THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Global recycling rates are at a discouragingly low 13.5%. But who, or what, is to blame? Finger-pointing won’t help:
Policy, consumer demand and companies must work in tandem to close the loop in a still-lacking US recycling system.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
Although circularity goals have risen to the top of executives’ agendas, the path to a waste-free world remains less clear. Fortune magazine’s latest white paper, produced in partnership with Dow, aims to help
sustainability leaders and practitioners understand the current challenges and collaborate on circular solutions.
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thredUP’s 2021 Resale Report estimates that the secondhand clothing market will double in the next 5 years, reaching $77 billion. Policy incentives to end fast
fashion production and disposal would fuel the movement.
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Holding accountable over 95 organizations, The US Plastics Pact Roadmap outlines specific actions and responsibilities to propel the US closer to other developed nations in its management of plastic waste.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
As hopes mount for a new, post-COVID “normal,” many systems are in flux and the state of sustainable packaging is once again in question. How will businesses adapt? Or re-adapt? Or un-adapt? Shelton Group CEO Suzanne Shelton and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Adam Gendell share their insights.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
New innovations from Nature Valley and the winners of Closed Loop Partners’ Beyond the Bag challenge continue to chip away at consumer packaging waste.
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When Toronto’s Rogers Centre stadium needed a new roof, the owner turned to Sika Sarnafil — the manufacturer of the original vinyl roof membrane. Choosing a Sarnafil roof provided the additional benefit of the company’s recycling program.
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Many plastic-based building materials that could be recycled aren’t, because most companies haven’t yet figured out how. The AZEK Company cracked this code, and diverted nearly 300 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2019.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The intersection of circular practices and supply chain in the built environment
will be a ripe area for innovation as companies look to their real estate portfolios for opportunities to meet their ambitious
sustainability commitments by 2030.
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Since scientists first raised the alarm about plastic pollution in the environment, brands have been slow to respond. Will the 2020 Brand Audit and new plastic-stewardship guidelines help accelerate an overdue shift away from single-use plastic?
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The heritage lifestyle brand used a true customer story as inspiration for its latest Christmas campaign, which celebrates the value of repairing used items vs
purchasing new.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The launch of the Levi’s Secondhand marketplace and the rebrand of thredUP reflect growing consumer support of a circular economy and pride in wearing used clothes.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
To date, plastic recycling has nibbled around the edges. Just like with the climate crisis — no single nation or company can fix our plastic pollution problem on its own; success will only be realized via coordinated efforts.