WALKING THE TALK -
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.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Keynotes on day 2 of SB’23 San Diego
touched on everything from optimizing global companies’ resource use, building regenerative supply chains, and partnerships addressing the environmental and human impacts of plastic pollution to standing firm in the face of backlash.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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.
WASTE NOT -
Last year, we set the record for World’s Largest College Recycling Event; but we didn’t want this to be a one-time win. So this year, we’ve recruited new partners to heighten the competition and increase the impact.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
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.
WASTE NOT -
By upcycling coconut husks and shrimp shells, Fortuna Cools and Cruz Foam are diverting agricultural waste from landfill and offering circular polystyrene alternatives that match its performance.
WASTE NOT -
Savvy scientists from Scotland and Singapore have developed sustainable ways to breathe new life into vegetable and plastic waste, as well as local manufacturing.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Precious Plastic is all about democratizing circularity. And it’s enabling a new form of craftsmanship: One in which anyone, anywhere, can start a small business recycling and making new products from plastic waste.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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.’
WASTE NOT -
July 28, 2023 marks the point when plastic produced surpasses the planet’s capacity to manage it. By tracking this date, we can more clearly understand the problem; and hold governments, businesses and individuals to
account for their role in it.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
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.
WASTE NOT -
The cross-industry collaborative has reached 80% of its goal of diverting 25K MT of ocean-bound plastic by 2025. Now, it is working to ensure that the plastic is sourced with high ethical standards.
WASTE NOT -
Toynovo has created a subscription model for toys that eliminates waste, along with a co-creative approach to play that enhances creative thinking and problem-solving capacities.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
As innovators such as Notpla and B’ZEOS continue to prove, the potential uses for seaweed — including as plastic alternatives that are truly compostable and biodegradable — are endless.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Despite procedural hiccups and ongoing debates on key issues, a first draft of a treaty will be ready for the next INC meeting in Nairobi later this year.
COLLABORATION -
rePurpose Global, The Ocean Cleanup launch alliance of leading plastic-waste solutionists dedicated to empowering balanced and informed policymaking.