A village built from plastic bottles • Materia

The amount of discarded plastic in the world is a major problem, especially because a large part ends up in our oceans. Studies show that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastic in the oceans. There are many projects that try to reduce the amount of plastic, by recycling it, for instance by turning…

Floating architecture | Dezeen

The best and most ambitious floating architecture projects, including schools, houses and cycle parks Bron: Floating architecture | Dezeen

Ligneah • Seen at Materia

These thin sheets of wood are bonded to a fabric and then micro laser etched, which gives it the impressive pliability it boasts. It is Eco-friendly, biodegradable, cruelty free and natural. The uses are endless, because everything that can be made from a textile or leather can also be made from Ligneah. It is available…

As strong as an insect’s shell | Harvard Gazette

Wyss Institute scientists have created a material that mimics the hard outer skin of bugs. The result is low-cost and easily manufactured, and tough. It eventually might provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. Bron: As strong as an insect’s shell | Harvard Gazette

Eco-friendly seaweed packaging wins Lexus Design Award

A prototype packaging product made from seaweed instead of plastic has been named as the winner of this year’s Lexus Design Award for emerging designers Bron: Eco-friendly seaweed packaging wins Lexus Design Award

Lovely Light Exhibition • Materia

Light is indeed lovely and its qualities will be explored in this illuminating exhibition put in collaboration between Broeinest and Materia. A material reacts to light in three ways: though reflection, transmission and absorption. The play and interaction of light against materials is fascinating: it determines the visibility, colour, structure and shine of a material, thus…

Gezien op Materia.nl: Solar Balloons Harvest Energy Above the Clouds 

Electro-chemist Jean-Francois Guillemoles is looking above the clouds with his concept for floating solar balloons. The invention, which would be able to store energy as well as generate it, has the potential to generate 3 times more energy per square meter than a land based solar cell. So why not send solar cells above the clouds where…