What does a cow harness have in common with seed pods, outdoor clothing and a device that reduces toxic particles in the air? All four have just won the top Terra Carta Design Lab award.

The Terra Carta Design Lab was started by former Apple design director Jony Ive, Prince Charles and the Royal College of Art in London. He challenged over 2,300 RCA students and alumni to come up with credible solutions to the climate crisis.

The four teams were chosen from 125 entries, including a student-run startup that wants to turn cremated ashes into oyster reefs. Winners will receive £50,000 (or the equivalent of $62,730) in funding to further develop their ideas, as well as mentorship from Ive. And while some of these ideas are still in their infancy, they’re all proof that small designs can have a big impact.

A high-tech harness for cows

Methane accounts for about 30% of global warming, and about a third of that comes from livestock. There are 1.6 billion cattle on Earth, and each of them exhales (yes, that includes burping) about 400 liters (or 105 gallons) of methane every day.

UK startup ZELP (Zero Emissions Livestock Project) has designed a wearable device that can reduce emissions from livestock about 60%. The device works much like a high-tech harness that fits comfortably around the cow’s head. When the animal exhales, the methane passes through a small chamber in the harness where it is oxidized and then released into the air as CO2 and water vapour, all without affecting the cow’s behavior or ability to eat.

A device that recovers waste tires

Every time we brake, accelerate, or corner, friction wears down our tires. This wear and tear produces particles that can affect our lungs and be swept into our waterways, making it the second-largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans (single-use plastics still reign supreme). This also applies to electric cars: although electric vehicles can help reduce tailpipe emissions, they are significantly heavier than petrol cars, which can impact tire wear.

In response, the Tire Collective is developing a device that would clip onto the hub and extend around the tire to capture approximately 60% of all airborne particles. Eventually, the team wants to create a closed loop, where fragments would be separated, and particles smaller than 50 microns would be small enough to be reused in new tires or various other applications.

Pods that replenish our soils

Damage to forests and the loss of trees are responsible for around 10% of global warming, making reforestation and restoration an important part of the fight against climate change. This is why Studio Ayaskan created Aerseeds. These aerodynamic pods are made from food waste and designed to deliver nutrients and seeds to soils that have been depleted by human activity. The idea is that the pods would be launched into the air and carried by the wind to hard-to-reach areas.

A fully recyclable high-performance outdoor textile

Outerwear is notoriously difficult to recycle. First, because waterproof textiles are made from several layers of fabric that are glued together and therefore cannot be separated for recycling. Second, because high performance fabrics are usually made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) which can produce highly toxic acid when incinerated.

As a result, material innovation startup Amphibio has created the first 100% recyclable, chemical-free outdoor performance textile. Amphitex will be made from a combination of recycled and plant-based raw materials. All layers are developed from the same source material, creating a mono-material garment that is easy to recycle. And the new material does not require any additional coating to make it water repellent.