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
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... View 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. ... View 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 p... View 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 f... View 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. ... View 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. ... View 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 ... View 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... View 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 thousa... View 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 t... View 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. ... View 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. ... View 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 ... View 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. ... View More
PCR & Ocean-Bound Plastic Both Have a Place in Sustainable Beauty
Big Plastic (and Big Oil) have a five-decade lead and massive economies of scale that will take a little longer to match in terms of costs and simplicity. But working with the right partners and openness to shaking up the status quo is paying off for... View More
Improving the Sustainability of Wet Processing: An Investment Pot of Gold
In the textile industry, one area ripe for investment is making wet processing more sustainable. As with most pots of gold, it’s not without its challenges — but data indicate that the returns are well worth the effort. Investors keen to seize th... View More
Water Wins: When Sustainability Becomes Part of the Company Culture
“Sustainability is best played together. It's validating to see what we started and see it grow first across the other teams in our plant, and eventually across Lubrizol.” — Kalli Stull ... View More
Widespread Engagement at Heart of Dow’s Mission to Transform Into a 125-Year-Old Sustainability Leader
Today, Dow considers its sustainability strategy and business strategy to be one and the same; employees understand that the two can no longer be separate. But, as Global Sustainability Director Haley Lowry explains, this didn’t happen overnight. ... View More
Full-Circle: AZEK Disrupts PVC Recycling by Revolutionizing Takeback
AZEK’s FULL-CIRCLE PVC Recycling program helped it collect approximately 400M pounds of recycled product for reuse in 2020 — with the hope that this entire value-chain approach can disrupt the plastic waste paradigm meaningfully, as AZEK continue... View More
This Industry-First Online Marketplace Is Helping Companies ‘SourceGreenPackaging’
The newly launched B2B marketplace helps connect companies with vetted, sustainable, plastic-free packaging options, as well as education on materials and the evolving regulatory landscape. ... View More
