WASTE NOT -
Food waste is catalyzing everyone in the food, waste and recycling industries to create new solutions and best practices to convert a negative into value for the environment and for business. Here are insights from some food industry leaders about efforts to reduce waste first, then recycle what cannot be eliminated.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
While peatlands cover only 3% of our land, they store 30% of the world’s soil carbon. And the popularity of peat in commercial potting soils means that peatlands, or bogs, are rapidly disappearing. Back to the Roots aimed to give conscientious home gardeners a solution.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
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 all-time high.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
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 human-centered recycling systems a reality.
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The partnership between Closed Loop Partners and Dow, LyondellBasell and NOVA Chemicals represents an initial investment and an invitation to stakeholders across the plastics recycling value chain to join forces with this catalytic capital strategy.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
This journey requires a collective intelligence and a fundamental shift in mindset: a new way of thinking in which ‘global,’ ‘regional’ and ‘local’ are no longer in opposition. It also comes with a new challenge to generate ‘scale’ with positive impacts.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In GlobeScan’s 2020 survey of global consumers, 74% said they agree that they need to consume less to preserve the environment for future generations, vs 66% in 2019. But opinions are mixed when it comes to shopping secondhand, renting or leasing items — pointing to the persistence of that pesky intention-action gap.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
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.
WASTE NOT -
With new takeback program, families can now send old toys back to Mattel, which will recover and reuse materials for use in future Mattel products.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Two new initiatives leveraging connected products and scaling recycled polyester aim to accelerate industry transparency, and circular materials and business models.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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 customers.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
It’s that time of year again, when Fast Company calls out its favorite World-Changing Ideas. Here are a few of that we’re especially keen to keep an eye on, because of their work …
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Able Made is a purpose-driven lifestyle brand created to help empower city youth and support
nonprofits with its sustainably made apparel and accessories, and programming aimed at a creating healthier communities through the power of design and sport.
WASTE NOT -
For circularity to become mainstream, where nothing is wasted and everything is fed back into the system, it requires businesses to find value in resources already in circulation — and reframe how they perceive waste in the first place.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Three of VF Corporation’s top outdoor apparel brands have committed to bold
goals around circularity and scaling regenerative ag practices — including having all of their top materials be recycled, regenerative or renewable by 2025.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
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.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
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 waste.
WASTE NOT -
The partnership between the yogurt brand, the celebrity chef and the food-rescue marketplace aims to inspire restaurants across the US to fight food waste by using rescued produce on their menus.