One of the biggest environmental concerns regarding textiles is that most of them are difficult to recycle once they reach the end of their use. This is because these materials typically contain a variety of types of fibers, quality levels, and colors, which makes sorting … [Read more...] about Designers turn unrecyclable clothes into high-quality textiles
Materials
The secret symmetry of pearls revealed
Pearls are created when an irritant, such as a grain of sand or debris, gets trapped inside a mollusk. As protection, a smooth layer of mineral and protein called nacre forms around it. Humans have been fascinated by these iridescent beauties since we first discovered them … [Read more...] about The secret symmetry of pearls revealed
These sleek pieces of furniture are mainly made from seagrass
From capturing greenhouse gases to removing plastic waste from our oceans, seagrass has proved itself an invaluable ally in our fight against some of today’s most pressing environmental concerns. Now, the underwater plant is making its way into furniture design in a bid to … [Read more...] about These sleek pieces of furniture are mainly made from seagrass
This paper is partly made from grass to reduce its environmental footprint
Following an increasing number of people turning away from single-use plastic packaging, the market for paper packaging has seen a boom in recent years. More demand for paper, however, means more logging, some of which still happens in old-growth forests, which are major … [Read more...] about This paper is partly made from grass to reduce its environmental footprint
This breakthrough material could help prevent our devices from overheating
Preventing our electronic devices from overheating is a major challenge for manufacturers. Currently, the way they control that is by using materials that either conduct or insulate heat. That, however, is becoming increasingly difficult as electronics continue to shrink, leaving … [Read more...] about This breakthrough material could help prevent our devices from overheating