrene foam that is made from the exoskeleton of mealworms and breaks down in soil in a couple of weeks. More
The Unwasted collection of bags by Chinese designer Meng Du are made with an alternative leather produced from leftover grape skins. More
A type of flooring that uses 75 per cent less concrete than the current standard has been invented by researchers at the universities of Bath, Cambridge and Dundee, who say it could make a "major difference" to the construction industry's carbon footprint. More
Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemical engineers have invented a new type of plastic that is twice as strong as steel and could one day be used as a building material. More
In this week's comments update, readers are impressed by a collection of light switches crafted from bovine bones and discussing other top stories. More
Natural latex is combined with rice hulls and a woodsy blend of essential oils to form this scented jacket, created by Alexander McQueen sub-brand MCQ to showcase the unique characteristics of plant-based leather alternatives. More
Toronto-based artist Krista Kim has created a digital fabric designed to look like water for Nymph, a clothing collection for digital fashion house The Fabricant. More
Design studio Envisions has worked with engineering company Imat-Uve to make a recycled textile from used clothing usually considered unfit for recycling. More
Danish designer Bonnie Hvillum's Natural Material Studio has collaborated with multidisciplinary studio Frama on a collection of biodegradable materials made from algae, clay and foam. More
London practice Blast Studio has developed a method for 3D printing with living mycelium and used it to form a column that could be harvested for mushrooms before serving as a structural building element. More
The UK government has commissioned the trade body representing the concrete industry to determine the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide captured in concrete buildings and infrastructure in a move critics have described as "like the fox guarding the henhouse." More
Berlin-based textile designer Youyang Song has used fruit peels and algae to create a biodegradable plant-based material that offers an alternative to leather. More
Anava Projects and Ashlee Harrison have curated an exhibition by emerging artists from the US and Caribbean at New York's Carpenters Workshop Gallery, which includes sculptures woven from kelp and hand-carved furniture. More
The fable of the Three Little Pigs highlights negative perceptions about natural construction materials, according to James Drinkwater, head of Built Environment at philanthropic climate organisation the Laudes Foundation. More
Thinking of using natural materials in your project? Our latest Dezeen guide includes 12 types of biomaterials commonly used in architecture, design and interiors. More
British artist Stuart Semple has unveiled the "whitest white paint" in his latest quest to produce the most pigmented versions of colours for painting. More
Dezeen promotion: Unilin Master Oak interior panels are designed to look and feel like natural wood, but with the high performance of an engineered material. More
Material designers Henna Burney and Kalijn Sibbel of Atelier Luma have used ancient salt marshes in southern France to create thousands of glass-like panels and installed them as cladding inside Frank Gehry's Arles tower. More
In our quest for new materials, we have overlooked abundant natural resources such as salt, writes designer and researcher Henna Burney of Atelier Luma in her manifesto for the Dezeen 15 digital festival. More
Dutch designer Emma van der Leest believes that bio-leather might one day replace animal leather in the fashion industry and is developing a fungal coating to make the material more versatile. More
