Asics and Pyrates launch sustainable yoga-wear collection
Spotted: Japanese sportswear brand Asics has teamed up with Pyrates Smart Fabrics, a sustainable textile supplier based in Spain, to launch the eco-friendly yoga collection, “Yoga capsule”. The...
View ArticleWooden satellite leaves less space mess
Spotted: Space, at least the space in Earth’s orbit, is a crowded place. According to NASA, there are at least 34,000 large pieces of debris and around 2550 defunct satellites – as well as millions of...
View ArticleLow-impact recycling process turns everyday plastic waste into useful materials
Spotted: Researchers from Japan’s Osaka City and Tohoku universities created a method for recycling plastic at a much lower temperature than is required by current techniques. The lower temperature...
View ArticleWorld’s fastest supercomputer used to model tsunamis
Spotted: Fugaku, the world’s fastest supercomputer, is being used in a new joint initiative to develop an AI model that could predict tsunami flooding. The project is being undertaken by the...
View ArticleContactless ripeness system improves harvests and reduces damage to soft fruits
Spotted: Scientists at Japan’s Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) have developed a contactless means of assessing the ripeness of soft fruits. Rather than requiring produce to be squeezed at every...
View ArticleDisposable paper razor uses origami-inspired design
Spotted: The Paper Razor, developed by Japanese knife manufacturer Kai, has an all-paper body with a metal blade. It has been designed to be both efficient and waterproof. The Paper Razor comes...
View ArticleNatural wood, LEGO-like blocks offer kids a sustainable alternative
Spotted: Classic toys like LEGO, Mechano and Yo-Yos never go out of fashion, but they can be made more sustainable. That is the feeling at Japanese toy manufacturer Mokulock, where they have created...
View ArticleUV lamp designed to disinfect crowded spaces
Spotted: Japanese light-maker Ushio Inc. has launched an ultraviolet lamp designed to kill coronavirus, without harm to human health. Named “The Care 222 UV lamp”, it was developed together with...
View ArticlePaper carton soap dispenser able to replace plastic bottles
Spotted: As an alternative to single-use plastic bottles, Japanese design studio Nendo has unveiled a recyclable soap dispenser made of paper that can be switched out and replaced. This project aims...
View ArticleNatural blue food colour could replace existing artificial substitutes
Spotted: A research collaboration between ingredients makers Mars Wrigley and multiple universities around the globe has discovered a pigment in red cabbage that could be used to make a long-lasting...
View ArticleFashion loving gamers can now recycle their virtual threads
Spotted: Fans of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing game can now indulge a love of sustainable clothing on H&M’s Looop Island. Named for the fashion giant’s in-store garment-to-garment recycling system...
View ArticleAlternative fuel usage becomes an incentive at Tokyo ports
Spotted: Japan has been developing programmes to help reach its 2050 decarbonisation goals. One such programme applies to the ports of Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Tokyo, where for every vessel that uses...
View ArticleCrayons made with food-grade ingredients from discarded vegetables
Spotted: A partnership between Japanese company Mizuiro Inc and designer Naoko Kimura has created a sustainable alternative to traditional drawing crayons, which are safe for children. The crayons...
View ArticleElectronics maker develops own sustainable paper packaging
Spotted: Styrofoam has long been the packaging material of choice for shipping delicate objects that need to be protected. But Styrofoam is also an environmental disaster – difficult to recycle, and...
View ArticleBeds for Tokyo Games are made from recycled cardboard
Spotted: The Japanese bedding company Airweave has created 18,000 beds made from recycled cardboard and customisable mattresses for the athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Tokyo 2020...
View ArticleSingle-person electric planes to start flying in 2022
Spotted: Japanese startup teTra aviation corp recently introduced its commercial Mk5 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The lightweight planes hold a single person and are powered...
View ArticleJapanese architects design house on stilts to protect from adverse weather
Spotted: Tokyo-based studio Unemori Architects has incorporated concrete stilts into their recently designed house to protect it from the region’s harsh climate, which often includes flooding and...
View ArticlePureCycle makes a deal for a new plant in Japan
Spotted: PureCycle Technologies is a Nasdaq-listed company that is revolutionising polypropylene (PP) recycling. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is widely used in a huge number of...
View ArticleCurvy, wooden furniture brings warmth to new co-working office space
Spotted: A wooden structure inspired by brush strokes forms the core of a new co-working space in Shibuya, Tokyo. Designed by Norwegian architecture studio Snøhetta for the company Digital Garage, the...
View ArticleA ‘green technology’ to treat industrial wastewater
Spotted: Industrial emissions are a major polluter of the world’s aquatic environments, as is waste from the chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Once water is contaminated, it is...
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