NextGen Biomaterials for Interior Spaces

The cycle of life is often explained to the next generation as a biological cycle of conception, birth, life and death. However, when it comes to the life cycle of products in our daily lives, such as furniture, the relationships are complex and difficult to explain. This is because there is usually no ‘happy ending’ for the resources of our everyday culture. Thanks to smart innovations in the field of materials, our linear understanding of materiality is slowly changing. We are increasingly thinking in terms of closed cycles and including the biological cycle of life. Whether plastic-free fillers for upholstered furniture, fast-growing fibre materials to replace wood or lab-grown cellulose as a textile leather alternative: biocircular materials not only offer the opportunity to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, they also help to close product cycles. Diana Drewes from Haute Innovation Berlin talks about the latest developments in biomaterials, which will be on show in the special ‘Biocircular Materials’ area in Hall 6 at interzum. In particular, the use of secondary materials from agricultural and food industry waste streams has led to exciting innovations. Adhesives made from chicken feathers, filling materials made from fruit pits and 3D-printed furniture made from citrus peel are just some of the highly interesting biomaterials that are fuelling the next big transformation.