PRESS RELEASE -
BASF’s first production plant in Sri Lanka will produce standard and custom-made performance-based construction chemicals under the Master Builders Solutions® brand. These include concrete admixtures product ranges such as MasterGlenium®, MasterPolyheed®, MasterRheobuild® and MasterPozzolith®. The new plant will allow BASF to better meet the increasing demand for construction chemicals to customers in Sri Lanka. The site is supported by an office, warehouse and a well-equipped testing lab that will deliver tailor-made recipes through formulation excellence.
PRESS RELEASE -
The OEKO-TEX® Association congratulates DuPont on the fifth year of OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification for DuPont™ Sorona®, the renewably sourced fiber used in apparel, home textiles, and residential, commercial, and automotive carpets.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Action on food waste continues to result in innovative new materials and delightful culinary experiences. In this week’s round-up: a chemical firm has developed new packaging solutions to reduce food waste; a UK supermarket chain launched a new range with packaging made with waste peas and pulses;and a volunteer organization is hosting free dinners made with foods that have reached their sell-by date. Meanwhile, Belgian scientists are looking to use human waste “From Sewer to Brewer,” as a raw material for making beer.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Oeko-Tex Association has congratulated DuPont on the fifth year of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification for the company’s Sorona, the renewably sourced fibre used in apparel, home textiles, and residential, commercial, and automotive carpets.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games are making history by leaving a significant legacy of low-carbon technologies in Latin America while set to balance 2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
The Rio 2016 Organizing Committee and The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW), the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games and Official Carbon Partner of Rio 2016, announced today that more than 2 million tonnes of third-party-verified greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions are projected to be delivered by all projects and actions implemented to fulfill the commitment of hosting a global event with minimal carbon impact. Through unique cross-sector collaboration, the Olympic Games act as a catalyst for the adoption of more sustainable solutions that are relevant to the economy and society.
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF is contributing its polymer expertise to the three-year WRAP Consortium project kicked off by the European Commission
last year and aimed at developing high-performance sporting goods that can also be recycled. The “Sport Infinity” concept being pursued by cross-industry teams of companies is spearheaded by German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas and is focused in particular on applications in European football, or soccer, as the sport is known in the US.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Until now, recycling paint has been a laborious, costly process, leading to huge amount of unused paint going to waste and ending up in landfills. Thanks to a collaboration between Dulux-owner AkzoNobel, design and innovation company Seymourpowell, and Newlife Paints, recycling paint may finally be able to become ‘mainstream.’
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Anellotech, a sustainable technology company focused on producing cost-competitive BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) – petrochemical-based aromatic hydrocarbons - from non-food biomass, has announced Toyota Tsusho Corporation, a member of the Toyota Group, as a multinational strategic equity investor and corporate partner in the renewable aromatic chemicals supply chain.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Walmart announced back in April that it had achieved a 95 percent reduction by weight in the use of high priority chemicals of concern. Now, it has released detailed information on the progress it has made, and experts at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) seem impressed.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Carpet might not seem like a major player in the climate change fight, but the process of making it actually is quite impactful on the environment. Most carpets are synthetic — nylon, polyester, acrylic — all of which are petroleum-based products. Throw in other petroleum-based adhesives and materials used to back the synthetic fibers, chemical dyes to repel stains and fire, and a lack of reliable recycling methods, and you’ve got a recipe for some unsustainable practices.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC) have found a new way to break down the strong bonds of polyethylene, the most commonly used synthetic plastic, and convert it into useful liquid fuels and waxes. The new technique is less toxic and less energy-intensive than current approaches to breaking down the polymers' chemical bonds.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
Last week, The Dow Chemical Company released its 2015 Sustainability Report, which examined the company’s journey toward reaching its 2015 goals and what it’s already achieved looking ahead to 2025. I caught up with corporate VP and Chief Sustainability Officer Neil Hawkins to learn more.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Two new industrial facilities that will bring the circular economy one step closer were officially opened in Europe on Friday: a carbon dioxide-based chemical plant in Germany and a nutrient recovery facility in the Netherlands. The transition from a linear take-make-waste economy to one which keeps materials ‘circulating’ for as long as possible (or, ideally, indefinitely) has been an international priority in the continent.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Chemicals have a huge impact on our health and environment. Over 3,000 chemicals come onto commerce each year and only a small percentage of those chemicals are ever tested for health impacts. Fortunately, some organizations are undertaking the big, important task of understanding their own and others’ chemical footprints through the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP).
PRESS RELEASE -
Philadelphia, PA (June 6, 2016) – EEQO, a privately owned company located in The Netherlands, Europe, which produces a broad range of natural cleaning and maintenance products under the brands Rhinoc, Rhinoc Sport, and Seesoo, announces a partnership with companies Avery Dennison and Braskem to use biobased polyethylene self-adhesive labels in their packaging. All EEQO’s products use mainly natural ingredients, are biodegradable and, in some cases, even probiotic.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Sustainable Brands ’16 San Diego is coming up June 6-9, and part of the fun includes this year’s competition for game-changing, purpose-driven startups — the SB Innovation Open, hosted by Target. In part two of our two-part introduction to our inspiring semi-finalists (meet the rest in part one), we meet a soccer ball manufacturer fighting poverty; a truly natural, earth-friendly soap; a clean way to extract copper, and more.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Procter & Gamble announced today that it will eliminate phosphates from all of its Fairy dishwasher tablets by 2017. This change will apply to retail brands globally, going beyond current legislation*, and represents the removal of 14,000 tons annually — enough phosphates to cover 270,000 soccer pitches**. Additionally, P&G will also remove phosphates from all of its professional dishwasher tablets globally, an area currently unregulated.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
21- and 22-year-old Jeanny Yao and Miranda Wang are making the most of their student years; since high school, the pair have filed 2 patents, founded a company, and raised about $400,000 in pursuit of developing a bacteria that can break down ocean-bound plastic waste.
NEW METRICS -
In the first initiative of its kind to publicly benchmark corporate chemicals management, the Chemical Footprint Project has published its inaugural report. The results provide valuable insights into how leading companies manage chemicals in their products and supply chains, and how all companies might manage these issues in the future.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
AkzoNobel and agro-industrial cooperative Royal Cosun have partnered to develop novel products from cellulose side streams resulting from sugar beet processing.
The partnership will combine Royal Cosun's specialist knowledge in separating and purifying agricultural process side streams with AkzoNobel's expertise in the chemical modification of cellulose.