At the beginning of the 20th century, the "first automatic detergent" went on sale. It promised clean laundry after only 30 minutes at 95°C. Before that, the laundry had to be soaked, laboriously kneaded, rubbed, rinsed and wrung.

The demands on modern running shoes are high. They should be light and stable, tear-resistant and stretchy, even when wet.

Objects made of ferrous metals will develop rust over time, especially if they are not in constant use. Once rust has formed, there is no protection against further decomposition.

A baby or toddler "produces" up to ten full diapers a day. Not only parents can imagine the huge mountains of rubbish.

It is well known that insects are rich in protein and vitamins. Compared to conventional livestock farming, rearing insects is much more environmentally friendly and they also have a lot to offer in terms of taste.

Sitting in a bar, drinking a cocktail and chewing on the plastic straw, which is then disposed of as a matter of course - there's hardly anything less sustainable. A German start-up now wants to change this and produces the straws from fruit residue.

Waste that accumulates during food production is usually thrown away. This is also true for rice husks. German sportswear manufacturer Puma uses this waste material  for their eco-friendly trainers `Re-Suede´.

The first plastic dowel revolutionized the possibilities of wall mounting in 1958. About 50 years after its invention, there is another innovation: the dowel turns green", and will now be made of a plastic, that consists of more than 50% of castor oil.

A smartphone falls to the ground and gets scratched across the display. Who doesn’t know this problem? Now the first mobile phone with a biobased plastic touchscreen has come on the market.

Some bioactive ingredients, including enzymes, can help to smooth out wrinkles, remove impurities from the skin or prevent irritation of the skin. These beneficial ingredients can be produced with the help of new processes in fermentation.

As nitrogen fixers, lupins are great fertilisers for soil. Their seeds are rich in protein and can be used as an alternative source of protein in the food industry.

The bike is built from lightweight, thin-walled and resilient tubes with a minimum use of real wood. Unlike raw materials such as aluminium, iron or carbon, which are normally used for the construction of bicycles, wood is a renewable resource.

The Russian dandelion grows in Germany in areas that are unsuitable for farming. Unlike the rubber tree, which grows in subtropical regions, the increasing demand without vegetation clearance or conversion of farmland can be met.