year in review the challenges of resource scarcity are pushing the boundaries of the manufacturing industry, with concepts such as closed loop recycling, cradle to cradle design and 3d printing growing in popularity.omni united and timberland have launched a new line of tyres which will be sold from april next year. the used tyres will then be collected and recycled into shoe outsoles by timberland. image timberlandby medilyn manibo wednesday 31 december 2014here&rsquos our pick of the top five manufacturing developments in 20141. new products from closed loop recyclingthe manufacturing industry is increasingly employing the principles of zero waste or closed loop recycling to produce new products, instead of sending waste to landfills. some interesting innovations reported this year include a japanese contact lens maker menicon partnering with starbucks to make cattle feed using fermentation technology from used coffee grounds. as a result, some of starbucks&rsquo shops in japan uses milk that comes from cows fed by its coffee waste. coffee waste has also been remanufactured by united states start up ministry of supply into adour absorbers in men&rsquos blazers.another example is a new enterprise networks by interface and the zoological society of london, which recycles old fishing nets into carpets while lifting the incomes of poor fishing communities. this year, its creators announced the expansion of the programme from the philippines&rsquo coastlines to cameroon&rsquos lake reserves.2. the rise of cradle to cradlethe cradle to cradle approach which seeks to create production techniques that are not just efficient but are essentially waste free is on the rise. as an example, taiwanese personal care manufacturer hair o&rsquoright launched this year a shampoo from coffee waste, packaged in biodegradable bottles made from the same coffee waste, and embedded it with coffee seeds which the consumer can bury in the soil.in california, a company called ecor derived raw material from organic waste materials such as wood, cardboard paper and other cellulose fibres, for several products including eyewear, utensils, furniture and containers.3. sustainable fashion in voguethis year, major fashion industry players took steps to raise sustainability standards in the sector. in february, the industry was put in the spotlight when apparel from major designer brands such as louis vuitton, dolce & gabbana and versace were tested positive for toxic chemicals by environmental campaign group greenpeace. the luxury brands have yet respond with commitments to address the issue, but other well known brands such as adidas, major italian textile suppliers, german retailer tchibo and sports wear puma have made their pledges this year to eliminate hazardous chemicals in their supply chains.some examples of product innovation from repurposed waste material include us pop music artist pharrell williams&rsquos and dutch denim label gstar raw&lsquos new kind of denim line which features a unique blend of materials &ndash recycled plastic pet taken from the ocean, and cotton. awardwinning us professor richard wool also found a way to make a leather substitute out of chicken feathers, a manufacturing method that uses less energy and water. separately, singaporebased tyre distributor omni united and united states casual outdoor shoe and clothing maker timberland launched a new line of tyres that will be recycled and used in shoes.4. the rise of 3d printing3d printing has increased in popularity this year especially in the production of materials for medical and healthcare uses such prosthetics and other implants. the technology is also being explored, for example, to produce eye wear in a more sustainable manner. houses can also now be mass produced using 3d printers. a construction firm in shanghai was able to build 10 houses within 24 hours by repurposing china&rsquos 1.5 billion tonnes of construction waste into &lsquoink&rsquo.5. a guide on traceabilitythe united nations global compact and bsr this year launched the world&rsquos first guide on traceability in a bid to advance supply chain sustainability. it aims to help companies and consumers to ensure their material or product is produced responsibly. the guide also presents lessons and reallife case studies on a wide range of products that are applicable across companies and industries around the world. 
