Top 10: Sustainable Materials

When we discuss sustainable materials, context really matters. 

There's a reason after all, you see rammed earth and bendable concrete increasingly adopted by construction leaders while hemp and bamboo is more often used by homeware and automotive manufacturers. 

These materials boast their own unique and distinctive properties, from durability to flexibility that inform their use.

Sustainability while vital isn't enough on its own- manufacturers need materials that can perform like their less sustainable alternatives, in order for these materials to be viable and scalable. 

For all these reasons and more, the act of directly comparing these materials in terms of which is better is often a futile task.

What is more fruitful is exploring how industry leading manufacturers are adopting these materials in specific verticals, pioneering their use. 

With this in mind we've compiled our top 10 instances of this, ranking them in no particular order. 

10: Lenzing Group: lyocell

• Revenue: + US$2.18bn
• Employees: 7,800
• CEO: Stefan Doboczky
• Founded: 1938

Lenzing, an Austrian company, is a major player in the production of sustainable fibres, including lyocell, a type of fibre made from wood pulp, typically sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Lenzing's lyocell fibres, branded as Tencel, are used in a wide range of industries, including textiles for clothing, home furnishings and even medical applications. Lyocell is known for its environmental benefits, as it is produced in a closed-loop process that recycles water and solvents, reducing waste and pollution compared to traditional textile production methods. The company has committed to sustainability by creating fibres that are biodegradable and produced using renewable resources.

As one of the largest producers of lyocell fibres, Lenzing has thousands of employees and continues to innovate with eco-friendly fibres, playing a key role in advancing the textile industry toward more sustainable practices.

9. Nike: wool 

• Revenue: US$51.36bn
• Employees: 80,000
• CEO: John Donahoe
• Founded: 1964

The sportswear giant has incorporated wool into its products, particularly for performance wear. Nike has used wool in various collections, such as the Nike Tech Fleece and Nike Flyknit lines, focusing on combining the natural qualities of wool (like breathability and moisture-wicking) with modern performance fabric technologies.

Nike's use of wool aligns with its broader sustainability efforts.

Wool is a renewable, biodegradable resource and the company has made commitments to sourcing sustainable wool, including partnering with programs that promote animal welfare and environmentally friendly farming practices. Nike's innovation with wool helps to create lightweight, durable and eco-friendly products that meet the needs of athletes while reducing the environmental footprint.

8. Bechtel Corporation: rammed earth

• Revenue: Estimated around US$20bn
• Employees: 50,000
• CEO: Brendan Peters Bechtel
• Founded: 1898

Bechtel Corporation, is one of the largest engineering, procurement and construction companies in the world.

Bechtel, known for working on large-scale infrastructure and construction projects globally, has explored the use of rammed earth in various sustainable building initiatives. The company focuses on delivering projects with environmentally conscious materials and energy-efficient designs. Rammed earth, with its natural insulating properties and minimal carbon footprint, is an attractive alternative to conventional concrete, especially in eco-friendly construction projects.

While Bechtel might not exclusively use rammed earth in all projects, their commitment to sustainable building practices has led them to incorporate this material in certain areas, particularly for projects aiming for environmental certifications and reducing their carbon footprint.

7. Holcim: bendable concrete

• Revenue: US$22.3bn
• Employees: 70,000
• CEO: Miljan Gutovic
• Founded: 1912

Advancing the future of bendable concrete (also known as engineered cementitious composite or ECC) is Holcim. Holcim, a global leader in building materials, has been involved for yeas in the research and production of advanced concrete technologies.

Bendable concrete is a groundbreaking material that has a higher tensile strength and can bend without cracking, making it more durable and flexible than traditional concrete.

Holcim is leveraging this material for various construction projects to improve the longevity and resilience of structures, especially in earthquake-prone areas.

By using bendable concrete, Holcim aims to reduce the environmental impact of construction while enhancing the performance of buildings, roads and other infrastructure.

This material is part of Holcim's commitment to creating sustainable, innovative solutions in the construction industry.

6. BMW: mycelium

• Revenue: US$160.8bn
• Employees: 133,000
• CEO: Oliver Zipse
• Founded: 1916

BMW, already driving the green automotive future through its strong electrification strategy and push for broader sustainability, has also been experimenting with sustainable materials.

The focus for the manufacturer has been mycelium, a root-like structure of mushrooms that consists of thread-like filaments called hyphae.

Mycelium is one of the most adaptable materials on this list, due to its deceiving strength, biodegradable nature and ability to be grown into custom shapes. 

The material has applications spanning construction to textiles to the automotive sector, where BMW has been using it to build interior components.

The manufacturer has also collaborated with mycelium startups like Ecovative Design, to explore eco-friendly alternatives to conventional materials like plastics and foams.

BMW has previously celebrated this research and innovation through events like BMW MATERIA, showcasing the phenomenal possibilities of mycelium. 

BMW's initiative is part of their broader push for sustainability in their production process, including efforts to reduce carbon footprints and use renewable resources.

5. Ford Motor Company: hemp  

• Revenue: US$182.743bn
• Employees: 186,000
• CEO: Jim Farley
• Founded: 1903

Ford has been incorporating hemp into its manufacturing process since its inception, with the iconic 1942 Ford Hemp car. 

The first car ever to have a body entirely made from hemp plastic, this revolutionary vehicle was termed the Soybean and was powered completely by hemp ethanol. 

Lighter and more fuel efficient than traditional metal cars, this innovation highlighted the incredible potential of hemp in the automotive sector. 

Ford has been experimenting ever since, though it has shifted away from Hemp plastic. 

In the early 2000s the manufacturer was hemp fibres in the interior panels of vehicles such as the Ford Hemp Body Panel prototype.

Today Ford is exploring their use alongside other natural fibres within door panels, seat cushions and dashboards. 

Hemp is a critical part of the manufacturers history and they continue to adopt it to create more sustainable, environmentally-friendly vehicles.

4. Adidas: Piñatex

• Revenue: US$25.8bn
• Employees: 64,000
• CEO: Bjørn Gulden
• Founded: 1949

Piñatex, created by the suitably named Ananas Anam, is a vegan leather alternative created from the fibres of pineapple leaves. 

This exciting material has been adopted by a host of textile manufacturers, including German sportswear leader Adidas. 

Adidas partnered directly with Ananas Anam to create a range of environmentally-friendly products, pushing the boundaries of footwear sustainability and innovation.

Biodegradable, renewable, cruelty free and energy efficient to produce, Piñatex, could help reduce reliance on traditional leather and its associated CO2 emissions.

This effort aligns with Adidas's broader sustainability goals, including the use of innovative materials to reduce the environmental footprint of their products.

3. IKEA: bamboo

• Revenue: US$49.2bn
• Employees: 200,000
• CEO: Jesper Brodin
• Founded: 1943

IKEA is one of the world's most influential sustainability leaders, utilising eco-friendly materials across its affordable furniture and home furnishing lines. 

One material it utilises extensively is bamboo, including within its home accessories, furniture and flooring. 

Bamboo is highly versatile, fast growing and sustainable, widely prized for both its structural and aesthetic qualities. 

IKEA sources its bamboo in a sustainable manner, ensuring harvesting and transportation are responsible and efficient. 

This move towards bamboo is part of IKEA's larger goal to become more environmentally friendly, with the company aiming to make its products more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint.

2. BASF: bioplastics 

• Revenue: US$$71.1bn
• Employees: 110,000
• CEO: Martin Brudermüller
• Founded: 1865

Chemicals manufacturer BASG is arguably the biggest global contributor to the development of biodegradable plastics.

Focusing on innovative solutions that promote economic circularity, the manufacturer has developed Ecovio, a biodegradable plastic made from renewable resources including corn starch.

This material is designed to break down under industrial composting conditions and is widely used in applications like food bags, agricultural films and packaging. 

BASF has also invested in the research and commercial development of PHA, a family of biodegardable plastics that are produced from bacteria using renewable resources.

PHA's break down naturally in soil, marine environments and composting systems, helping to address the global challenges of plastic sustainability.

In addition, the company has pursued collaboration with various packaging leaders, companies like Biome Bioplastics and manufacturers like Nestlé to develop sustainable, compostable plastic alternatives for use across industry.

1. Arcelormittal: green steel

• Revenue: US$62.279bn
• Employees: 168,000
• CEO: Aditya Mittal
• Founded: 2006, through the merger of Arcelor and Mittal Steel

According to Global Energy Monitor, less than half of the world’s top steel producers have targets to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century and even fewer track the full scope of emissions produced by their business. 

This is alarming considering the necessity of the industry's transition to a more sustainable future. 

Nearly 2 billion tons of steel is produced worldwide each year, accounting for about 7% of human greenhouse gas emissions, more than Russia or the entire European Union. 

Leading sustainable progress in the industry is ArcelorMittal, one of the largest steel manufacturers in the world and a company at the forefront of the tradition to green steel. 

Green steel is steel produced using low-carbon technologies, replacing traditional methods that rely on unsustainable coal. 

These include through Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology powered by hydrogen, in a process known as Hybrit. 

By replacing coal and reducing iron ore to iron, CO2 emissions are dramatically reduced. ArcelorMittal has been investing in H2 Green Steel, a plant that through utilising hydrogen to produce green steel is expected to reduce emissions by up to 90%.

The manufacturer has also been investing in carbon capture and storage technologies, to capture CO2 emissions produced during steel-making and either store them underground or reuse them in other processes, such as in chemical production.

The company's successful CarbFix project in Iceland is an example of CCS in action.

With its target to become carbon-neutral by 2050 and participation in the European Green Deal and Clean Steel Partnership with the EU, the company is making significant strides at advancing the development of green steel.

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