Green innovation
Related content
Nestle outlines plans to bring UK's first commercial scale chemical plastic recycling plant online
Nestle has partnered with a chemical plastic recycling company with two commercial-scale facilities online in Spain, in the hopes of developing a similar plant in the UK.
Bacardi to launch biodegradable spirits bottles by 2023
Alcoholic beverage giant Bacardi has said it will be ready to launch a plastic-free, bio-based spirits bottle that degrades outside of industrial conditions by 2023.
Unilever's former chief sustainability officer to chair plant-based plastic venture
Unilever's former chief sustainability officer Jeff Seabright has been appointed as chair of a Cambridge-based scale-up that creates plant-protein-based alternatives to single-use plastic.
It's a shoe-in: Adidas unveils recyclable trainers as UGG reveals new climate and materials commitments
Adidas has started fresh pilots for a recyclable mono-material shoe made using recycled plastic, in the same week that UGG launched new social and environmental sustainability commitments.
Capgemini: EU must invest in high-impact climate technologies through green recovery funding
The EU must allocate portions of its €750bn Covid-19 recovery fund to emerging, innovative technologies which decarbonise energy, the built environment, industry, transport and the agri-food sector if it is to meet its net-zero goal by 2050, new analysis has found.
World's first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus hits Scottish streets
Real-world trials of the world's first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus have officially begun in Aberdeen - five years after the city unveiled a hydrogen production and bus refuelling facility.
H&M brings 'garment-to-garment' recycling machines in-store
H&M has installed a machine which disassembles old clothing and re-assembles the material into new textiles in one of its stores, in what it claims is a first for the fashion industry.
Earthshot Prize: Royals to spend £50m on climate and nature innovations by 2030
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have officially launched what they describe as the "most prestigious global environment prize in history", which will allocate £50m to projects tackling the climate and nature crises over a ten-year period.
Plastic-eating 'super-enzymes' and water-based fuel: The best green innovations of September 2020
Every month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best from September 2020.
#SustyTalk: Unilever's Ian Howell on shifting to fossil-free cleaning and laundry
edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with Unilever Home Care's R&D Director Ian Howell, who outlines what it'll take for the company to remove fossil-based carbon from its products by 2030 and dramatically reduce their climate impact.
Climate technology investments growing five times faster than average market rates
Venture capital investment into climate-related technology is growing five times faster than the average rate of all other industry investments, with new analysis from PwC finding that corporate and investor demands for low-carbon innovation led to $16bn being invested in 2019.
Airbus unveils plans to debut zero-emission hydrogen planes by 2035
Aerospace manufacturing giant Airbus has revealed three futuristic concept designs for zero-emission aircraft with hydrogen as the primary power source, claiming that they could operate commercial flights by 2035.
Carbon capture and EVs: Amazon unveils first beneficiaries of $2bn climate fund
Amazon has announced the first beneficiaries of its $2bn Climate Pledge Fund, with organisations developing carbon removal technologies, nature-based carbon markets and electric vehicle (EV) innovations set to benefit.
Clean Future: Unilever to remove fossil-fuel-based carbon from cleaning products by 2030
Unilever has unveiled plans to replace 100% of the carbon derived from fossil fuels in its cleaning and laundry products with captured, natural and recycled carbon within a decade.
Work restarts at UK's first commercial refinery for recycled metals from e-waste
Work to create the UK's first commercial-scale refinery extracting precious metals from waste electronics and electricals has restarted after Covid-19 related delays, meaning that the facility should become operational within 12 months.
Nestlé launches vegan tuna alternative after record plant-based 'meat' sales
Nestle has launched its first plant-based seafood alternative, a tuna substitute called Vuna, after its sales of plant-based meat alternatives surpassed £166m last year.
BEIS eyes CfD model to help scale-up UK's green hydrogen economy
Large-scale hydrogen projects with renewables could soon be included in the UK's Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions, after a new government report identified the mechanism as a favoured option for scaling up 'green' hydrogen technologies.
National Grid kick-starts UK's first trials of grid-injected biomethane from cow manure
Biogas produced from straw and cow manure has been directly injected into the gas grid in Cambridgeshire, in what the National Grid is calling a UK first.
Autonomous farming and AI-enabled energy trackers: The best green innovations of July 2020
Every month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round-up five of the best from July 2020.
Fresh government funding for animal feed made from captured CO2
The UK Government has unveiled a £24m funding pot for innovations aimed at transforming the food system, including a project using captured CO2 to manufacture animal feed, amid fresh warnings of agriculture's links to illegal deforestation.
Amazon starts sourcing bio-jet fuel in drive to slash air cargo emissions
Amazon's air cargo arm has signed a deal to source six million gallons of bio-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as the e-commerce giant works towards its 2040 net-zero target.
IEA: Most technologies needed to achieve net-zero aren't yet mature
Some 75% of the emissions reductions necessary to meet net-zero are dependent on technologies which have not yet reached commercial maturity, new analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has found.
One Young World: Business giants invest £500k in SDG-aligned innovations
AstraZeneca, Deloitte and BP are among a cohort big-name businesses to have jointly unveiled £500,000 of grant funding for young innovators working on projects driving progress towards the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
'Green Swan' observatories and Europe's biggest electric plane: The best green innovations of the month
Every month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best from June 2020.
John Lewis Partnership to build bio-methane refuelling station at UK HQ
Building on a pledge convert its 600-strong fleet of diesel delivery trucks to be powered by bio-methane by 2028, John Lewis Partnership is building a biomethane filling station at its Bracknell headquarters.
Adidas and Allbirds to develop sports shoes with 'lowest recorded' carbon footprint
Sporting giant Adidas has teamed up with shoe brand Allbirds to develop solutions that would create one of the lowest carbon footprints ever recorded for a sports shoe.
#SustyTalk: AB InBev's Ezgi Barcenas on sustainability innovation during lockdown
edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with brewer AB InBev's global vice president for sustainability Ezgi Barcenas discussing how the supply chain engagement will change as a result of the coronavirus and how innovation can help unlock a new green economy.
Coronavirus and globalisation: What next for supply chain sustainability?
Covid-19 has brought global economies to a standstill and knocked the confidence in global and connected trade. Would businesses benefit from pivoting to more localised value chains, or do global supply chains enable a global shift towards a climate-resilient future?
Carbon pricing, flexibility and scaling-up hydrogen: UK energy sector unveils net-zero innovation plans
The body representing the UK's electricity and gas transmission and distribution sector has set out its plans for reaching net-zero by 2050, concluding that this ambition will only be achieved if a "whole-systems" approach to transformation is adopted.
Lucozade Ribena Suntory gets go-ahead for edible seaweed sachets in gym vending machines
Following a successful pilot at races in 2018, Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) is trialling drinks housed in plastic-free, edible seaweed-based sachets in vending machines in gyms.
Solar planes and IBM's seawater batteries: The best green innovations of February 2020
Every month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best from February 2020.
New CCUS project to turn biomass emissions into plastic products
Drax Group is set to pilot technology which will see carbon emissions captured from its biomass plant in Yorkshire and used to displace oil in the production of plastics.
UK's first 'smart' commercial hub signs 50-year clean energy innovation deal with E.ON
The developers of what purports to be the UK's first "smart" commercial campus have singed a 50-year deal with E.ON, that will see the utility giant develop, test and scale-up clean energy solutions in the west country.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation unveils 'landmark' digital tool to help businesses track circular economy progress
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has today (14 January) launched a new digital tool which enables businesses of all sizes and sectors to measure their contribution to the circular economy and identify ways in which to close the loop further.
Horizon scanning: Eight innovations set to shake-up sustainability in 2020
The past 12 months proved to be an exciting time for green innovation, with new products and systems emerging and scaling amid a backdrop of climate protests. Here, edie scans the horizon for innovations that could transform sustainability in 2020.
Veganuary: Fast food giants launch plant-based meals as red meat sales plummet
Food-to-go giants including Greggs, KFC and McDonald's have all launched new plant-based options to mark Veganuary, after supermarkets recorded a plunge in meat sales which looks set to continue into 2020.
Earthshot Prize: Royals aim to spur 'decade of action to repair planet'
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have partnered with Sir David Attenborough to launch the 'Earthshot Prize' - a new fund for individuals and organisations working to restore the environment.
Zero-carbon ships 'on the horizon' under fuel levy plan
Shipping companies would have to pay a small levy on every tonne of fuel they use under proposals aimed at developing zero-carbon vessels within 10 years, transforming the high-carbon global shipping business.
Meet edie's 30 Under 30 Class of 2019: Charlie Jardine, EO Charging
This series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Next up: Charlie Jardine, founder and chief executive of EO charging.
Iceland slashes plastics packaging across Christmas range by 97%
Iceland has claimed that its Christmas range of food and drinks for 2019, which includes 18 plastic-free lines, contains 97% less plastic than its 2017 range.
Government-backed trial of biomethane trucks slashes emissions for Asda
The coalition of businesses leading a UK-wide trial of biomethane fuels for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), including Asda and Kuehne + Nagel, has revealed that the scheme mitigated the emission of 1,400 tonnes of CO2e over a two-year period.
Heineken to eliminate shrinkwrap and plastic rings from multipacks sold in the UK
Heineken has today (7 November) announced plans to remove all plastic shrinkwrap and rings from multipacks of beer and cider sold in the UK by the end of 2021.
Stella McCartney's fur-free fur and flying taxis: The top 10 green innovations of October 2019
Each month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations that could help businesses and nations deliver on resource efficiency, low-carbon transitions and combat climate change emerge. Here, edie rounds-up nine of the best.
Sustainability 2.0 roundtable: What's stopping businesses from investing in green innovations?
In an era of unparalleled technological advancements - and with the UK's net-zero target looming - businesses of all sizes can reap rewards from investing in scalable technologies with positive social and environmental impacts. So, what's stopping UK plc identifying and investing in green innovations?
Survey: Brexit uncertainty halting sustainability investment
Almost a third of businesses claim to have delayed green innovation projects in the last 12 months due to the political uncertainty over Brexit, research from Schneider Electric has revealed.
Finisterre to switch from plastic bags to 'water-soluble' biodegradable alternative
Outdoor clothing brand Finisterre is set to achieve its ambition of eliminating all plastics packaging which is neither reusable nor biodegradable, after investing in bags which naturally break down in soil and in water.
Zero-emission planes and boats that double as microgrids: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Meet the Sustainability Leader: Circular Economy Innovation - Yellow Octopus Fashion
With entries now open for edie's Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2019 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our Circular Economy Innovation Award, Yellow Octopus Fashion.
Asda pilots plastic-free innovation in fight against food waste
Asda is trialling an innovative new material which could help mitigate the need for plastic food packaging, without leading to an increase in food waste.
Shellfish 'plastics' and hydrogen-powered gin: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Beyond Meat: Lewis Hamilton and KFC wade into alternative protein market
Fast-food chain KFC's trial of vegan nuggets sold out in just five hours, while British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has announced the launch of a plant-based burger chain across the globe.
SAP's app against poverty and self-charging EVs: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Meet the Sustainability Leader: Product Innovation - Nutreco and Skretting
With entries now open for edie's Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2019 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our Sustainability Product Innovation of the Year award, Nutreco and Skretting.
Edible drinks bottles backed by Government funding
Oohos, the edible, plastic-free packaging capsules trialled by companies such as Lucozade Ribena Suntory, have received more than £300,000 in Government funding that will help boost daily manufacturing outputs.
Unilever's vegan mayonnaise and 'smart' e-bikes: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Biodegradable bottles and plastic-free microbeads: The 10 innovations backed by Sky Ocean Ventures
Sky's Ocean Ventures arm has selected 10 innovations - all designed to combat marine plastics pollution - to receive a share of a £6m impact investment fund.
Nestle's biodegradable breakthrough and water ATMs: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Microplastic filters and Tesla's 'Megapacks': The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
The climate FaceApp alternative and Tesla's superchargers: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up five of the best.
Napapijri showcases fully recyclable jacket made from discarded fishing nets
Fashion brand Napapijri has unveiled a fully recyclable jacket made from discarded fishing nets and fabric scraps from mills and carpets.
Lush debuts 'carbon-positive' packaging
Health and beauty retailer Lush has unveiled what it claims is the world's first 'carbon-positive' packaging.
Plastic-free fruit labels and electric 'hypercars': The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Unilever: Innovation is the 'cornerstone' to plastics reduction
EXCLUSIVE: Product and systems innovations will be a "key cornerstone" in meeting Unilever's five-point plastics reduction strategy, which champions behaviour change and total phase-outs where possible alongside incremental reductions.
Unilever's refills and the 'world's first' 100% recycled hoodie: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
edie's Plastics Thinkathon: Six moonshot business ideas that could eliminate single-use plastics
With businesses continuing to make plastic-reduction commitments in the face of ever-growing stakeholder pressure, edie recently hosted a 'Plastics Thinkathon' to spur collaborative action on achieving a single-use plastic-free future, today. Here, we round up the potentially transformational results.
Energy management design sprint (Part One): How to unlock innovation in your business
In the first of a special two-part feature, edie reveals the results of two full-day workshops which applied principles of 'design thinking' to the role of the energy manager. Here, we summarise our first workshop, which explored how this group can harness energy innovations.
Sandvik: Employees are 'crucial' for embedding sustainability
EXCLUSIVE: As it develops a roadmap for its ambitious new 2030 targets on carbon and resources, engineering giant Sandvik's group head of sustainability believes that input from employees will be "crucial" for making the shifts needed to align with the Paris Agreement.
IHG taps into AI technology in bid to slash food waste by 30%
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is using artificial intelligence (AI) technology across its restaurant and bar operations in a bid to achieve a 30% reduction in food waste.
Bio-solar 'leaves' and electric ice cream vans: The best green innovations for Clean Air Day
To mark Clean Air Day (20 June), edie has rounded up some of the best innovations being explored by companies across the globe to help tackle the environmental and health impacts of air pollution.
Tarmac's recycled asphalt and Unilever's plastic-free boxes: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Fish scale plastics and lifts which store energy: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
H&M's orange peel dresses and Waitrose's 'invisible' door: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
'Eco' blocks and 'super' crops: The best green innovations of the week
Eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations that could help businesses and nations accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy are emerging every week. Here, edie rounds-up six of the best.
LIVE Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Unlocking innovation in sustainability and energy
Day Two of edie Live saw the second LIVE broadcast of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast, this time focusing on unleashing the power of innovation with industry experts from Heathrow, AB Sugar, Yellow Octopus Fashion and Mitie Energy.
Circular economies and scenario analysis: How Rolls Royce is innovating for zero-carbon operations
EXCLUSIVE: As the UK Government mulls over whether to adopt a 2050 target for net-zero carbon emissions, engineering and aerospace giant Rolls Royce is going beyond the "low-hanging fruit" as it continues on its pathway to zero-carbon operations by 2030.
Hydrogen storage 'sponges' and 'infinitely' recyclable plastic: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Bioreefs and plastic-free periods: Waitrose announces winners of £1m plastic challenge
A "bioreef" of mussels, an initiative that tackles ghost fishing gear and a behaviour change campaign that reduces plastic pollution from period products are among the winners of Waitrose & Partners' £1m plastic pollution innovation challenge.
Solar car with range of 'up to 800km' to launch next month
Dutch electric vehicle (EV) startup Lightyear has confirmed that it will unveil a prototype of the world's first long-range solar-powered passenger car next month, claiming that the vehicle will have a range of up to 800km (497 miles).
Innovation shift: Why radical change must focus on entire value chains
Current efforts to introduce new waves of innovation that address key climate issues need to be "scientific, scalable and systemic" with a focus on industry-wide collaboration, according to the chief executive of a corporate system's accelerator aiming to transform sustainability across 10 industry value chains.
Tesla's extended range EVs and off-grid treehouses: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Closing at 5pm: Energy managers called upon to take edie's 'Business Barometer' survey
edie is calling on all UK-based energy managers and practitioners to take a new industry survey which will help to inform an exclusive 'Business Barometer' being developed to identify key energy trends and opportunities.
Algae carbon capture and lobster protein plastic: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Algae-boosted solar panels and floating cities: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
UK water firms join global funding alliance helping sector to champion green innovation
UK-based water companies Severn Trent and United Utilities are among a group of 10 global water firms to have jointly launched a new innovation fund aimed at supporting green solutions to the sector's biggest sustainability challenges.
Burger King's meat-free Whopper and bendy electric buses: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn energy and sustainability ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Virtual power plants and 'super hubs': Four smart UK energy systems projects launched by Claire Perry
Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry has today (3 April) launched four smart energy systems demonstrator projects across the UK, in a bid to help towns and cities become "hubs" to spur the low-carbon transition across the electricity, heat, cooling and transport sectors.
Rolls-Royce and ABB partner to develop microgrid solution for business
Rolls-Royce's Power Systems arm has secured a partnership with robotics and technology firm ABB, which will see the companies collaboratively developing a new microgrid solution for commercial and industrial applications.
Cheese waste vodka and EV battery recycling: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn energy and sustainability ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
NASA-certified showers and AI-enabled bins: The best green innovations of the week
Each week, many eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations emerge that could help businesses and nations accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. And each week, edie rounds-up six of the best.
Ikea's solar blockchain and autonomous electric trucks: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn energy and sustainability ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.
Ikea creates blockchain solution to "democratise" renewable energy
Plans have been created by furniture giant Ikea's innovation lab Space 10 to develop a blockchain-powered solar microgrid.
Squid protein plastics and carbon capture breakthroughs: The best green innovations of the week
Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn energy and sustainability ambitions into actions Here, we round-up six of the best from the past seven days.
SC Johnson launches industry-first 100% ocean plastic bottle
Home cleaning product manufacturer SC Johnson has developed the industry's first plastic bottle made entirely from recycled ocean plastic for its Windex cleaning brand.
Closed-loop solution for black plastics receives £800,000 Government backing
A project aimed at creating a solution for hard-to-recycle black plastic that places recycled content into food-grade packaging has been awarded £800,000 under the UK Government's Innovate UK grant scheme, in order to bring the technology to market.
edie's Plastics Thinkathon results (Part Two): Solving the behaviour change challenge
With businesses continuing to develop plastic-reduction strategies in the face of ever-growing stakeholder pressure, edie recently hosted the world's first 'Plastics Thinkathon' to co-create scalable solutions to the issue. In the final part of this feature, Sarah George reveals the results to tackling behaviour change.
Ikea's air-purifying curtains and solar space stations: The best green innovations of the week
Each week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations that could help businesses and nations deliver on resource efficiency, low-carbon transitions and combat climate change emerge. And each week edie rounds-up six of the best.
Waitrose installs Formula One technology to boost energy savings from fridges
Supermarket Waitrose & Partners is set to install innovative technology inspired by Formula One race cars across its stores, in a move it claims will reduce the energy consumption of its refrigerators by up to 25%.
edie's Plastics Thinkathon results (Part One): The Lazy Lunch and shampoo bars
With businesses continuing to make plastic-reduction pledges in the face of ever-growing stakeholder pressure, edie recently hosted the world's first 'Plastics Thinkathon' to co-create scalable solutions to the issue. In this two-part feature, Sarah George reveals the potentially game-changing results.
Pollutant-trapping pavements and electric rickshaws: The best green innovations to tackle air quality
To coincide with the UK's Clean Air Summit, edie has rounded up some of the ground-breaking innovations being explored by companies across the globe as we look to tackle the dangers of air pollution.
Sky and National Geographic launch Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge
Broadcaster Sky has launched a one-year competition alongside National Geographic to uncover and support new solutions that can help tackle single-use plastics through a $1.5m (£1.1m) investment fund.
