AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Responsible Consumption & Production, Climate Action
KEYWORDS
carbon negative
COUNTRY
Germany
DESIGNED BY
Allison Dring, Daniel Schwaag
WEBSITE
https://www.madeofair.com/
Made of Air
Carbon negative materials for the Net Zero economy
How does it work?
Trees are the original carbon capture technology. They convert atmospheric CO? into carbon stored in their trunks. At the end of a tree’s life, the stored CO? gets re-released into the atmosphere through decomposition or burning. This pile of wood waste will release CO? without intervention. We step in to ensure that the CO? stored by trees is permanently locked in by creating Biochar from wood waste. Biochar is a negative emissions technology that locks carbon in a stable form permanently. Using Biochar, we go a step further to create materials that replace polluting materials like fossil plastic and aluminum. Material use needs to be intentional - we focus on durable and recoverable applications that have long usage cycles. After decades of use, our materials can be returned to the earth safely, either directly or as Biochar.
Why is it needed?
Negative Emissions: our materials permanently lock CO? for each ton we produce - making it carbon negative. Replaces high emissions materials like fossil plastic and aluminum: we double down on our impact by replacing high emissions materials like fossil plastic and aluminum in manufactured goods. Built for scale: our durable materials work with existing manufacturing processes and can help transform your products at scale and reduce your Scope 3 emissions.
How does it improve life?
The material is carbon-negative, reducing CO? emissions, and is also a viable alternative to plastic and aluminum.