Sculptures grown from arctic seawater are among the projects in this roundup of seven of the most intriguing exhibitions from Melbourne Design Week. More about Seven key installations and exhibitions from Melbourne Design Week 2024
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have devised a way of cheaply producing low-carbon concrete at scale by making use of waste cement and the steel industry's electric arc furnaces. More about Recycling "breakthrough" could usher in zero-emissions cement
Promotion: XL Extralight showcased its manufacturing process in a Dropcity exhibition designed by Italian architect Andrea Caputo as an "immersive museum itinerary" during Milan design week. More about XL Extralight exhibits sole and foam-making process at Milan design week
Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma aimed to rebrand linoleum and establish a new visual language for the misunderstood material with the Flaxwood tiles she has created for manufacturer Dzek. More about Christien Meindertsma develops linoleum tiles that can be remolded "like playdough"
With Earth Day 2024 and an increasing number of environmental campaigners calling for an end to plastics, is time finally up for the 20th century's miracle material? Rima Sabina Aouf finds out if we can – and should – abolish plastic. More about Is a plastic-free future possible?
Japanese design studio Sozai Center has created Adam Sheet, a washable and scratch-resistant biomaterial made of leftover apple pomace mixed with bioplastic. More about Adam Sheet is a waterproof biotextile made from apple waste
The built environment is the fastest-growing consumer of materials in the world – but it also offers the most potential for improvement according to Julia Okatz, advisor on the UN's landmark Global Resource Outlook. More about Buildings "biggest lever" for improving global resource efficiency says UN report
Japanese manufacturer Sumitomo Metal Mining Co has showcased its heat-producing Solament material in a jacket displayed at the annual SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. More about The Down-Less Down Jacket converts infrared light to heat
Design research agency FranklinTill has compiled a list of principles to help designers, makers and brands avoid greenwashing when sourcing textiles. More about FranklinTill shares nine principles for a shift to regenerative materials
Hundreds of pieces by UK designer Max Lamb and pieces made with cord-covered waste material by South Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh are being displayed at New York gallery Salon 94 Design. More about Hundreds of Max Lamb works shown with cord-covered objects by Jay Sae Jung Oh
Texas-based ICON has unveiled Phoenix, a robotic-arm-mounted 3D printer that can create fully-enclosed, multi-storey structures from a low-carbon mixture, at SXSW. More about ICON develops 3D printer to build enclosed multi-storey structures
Greek researcher and visual artist Ioannis Michaloudis has created the Air Swipe bag for fashion brand Coperni using NASA-produced silica aerogel that was developed to "catch stardust". More about Coperni unveils Air Swipe bag made of 99 per cent air
Architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger are creating a 30-metre-tall tower in the Swiss Alps, which is being 3D-printed with concrete by technology university ETH Zurich. More about Construction commences on world's "tallest 3D-printed structure" Tor Alva
Biomaterials have the potential to significantly cut carbon emissions but designers should approach them with caution to avoid creating a whole new set of problems, warns Sioban Imms. More about "The allure of the 'bio' prefix must be taken with some healthy scrutiny"
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers and fashion brand Ministry of Supply have produced a "4D-knit dress", using heat-activated yarn that allows its shape and fit to be altered in an instant. More about MIT's 4D-Knit Dress changes shape in response to heat
Plastic-free, fake fur made from nettle, hemp and flax fibres envelops these special edition bags that Danish fashion brand Ganni has unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week. More about Ganni makes BioFluff bags from "world's first plant-based fur"
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
The world's first full-scale timber wind turbine has started turning in Sweden, with a tower built by wood technology company Modvion. More about First full-height timber wind turbine opens in Sweden
British architecture practice Studio Bark has worked with students from the University of East London to devise a roof-supporting column with otherwise unusable timber at a site within ancient English woodland. More about Studio Bark devises structural use for waste timber in English woodlands
Packaging designs aimed at boosting recycling rates and reducing the prevalence of single-use plastics are destined to fail unless they help to change people's behaviour, writes Matt Millington. More about "We need to design for human behaviour if we're ever to get rid of single-use plastics"