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Materials & Packaging

The latest developments in materials, feedstocks and processes that are transforming the way many conventional products are made and packaged — and eliminating their negative impacts

Unilever, Geno Launch $120M Venture to Scale Alternative to Palm Oil-, Fossil Fuel-Based Cleansers

The partnership aims to commercialize and scale more sustainable alternatives to palm oil and fossil-fuel-derived cleansing ingredients — the current industry standard in everyday cleaning and personal care products. Read More...

Finding New Within the Old: Innovating to Advance the Circularity of Plastic

Rather than focus solely on plastic alternatives, we must consider the full lifecycle of materials to see the benefits of circularity. Three technologies are surfacing as viable solutions to increase plastic’s circularity with low-carbon performance at the core. Read More...

LanzaTech, Danone Discover Breakthrough Method to Produce PET from Captured Carbon

Proof of concept for direct production of monoethylene glycol (MEG), a key building block in sustainable PET manufacturing, has been completed at lab scale. Read More...

The Humble Crab Shell Could Upend a Variety of Polluting Industries — Starting with Wastewater

Washington-based startup Tidal Vision upcycles discarded crab shells to produce chitosan — a positively charged biopolymer with myriad applications in sustainable water treatment, textile production, agriculture and more. Read More...

Bridgestone, LanzaTech Partner to Explore Opportunities for Tire Circularity

The exclusive partnership will leverage LanzaTech’s technology to create a pathway toward tire material circularity and the decarbonization of new tire production. Read More...

Keeping Up with Regulatory Trends, Business Opportunities in Sustainable Packaging

As we see more and more legislation aimed at improving both recyclability and safety of packaging, it is best to first understand your company’s baseline in sustainable packaging. Then, there are a growing number of tools designed to help companies keep track of and meet these evolving requirements. Read More...

Embracing Digital Tools, EPR to Achieve Sustainable Design

The future of sustainable packaging and design lies in our ability to do most of the important work in a digital space. Manufacturers will be left behind if they fail to embrace tools such as digital twins, 3D product and packaging visualization, and consumer packaging buyback. Read More...

From Seed to Recycling Center: How Companies Can Enable a Circular Economy at Every Step

While not every company is equipped or positioned to follow its products through their entire lifecycle, there are a few ways companies can think about participating at individual or multiple points in the circular cycle. Read More...

Bumble Bee Slips Off Plastic Film, Takes One Step Closer to Circularity

Since January, Bumble Bee has switched to using cardboard, instead of plastic film, to wrap all of its products. It’s just one machine, and one company; but the impact is significant — the elimination of an estimated 23M pieces of plastic waste per year. Read More...

Green Science Policy Institute: Engaging Across Sectors to Drive Meaningful Change

The Institute’s work includes education and cross-sector partnerships to reduce harmful chemicals in products. We spoke with Senior Scientist Tom Bruton, PhD to learn more about the organization’s history, cross-sector collaborative efforts and focus in the midst of a global pandemic. Read More...

From Shores to Shelves: Codifying Ocean Plastic Supply Chains

Brands committed to increasing sustainability by putting ocean plastic to good use deserve the infrastructure and data they need to verify their products and meet the standards that consumers demand. Read More...

After Going Public, On Rightly Has Its Head in the Cloud

The Swiss company now has the funds to take its sustainability ethos to the next level — with the launch of a potentially game-changing, truly circular shoe and long-awaited subscription service. Read More...

Making a Hot Cup Recyclable: The Innovation Behind the Scenes at WestRock

In 2019, WestRock’s answer to a recyclable hot cup was named a winner of the NextGen Cup challenge. Here, we go behind the scenes of developing this innovative barrier technology and hear what’s next for the holy grail of the easily recycled hot cup. Read More...

‘Toxic Tours’ Shed Light on Communities Most Affected by Petrochemical Pollution

New platform from Break Free from Plastic explores the hardest-hit frontline communities in the world, from India to Ohio. After hearing each story, viewers can choose to view another location, or take actions designed to make local and global impact. Read More...

After Disaster in Texas, Community and Industry Come Together to Transform Water Infrastructure

Disasters such as the aftermath of the February 2021 ice storm that left millions of Texans without running water lay bare the urgent need for updated utility infrastructure across the US. This would involve repairing and replacing hundreds of thousands of miles of water piping — but what should be used in their place? Read More...

Driscoll’s Working to Scale Circular Plastics Economy, from Field to Clamshell

Driscoll’s leads the produce industry in increasing the circularity of packaging and landfill diversion of agricultural plastics. It’s the first berry company to make public commitments and inject serious funding into innovation — with a goal to create economies of scale. Read More...

US Plastics Pact Unveils List of 11 ‘Problematic and Unnecessary’ Materials to Be Eliminated by 2025

The US Pact’s brands, retailers and materials manufacturers are seek to develop immediate solutions to the 11 ubiquitous and unrecyclable materials — but the plastics industry is up in arms. Read More...

How to Fuel a Sustainable Future for Packaging

Solving the ongoing packaging conundrum demands a significant shift in how businesses think — moving from a linear to a circular model of operation to improve the amount of packaging that can be reused, recycled and returned to the value chain. Read More...

Enterprise-Wide Engagement Unearths Sweeping Solutions for Reining in SO2 Emissions

The team at Vestolit — part of polymers, materials and infrastructure leader Orbia — worked closely with the corporate sustainability team to find modifications to plant operations that promise significant reductions in the entire enterprise’s sulphur dioxide emissions. Read More...

Lidl, Swiss Scientists Developing Circular Food-Preservation Solution

New cellulosic bio-coating for fresh produce greatly reduces both packaging and food waste by coating the produce with, well, produce. Read More...

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December 11-12, 2024
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