Shahar Livne makes bio-leather shoes from slaughterhouse waste
Israeli designer Shahar Livne has designed a pair of sneakers with alternative leather inserts made from the wasted fat, bones and blood of animals. More
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Totomoxtle is a material bringing rare corn back from the brink of extinction
Mexican designer Fernando Laposse has developed Totomoxtle, a marquetry material made from the colourful husks of heirloom corn species that restore vital biodiversity. More
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Aivan grows headphones from fungus and yeast
Fungus, yeast-based bioplastic and other materials grown by microbes have been used to make the Korvaa headphones, designed by Finnish studio Aivan in collaboration with scientists. More
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Studio Mumbai's handmade furniture references traditional craftsmanship
Indian architecture firm Studio Mumbai will exhibit 14 furniture and homeware items crafted from a mix of "universal" and more unusual materials, at Maniera gallery in Brussels. More
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University of Stuttgart creates biomimetic pavilions based on sea urchins and beetle wings
The University of Stuttgart has continued its experiments into biomimicry and robotic construction with two pavilions at the Bundesgartenschau horticultural show in Germany. More
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Basse Stittgen gives discarded eggs new life as bioplastic tableware
German designer Basse Stittgen aims to address the issue of global food waste and overconsumption with a series of tableware objects made solely from out-of-date eggs. More
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Snow nanogenerator would allow solar panels to generate energy on wintry days
US researchers have invented a nanogenerator that could one day be added to solar panels to keep them producing energy when covered in snow. More
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Kelly Jazvac presents "beautiful and horrific" plastiglomerate lumps at Milan Triennale
Chunks of "plastiglomerate" found by Canadian artist Kelly Jazvac on a Hawaiian beach form part of this year's Milan Triennale exhibition, illustrating how the anthropocene era is leading to the formation of new man-made minerals. More
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Thermobimetal shutters by Doris Sung self-regulate the temperature of buildings
Buildings could be cooled with zero energy using the Invert shading system, made from a smart material called thermobimetal that changes shape in response to heat. More
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Thomas Vailly uses sunflowers to make bio-based materials
Eindhoven-based designer Thomas Vailly explores turning sunflower crop waste into bio-materials to make sustainable products from insulation panels to iPhone cases. More
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Neri Oxman builds with melanin for Totems project
Neri Oxman's Mediated Matter Group at MIT has designed an installation using melanin — and says the skin pigment will inevitably be used in architecture. More
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Bontrager's WaveCel bike helmet promises to radically reduce head injury
US bike brand Bontrager has launched an improved bicycle helmet that they say is 48 times more likely to prevent concussion than standard foam versions. More
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Digitalab turns cork into thread for sustainable furniture and lighting
Portuguese studio Digitalab has won the rising star award at Stockholm Furniture Fair, with an innovative method of turning cork into thread. More
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Researchers re-engineer cob into sustainable new building material CobBauge
Ancient building material cob has been brought up to contemporary standards by a team of British and French researchers, who see it as an environmentally friendly option for homes. More
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RCA designers transform toxic industrial waste into ceramic tableware
Four designers from London's Royal College of Art have recycled the toxic red mud residue from aluminium production to make a series of terracotta-hued cups, bowls and teapots. More
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UNStudio develops The Coolest White paint to cool down our cities
UNStudio and Monopol Colors have created an extremely reflective white paint that can reduce the amount of heat buildings absorb and cool cities in the face of climate change. More
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Sophie Rowley designs marble-like furniture from repurposed denim
New Zealand-born designer Sophie Rowley gives new life to discarded denim offcuts by recycling them into pieces of furniture with marble-like markings. More
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Scientists create temperature-regulating fabric
Researchers at University of Maryland have invented a smart material capable of warming up a person when they're cold and cooling them down when they're hot. More
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Shellworks turns discarded lobster shells into recyclable bioplastic objects
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
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Studio Drift deconstructs everyday objects for Materialism series at Frieze LA
Amsterdam-based Studio Drift "de-produced" a bicycle and a pencil into the chunks of the materials used to make them for an exhibit at the inaugural Frieze Art Fair in Los Angeles. More
