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
Parts of Future Fords Could Be Made from Olive Waste
Ford engineers are conducting trials on parts made from 40% olive tree fibers and 60% recycled plastic — which is heated and injection-molded into the shape of the selected part. ... View More
How Research & Insights Help Brands Meet Consumer Desire for More Sustainable Products
Assessing how products resonate with consumers and using those insights to refine them is a critical part of product development — and just one way that strategic insights add value for brands. ... View More
Digitization, Data Driving the Quest to Decarbonize Building Materials
Shaw’s Kellie Ballew spoke with Stacy Smedley, executive director of Building Transparency, about the organization’s role in decarbonizing the construction industry. ... View More
The 5 Biggest Packaging Trends Impacting Sustainability in 2024
Improved automation is a major driver behind several of the biggest trends that will impact packaging sustainability in 2024. ... View More
Under Armour’s Breakthrough Fiber-Shed Test Method Now Available to Industry
The brand is sharing its solution with the apparel industry and suppliers, and developing a reduced-shed version of its largest fleece offering. ... View More
Molecular Recycling Could Be Crucial to Realizing a Circular Economy
We caught up with Eastman’s Plastics Division President, Scott Ballard, who explained the potential of molecular recycling as the company prepares to show the world what’s possible. ... View More
Venerable Japanese Company Goes Circular with Versatile, Upcycled Textile
Meet NUNOUS — a brand-new, radically versatile material made from fabric waste — developed by fabric-dyeing giant Seishoku Co., Ltd. ... View More
2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back: LEGO Is Latest Company to Disclose Sustainability Setback
The world’s largest toymaker acknowledged the issues it encountered in pursuit of a more sustainable alternative to its oil-based plastic bricks, illustrating the still-circuitous path to sustainable solutions. ... View More
A Clean, Circular Materials Future Is No Longer a Fabrication
At SB’23 San Diego, three sets of innovators at the forefront of the materials and packaging space shared key insights into the biobased and circular solutions driving a sea change in the market. ... View More
Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Accelerator Backing Seaweed to Replace Oil-Based Films
Convened by Lonely Whale, the program aims to accelerate scaling and market adoption of seaweed-based alternatives to thin-film plastics made from fossil fuels. ... View More
6 Principles Driving Circular Innovation at Eastman
Learn about how we're transforming recycling to create a circular economy in this six-part series. ... View More
These 3 Plant-Based Serviceware Brands Are Deliciously Diverting Plastic Waste
Loliware, Uuvipak and Twiice have created rapidly biodegradable (and even edible) bio-based products that completely upstage their petroleum-based, single-use plastic-polluting counterparts. ... View More
bluesign Continues to Clean Up Fashion with Expansion into Denim, Footwear
Partnerships with brands including Madewell and Vibram will help adapt bluesign’s existing standards and guidelines for two untapped industries. ... View More
Consumers Want More Sustainable Packaging But Struggle to Identify It
Retailers continue to refine what packaging they find acceptable to answer consumer demand for more sustainable solutions — and consumer goods companies must keep innovating to keep pace. ... View More
New Insulating Paints Reduce Energy, Costs, Emissions, Discomfort in Extreme Temperatures
The paints, developed by Stanford researchers, can reduce the need for both heating and air conditioning in buildings, as well as refrigerated cargo spaces such as trains and trucks. ... View More
Royal Society of Chemistry Task Force Aims to Make Liquid Polymers ‘Benign by Design’
The Sustainable Polymers in Liquid Formulation (PLFs) Task Force will collaborate to innovate throughout the value chain and across sectors including cosmetics, water treatments, lubricants and agricultural products. ... View More
Beyond Bioplastics: Agricultural Waste Streams Becoming Next-Gen Packaging Materials
By upcycling agricultural waste, these three startups are replacing plastic with a new wave of packaging materials that ‘make no compromises along the supply chain.’ ... View More
On the Importance of Made-to-Scale, Sustainable Chemicals for Products
Consumers deserve access to functional, sustainable and affordable products without having to sacrifice quality or their health. Scalable, bio-based chemicals hold tremendous promise in accomplishing these goals. ... View More
Textile Additive Expedites Breakdown of Stubborn, Synthetic Fibers
Despite its potential to address microplastic pollution on a number of fronts, the makers of CiCLO stress they don’t want to enable more unnecessary plastic consumption justified by ‘biodegradability.’ ... View More
Change the Product, Not Just the Packaging: A Crucial Step Towards a Sustainable Food Future
A growing industry solution to plastic packaging pollution is to create food products that are more stable and compatible with more minimal and sustainable packaging materials. ... View More
