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.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The world’s first curbside recycling program started where I live. Ontario, Canada’s Blue Box program made its official debut in the City of Kitchener in 1981 and became a blueprint for recycling programs in more than 150 countries around the world. Many Canadians don’t realize recycling “started” here in the Great White North, and unfortunately, many also don’t know what can go in their blue boxes these days.
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."
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.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
This year has already seen some great steps forward in the uphill battle against fashion and textile waste: industry agreements and action plans have been announced; sustainable fashion startups are receiving support from the Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator and the Nike Circular Innovation Challenge; and collaborations have produced a
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Amidst a wave of negative public opinion on plastics and the waste associated with it, several companies have responded with commitments to reduce single-use plastics, combat marine plastic pollution, and support startups with
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
With the public mood turning against plastic waste, British policymakers now have a new cause to rally behind.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Dow Chemical Company is again teaming up with national nonprofit and longstanding partner Keep America Beautiful to award a total of $100,000 in grants for organizations to establish Hefty® EnergyBag™ programs in their communities.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Today, Soma and Parley for the Oceans announced their exclusive and limited-edition product for Starbucks; the world’s first reusable water bottle with a sleeve made using Parley Ocean PlasticTM, a material created from upcycled plastic intercepted from marine environments.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Plastics and packaging are ubiquitous and leading to major problems both for waste management and ocean pollution. While many companies are committing to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, there is still a lot of work to do on all fronts.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
As much as one third of the world’s food is being wasted. The United States alone wastes roughly 63 million tons, or $218 billion, of food annually. As awareness of this issue has grown over in recent years, a variety of initiatives have taken root.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
McDonald’s has made strides towards sustainability this month: it’s the first restaurant company to set an approved Science-Based Target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; it’s launching a Chicken Sustainability Advisory Council; and it will begin trials to test paper straws – rather than plastic – in several of its U.K. locations.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
We’re increasingly living in a world of purpose-led brands, as growing numbers of consumers are more interested than ever in the “big world” issues related to the products they buy, and how they use them. And yet, when it comes to the sustainability sector, we still struggle to apply some of the most basic communications principles to the issues we are trying to solve.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
UN Environment has awarded seed funding to twelve young people with business ideas on how to foster energy-efficient, low-waste and low-carbon lifestyles. Each of the winners of the Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge will receive US$10,000 and mentorship to help bring their ideas to fruition.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
On foot, by bicycle, through water and combinations of the above, distance races such as marathons and ocean races are a global phenomenon. Running and cycling races have become a big business in recent years, due to the opportunity for sponsorship and the brand affinity that comes with it.
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.
PRESS RELEASE -
One-third of the Earth’s land mass is covered by forests – beautiful, useful, and the essence of sustainability.
PRESS RELEASE -
Braskem, the world's largest biopolymer producer, will supply the LEGO Group with its I'm greenT polyethylene, a globally certified plastic made from sugarcane. Already in 2018, Green Plastic will be used in the 'botanical' elements range, such as trees, bushes and leaves of the Danish company known worldwide for its building bricks.
PRESS RELEASE -
College and university students have both a special drive and the capability to positively change the world around them.
Through the PepsiCo Recycling Zero Impact Fund, students are empowered to do exactly that – create proposals to address sustainability challenges on their campuses through unique, innovative solutions.
In its second year, PepsiCo Recycling’s Zero Impact Fund received more than 60 proposals and will award 19 colleges and universities up to $10,000 to accomplish their environmental goals.
Projects that will be funded through the Zero Impact Fund this year include:
PRESS RELEASE -
Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland releases three new Timberland X Thread men’s footwear styles for spring, made with Thread’s recycled Ground to Good™ fabric. The collection marks the brand’s second collaboration with Thread, a Certified B Corporation that transforms plastic bottles from the streets and canals of Haiti and Honduras into one of the most responsible fabrics on the planet.