CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The potential of a circular economy continues to unfold as new technologies are help transform everything from post-consumer textiles to almond shells into high-quality raw materials.
CARBIOS, a pioneer in the field of bioplasturgy, has taken its enzymatic depolymerization process to the next level, rendering it applicable to PET polyester fibers from textile waste.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Having achieved all of its previous sustainability goals over the past decade, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is hitting refresh on its sustainability goals, announcing a new set of 2025 targets for smart agriculture, water stewardship, circular packaging and climate action.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Social enterprise Circle Economy is calling on the global community to participate in creating a visionary circular future. In hopes of solving some of “humanity’s biggest challenges,” the organization has launched a new online crowdsourcing platform with support from the eBay Foundation. The Circle Lab platform is intended to capture ideas, encourage collaboration, and help ensure that ideas get off the ground and are implemented.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Italy is quickly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the circular economy, as evidenced by a new report from Enel, an Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator has revealed the names of the 15 startups selected to participate in its third edition, which kicks off today.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The New Textiles Economy continues to bloom as key players in the apparel and textile industries take action to shift towards a more sustainable model.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Nike is calling for innovation proposals to help advance its product sustainability. The Nike Circular Innovation Challenge consists of two distinct but connected calls that invite entrants to develop new technologies to advance footwear recycling or create new products using Nike Grind materials. The best proposals will win thousands in cash awards.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Fast fashion giant H&M has named the five winners of its latest Global Change Award, who are harnessing the power of technology to rein in the fashion industry’s extensive environmental and social impacts. This year’s winners include dissolvable thread, sustainable algae-based dye and clothes made from mushroom roots.
WASTE NOT -
Earlier this year, tech giant Dell announced an innovative partnership with actress Nikki Reed’s jewellery company, Bayou with Love, which spawned a new line of fine jewellery made using recycled gold from the motherboards of end-of-life Dell computers. The juxtaposition of fine, intricate jewels with old computers has driven media interest and raised the issue and importance of sustainability within the tech sector. ‘The Circular Collection’ has been positioned as an example of circular economy success, but how deep does this move go?
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Businesses have a critical role to play in cleaning up the global economy, but it is consumers whole truly hold the key to achieving a more sustainable future.
In a new report, PA Consulting Group shows that retailers can build customer loyalty — and grow sales — by providing customers with reasons to stay engaged by returning to stores to resell, recycle and donate clothing and electronics.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
As a division of the fashion industry, the footwear sector has a hefty environmental footprint. However, a slew of emerging brands are gearing up to change footwear’s future, raising the bar for the rest of the industry by embracing sustainable sourcing, ethical labor practices and transparency.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The complexity of global supply chains has made it incredibly difficult for businesses to effectively drive sustainable social and environmental change. However, new funding and accessible online resources are making it easier than ever for businesses to overcome these deeply embedded challenges.
WASTE NOT -
Discussion around the future of mobility is dominated by discourse around the shift away from fossil fuels, but this is only one small part of a more complex conversation. Even clean energy vehicles have impacts on environmental and human health. China’s industry ministry, General Motors and Goodyear are taking these often-overlooked impacts into account by focusing on waste recovery and prevention approaches that seek to establish closed-loop systems.
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors today announced an expansion of its industry-leading landfill-free program as all of the company’s manufacturing plants in Canada, Mexico and South America now recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations. With the addition of 27 newly certified facilities, General Motors has 142 manufacturing and non-manufacturing landfill-free facilities globally — more than any other automaker.
WASTE NOT -
Across the globe, about 50 percent of CO2 emissions are tied to materials — goods that often produce a significant amount of physical and financial waste.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Business is increasingly aligning its activities with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A recent report shows that 43 percent of the world’s largest 250 companies are now linking their sustainability reporting to the SDGs.
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF joined the World Plastics Council (WPC), a global organization of key leaders in the plastics industry. The WPC promotes industry topics of global relevance like the responsible use of plastics, efficient waste management and solutions to marine littering.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Single-use plastics continue to lose their appeal as the global community rallies around the concept of a circular economy. The UK, in particular, is taking the lead, setting a new standard for both the public and private sector, while food and beverage giant Nestlé is helping ease the transition away from a take-make-dispose model.
PRESS RELEASE -
HEINEKEN today announced its 'Drop the C' programme for renewable energy. With 'Drop the C' the company aims to grow its share of renewable thermal energy and electricity in production from the current level of 14% to 70% by 2030. HEINEKEN wants to drive a real change towards renewable energy and will therefore not purchase unbundled certificates to meet its reduction targets. In addition, new emission goals will be set for distribution and cooling and, for the first time, also for packaging. The brewer commits to set science based targets for these areas in the next two years.