The Terra Carta Design Lab is a Royal College of Art student and alumni-led response to the environmental challenges our planet faces, and forms part of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative.

Out of 125 original submissions, four teams of RCA students and alumni have been chosen as the winners of the inaugural Terra Carta Design Lab; an initiative which invited some of the world’s most talented design students and alumni to design high-impact, low-cost solutions for Nature, People and Planet.

The winners of the inaugural Terra Carta Design Lab:

Aerseeds : Aerodynamic nutrient and seed pods made from food waste, that work with nature to accelerate regeneration up to 10 times. Mimicking natural processes, Aerseeds are carried by the wind to cover large areas and reach difficult terrains where they deliver nutrients and seeds to soils depleted by human activity, for ecological restoration and reforestation.

AMPHITEX : Current performance outdoor textiles are impossible to recycle and use many harmful chemicals. AMPHITEX is the first 100% recyclable and chemical-free outdoor performance textile. It will be made from a combination of recycled and plant-based feedstock, resulting in a world-first carbon negative performance textile.

The Tyre Collective : Tyre wear is the second largest microplastic pollutant in our environment. The Tyre Collective are developing the first patent-pending device to capture tyre wear at the wheel, accelerating the shift to zero-emission mobility. As well as spearheading the capture and monitoring of tyre wear, the team are exploring upcycling it into various applications, creating a circular system.

ZELP : 1.6 billion cattle, each exhaling 400 litres of methane per day, are one of the single leading causes of global warming. ZELP has designed a wearable device for cattle to neutralise methane emissions in real time.

Winners will receive £50k funding and mentoring from Sir Jony Ive, Chancellor of the RCA, and the corporate members of the SMI network

Read the full press release here