As part of our review of 2023, Dezeen's design and environment editor Jennifer Hahn has rounded up 10 of this year's most significant material innovations, including bricks made from toxic soil and a 3D printer for wool. More about Dezeen's top 10 innovative materials of 2023
Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio has handcrafted swirly panels made of spent grain salvaged from beer production for a restaurant opened by the local ÅBEN brewery. More about Natural Material Studio creates restaurant panels from leftover beer
A team of Rhode Island School of Design students and researchers have created tesselated, floating planting beds made of a mycelium biomaterial to cleanse waterways of pollutants and restore wetland habitat. More about RISD researchers create floating mycelium pods to cleanse waterways
Sportswear brand Puma has said it is a step closer to launching a truly biodegradable shoe, following a trial in which a specially made version of its Suede sneakers decomposed under strict conditions. More about Puma reveals results of Re:Suede experiment to make a biodegradable shoe
Dutch company Human Material Loop is using an unusual waste source to make a zero-carbon wool alternative that requires no land or water use: human hair. More about Human Material Loop sets out to commercialise textiles made from hair
Chinese materials company Yi Design has developed a porous brick made from recycled ceramic waste that could be used to prevent flooding in urban areas. More about Yi Design turns ceramic waste into water-permeable bricks
A 3D-printed sofa, a biodegradable urn and a "net-zero carbon shoe" are among a growing cohort of products that are pushing the envelope of what sheep's wool can do. More about Five products that use wool in new and unexpected ways
The process of using bacteria to colour textiles has been brought to a commercial scale by British company Colorifix, which hopes to cut the fashion industry's use of toxic chemical dyes. More about Colorifix harnesses bacteria for non-toxic clothes dyeing
Surfacing brand Armourcoat has launched a range of textured, biodegradable wall plaster surfaces that combine the natural appearance of clay with enhanced durability. More about Armourcoat creates durable clay wall covering as "ecological alternative to paint"
Promotion: Austrian facade specialist Rieder worked with architecture studio Faerber to preserve the original structure of a townhouse through the installation of a three-dimensional concrete facade. More about German townhouse preserved with precast Rieder concrete facade
Designer Emy Bensdorp has found a way to clean PFAS "forever chemicals" from contaminated clay soil by firing it into bricks as part of a project showcased at Dutch Design Week. More about Emy Bensdorp takes on PFAS pollution by turning "toxic" soil into bricks
A group of design graduates from London's Royal College of Art have come up with a way to make RFID tags entirely from paper, with no metal or silicon components in a bid to cut down on waste from single-use electronics. More about PulpaTronics tackles single-use electronics with paper RFID tags
British startup The Tyre Collective has begun to make products from the microplastic particles that come off car tyres as they drive on roads, producing results including jewellery, a lamp and a battery. More about The Tyre Collective turns microplastic tyre-wear particles into objects
British designer Gareth Neal and Dutch studio The New Raw have used thrice-recycled plastic and a new 3D-printing method to create the objects in the Digitally Woven series, which are printed in loops rather than layers. More about Gareth Neal and the New Raw develop 3D printing style based on crafts
In collaboration with Colorado-based Prometheus Materials, architecture studio SOM has created a spiral installation made of bio-bricks for the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial. More about SOM creates spiral of algae bricks for Chicago Architecture Biennial installation
Danish toymaker Lego has abandoned its pilot programme to make recycled plastic bricks from discarded bottles after projections suggested that, adopted at scale, the material would ultimately have a higher carbon footprint. More about Lego ditches plans to make bricks from recycled plastic bottles
After years of exploring the merging of biotechnology with design, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Christina Agapakis have started what they describe as the "first biodesign lifestyle brand", which launched at London Design Festival. More about Normal Phenomena of Life brand launches to sell biodesigned products
A team of scientists from universities in the United States have developed a silicon-based coating that can help stop the spread of fires by preventing materials coming in contact with flame. More about US scientists develop "nanoscale" coating to combat spread of fires
Local design firm Prowl Studio and investment company Baukunst have shown a variety of sustainable materials including aquatic plants meant for animal feed and an electric RV at a pop-up exhibition in San Francisco. More about Bendable battery among sustainable materials at San Francisco exhibition
Central Saint Martins graduate Arianna Pezzano has developed a way to make nipple prosthetics from keratin extracted from hair lost during chemotherapy, to help breast cancer patients "regain a sense of wholeness". More about BioProsthesis uses human hair to create prosthetic nipples for breast cancer patients