Three GREEN GRADS Receive Prestigious Green Concept Awards for Sustainable Innovations
Three GREEN GRADS Receive Prestigious Green Concept Awards for Sustainable Innovations
BERLIN, Germany - [JUNE 2026] – Three forward-thinking designers from the GREEN GRADS initiative have been honoured with Green Concept Awards at a distinguished ceremony in Berlin. Established in 2013 to recognise sustainable innovation, the international awards programme received 2,100 submissions from 50 countries this year. The recognition highlights the urgent need to address industry-wide environmental challenges through ethical, regenerative design practices.
The first recipient, Punxh Peerasin Hutaphaet, won an award for GROWinK, a living printing ink that utilises fungi pigments and soil-safe bacteria to transfer biodegradable images onto paper and fabric. "Modern printing traps materials beneath petrochemical ink so they don’t degrade," he explains. He describes his system as an "ecological act for designed disappearance," adding that, "It's the first bio-ink to consume the medium it prints on, turning posters, fabrics, or plastics into living systems that eventually decompose." The awards jury commended the invention as "a living, regenerative process - and a welcome alternative to conventional material practices."
Mobina Rajabimoghadam secured a Green Concept Award for Egshel, a biodegradable biomaterial crafted from waste eggshells, alongside a second award for an Egshel table lamp. Collected on her behalf by her partner, Sean McCarthy, the material transforms a common food by-product into a highly versatile resource. Egshel can be moulded, laser-cut, printed, and even embroidered. At the end of its lifecycle, it decomposes in water or soil to become a natural, calcium-rich fertiliser. The awards jury praised the material as a "cracking innovation."
The third winner, Annemarijn Eerdmans-Parlevliet, was recognised for Via Onesta, a versatile furniture system that functions as a desk, wardrobe, or table. Constructed entirely without glue or formaldehyde, the system incorporates regenerative materials such as bamboo, hemp, cork, and used coffee grounds for colouration. "Which shows that regenerative materials could be used for high-end designs at the top of the market," she notes.
About GREEN GRADS
GREEN GRADS is a platform founded by Barbara Chandler M.B.E dedicated to championing the next generation of designers focused on sustainability and ethical practices. By spotlighting innovative solutions to complex environmental challenges, the initiative aims to drive industry-wide transformation and promote regenerative design at the forefront of the global market.
