PRESS RELEASE -
Dr. Milos Milenkovic | MIT A hyper-connected network of logistics clusters could play a key role in achieving the European Union’s goal of creating a sustainable, more efficient freight transportation system.An EU-backed research initiative called Clusters 2.0 is laying the groundwork for such a network by developing ways to link freight hubs via the physical internet.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
In season 4 of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Better Buildings Challenge SWAP web series, energy management teams from General Motors (GM) and L’Oréal USA visit each other’s facilities in search of opportunities to reduce their energy use and save money.
PRESS RELEASE -
Started in 1970, Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 to support and celebrate environmental protection. This year, Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, is focused on mobilizing the world to end plastic pollution.
PRESS RELEASE -
Braskem and Embalixo, Brazil's leader in the production of waste bags, in partnership with Pão de Açúcar, one of the leading retailers and pioneers in the collection of post-consumer materials, will be producing new garbage bags using plastic materials discarded by customers at the Pão de Açúcar Recycling Stations Unilever and industrial sacks previously used by Braskem in the delivery of its resins. The partnership is part of the Wecycle platform, created by the petrochemical company for the utilization plastic waste in the production chain.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), a multi-stakeholder collaborative that drives the commercial adoption of sustainable chemistry, has selected the 10 startups that have won the opportunity to pitch their sustainable chemicals, materials, products and manufacturing technologies to large, strategic companies at the GC3’s 3rd Annual Green & Bio-Based Chemistry Technology Showcase & Networking Event.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Water and waste are issues at nearly every step of the textile and apparel lifecycles. Luckily, solutions are being developed across the board.
PRESS RELEASE -
For The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), beauty is about managing its business sustainably. As a global company, employer, and corporate citizen, the company is committed to taking positive actions to ensure a healthier planet for all.
To mitigate the effects of climate change, the company pledged in 2016 to achieve a net zero carbon goal by 2020. Through efforts like the solar power project at its Whitman Laboratories in the United Kingdom, ELC is making significant strides towards achieving its goal.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Long before concepts such as future-fit and circular became buzzwords, Fuji Xerox was already busy redefining business as usual and demonstrating the opportunities to be harnessed by embracing a more sustainable, resource-efficient business model.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
As much hype as cryptocurrencies and digital tokens are getting these days, their real-world, practical uses remain few and far between. But one Vancouver-based organization, The Plastic Bank, is working to exchange plastic waste for digital currency in some of the world’s poorest places.
PRESS RELEASE -
In order to promote initiatives for the recycling of plastic waste through its Wecycle platform, Braskem has joined Condor, a manufacturer of materials for real estate painting and other products, to develop the "Special Sustainable Kit" for paintings, using post-consumer plastic.
This is the first product deriving from the reuse of plastic packaging of printing and road marking paints. Indicated for wall paints, smooth surfaces and finishes, the kit consists of a tray, a brush, two paint rollers, and a holder for fixing them.
PRESS RELEASE -
Nestlé today announced its ambition to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or re-usable by 2025. Its vision is that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or as litter. Nestlé believes that there is an urgent need to minimize the impact of packaging on the environment.
Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said, "Plastic waste is one of the biggest sustainability issues the world is facing today. Tackling it requires a collective approach. We are committed to finding improved solutions to reduce, re-use and recycle. Our ambition is to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025."
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Smack in the middle of the third year of its groundbreaking #OptOutside campaign, which began with a bold stand against the shopping rampage of Black Friday and has expanded into a global movement to empower its customers to embrace the great outdoors, REI Co-op today debuted a set of product standards aimed at elevating sustainability across the retail and
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF has reviewed its complete personal care portfolio according to the ISO standard criteria and calculating rules, providing manufacturers of cosmetic products guidance and information on the degree of natural origin of the ingredients. The ISO 16128 standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) comprises guidelines on definitions for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and offers a framework to determine the natural content of ingredients as well as formulations. It is an addition to existing standards, e.g. COSMOS (COSMetic Organic Standard) or NATRUE. A harmonized definition for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients increases transparency for manufacturers and consumers alike.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Outdoor apparel brand Icebreaker has reinforced its commitment to the use of natural fibres and sustainable production with the launch of its inaugural Transparency Report: Made Different. Touting it as an industry first, the report gives readers a full behind-the-scenes view of the brand’s entire operation.
“Our thinking was simple. What if our customers could see everything we do?’’ explained Greg Smith, the CEO of Icebreaker.
PRESS RELEASE -
As of now Novacolor offers new decorative effect paints under the “Africa”, “Puro” and “Patina Minerale” brand names. The textured plasters meet the challenge of combining design and sustainability: Puro is an opaque mineral water-based innovation based on potassium polysilicate, which is odorless and neither contains volatile organic compounds (VOC) nor Formaldehyde. For indoor and outdoor glazing, Novacolor offers the new “Patina Minerale” product, a mineral color wash based on silicates, that recalls the ancient patinas with its chromatic effect. And “Africa”, the finish for interior decoration, which creates a changeable and pleasant play of light and reflected colors based on gentle metallic effects, complements the product range.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Closed Loop Fund (CLF) today unveiled an historic statewide, public-private partnership targeting a $5 million investment in recycling infrastructure in Connecticut in 2018. This statewide program follows Closed Loop Fund’s successful investment in Waterbury, CT in 2017.
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.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
From social media campaigns to water conservation projects and efficiency improvements across their supply chains, top brands announced all sorts of initiatives today in celebration of World Water Day — a new water management tool from Kimberly-Clark and Deltares, projects from PepsiCo and The Nature Conservancy, goals from Gap Inc. and Target, and campaign from Absolut Elyx and Water For People, just to name a few.
PRESS RELEASE -
All Five California Nestlé Waters Factories Certified to Rigorous Water Sustainability Standard
CABAZON, Calif. – (March 21, 2018) – Nestlé Waters North America announced today that its Cabazon and Los Angeles, Calif. factories have received certification against the rigorous Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard, with the Cabazon facility achieving an AWS Gold certification – the first facility in North America to do so.
PRESS RELEASE -
Last week, General Motors announced that it will begin making a production version of the self-driving Cruise AV at its Orion Township assembly plant in Michigan, while roof modules for the vehicles will be assembled at the Brownstone battery plant. The automaker will invest more than $100 million to upgrade both facilities, bringing the company a step closer to its vision for future mobility.
“We’re continuing to make great progress on our plans to commercialize in 2019,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “Our Orion and Brownstown teams have proven experience in building high-quality self-driving test vehicles and battery packs, so they are well-prepared to produce the Cruise AV.”