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 to Ditch Fossil Fuel-Based Ingredients for Computer-Designed Enzymes in Cleaning Products
A partnership with biotech company Arzeda will see the companies computer designing new enzymes with superior benefits to help clean up the cleaning industry. ... View More
LanzaTech, lululemon Partner to Create First Fabric Made from Recycled Carbon Emissions
The carbon-capture experts and the high-end yoga pants purveyor have developed a waste-gas-based polyester with the same appearance, properties and functionality of virgin polyester — a lower-carbon potential game-changer for the apparel industry. ... View More
L’Oréal, Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo, Suntory Unveil World’s First Enzymatically Recycled Bottles
Food-grade sample bottles produced by a consortium of companies dedicated to the cause are using Carbios' breakthrough enzymatic recycling process. ... View More
Trending: Burberry, Gucci Strut Ever Closer to Sustainability
The luxury fashion giants continue to lead the industry toward a cruelty-free and climate-resilient future — Gucci with its new, biobased, animal-free textile; and Burberry with its bar-raising goal to be climate positive by 2040. ... View More
Best Intentions: Surviving a Sustainability Story Setback with Transparency and Truth
When Kevin Murphy announced that all of its packaging would be made from “plastic pulled from the ocean,” it had every intention of delivering that. While the claim was doomed from the start, the company quickly communicated its mistake with tact... View More
Canopy Welcomes LVMH, 29 More Brands to Coalitions Working to Preserve the World’s Forests
Corporate participation in Canopy’s CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives — which work with the world’s biggest brands to protect forests and transform destructive supply chains in the fashion and packaging industries, respectively — is at an... View More
Designing for Humanity: New Possibilities for Plastic
Ensuring recyclability starts with putting people at the forefront to develop new systems and materials to create a continuous lifecycle for plastics. We need to design systems for humanity. By harnessing design thinking, it’s possible to make huma... View More
10 Nature-Inspired Innovations Compete for 2021 Ray of Hope Prize
Sustainable building materials, textiles, cooling systems and water-filtration technologies are among the top 10 nature-inspired solutions participating in the Biomimicry Institute’s 10-week accelerator program and in the running for the annual $10... View More
Trending: Fashion, Beverage Industries Continue to Advance Solutions to Plastic Waste
The $1.2M Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize seeks scalable, alternative solutions for thin-film plastic; while Paboco has eliminated plastic from Absolut’s bio-based beverage bottle, making it fully recyclable. ... View More
Are 3D-Printed Buildings the Sustainable Future of Construction?
The construction industry must adopt technologies that increase productivity while mitigating the impact of our growing housing needs on the climate crisis. Mighty Buildings’ technology may be ‘one of the only in existence’ that could unlock th... View More
Why Community Clean-Up Action Is More Important Than Ever
Noticing that litter is a problem is the first step in taking action to create a cleaner, more sustainable planet. The next step is taking action. Partner with community members and local organizations to get involved and create meaningful change. ... View More
Trending: Fashion Industry Advancing Transparency, Circularity – Thread by Thread
Two new initiatives leveraging connected products and scaling recycled polyester aim to accelerate industry transparency, and circular materials and business models. ... View More
Decoding Ocean Plastic for Brands: Small Details, Big Impacts
While the terminology soup of recycled plastic sourcing is daunting, at the end of the day every ton of plastic recycled and put back into a circular economy is part of the solution. The key for brands is to be clear and honest in communications with... View More
Pandora Nixes Mined Diamonds for Lab-Grown
The world’s largest jewelry company aims to make diamond jewelry accessible to a wider audience. Its new Pandora Brilliance collection marks its first collection without mined diamonds. ... View More
Preventing Toxic Pollution in a Pandemic: Retailers Report Progress Toward Safer Chemicals
The fifth annual 'Who's Minding the Store?' retailer report card shines a light on both market leaders and laggards in chemical safety. Grading retailers against one another motivates action to improve; and mobilizing public concern reminds companies... View More
Co|Lab is a HITT: Innovative Facility Serves as Hub for R&D of Emerging Materials
HITT Contracting’s demo facility was designed to highlight circular design; focus on healthy material selection; and meet the most rigorous, sustainable standards for the construction industry. ... View More
Are you ‘Looped In’? Circular Economy Leaders Share Their Latest Solutions
In Dow’s ‘Looped In’ series, Global Sustainability Director Jeff Wooster talks with circular economy advocates from major brands to discuss promising initiatives and partnerships, and what we can learn from the results. ... View More
One Life Is Not Enough for Plastics: How Dow Is Designing for Recyclability
Dow’s Pack Studios has collaborated with consumer brands and helped create products that enable plastic packages to be lighter with the design features consumers want — thus improving packaging, meeting consumers’ needs and ultimately reducing ... View More
For Bumble Bee, Circular Packaging Solutions Are Both New, Tried and True
The Bumble Bee Seafood Company is diving in headfirst to tackle circular packaging strategies in new ways — and some old ways. ... View More
Even COVID Can’t Stop Sustainable Packaging
As hopes mount for a new, post-COVID “normal,” many systems are in flux and the state of sustainable packaging is once again in question. How will businesses adapt? Or re-adapt? Or un-adapt? Shelton Group CEO Suzanne Shelton and the Sustainable P... View More
