The latest developments in safe and sustainable chemicals, new materials, fuels, and more.
Biofuels have been a topic in aviation sector corporate responsibility for several years, leading to numerous initiatives from airplane manufacturers and airlines to advance their research and development. Boeing, for example, has been working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other partners towards a goal of producing 1 billion gallons of aviation biofuel by 2018.
According to the United Nations, 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical water scarcity and another 1.6 billion people face economic water shortage or lack the infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers, making water scarcity one of the most significant global problems to be faced this century.
A toxic-free leather tanning agent and yarns containing recycled plastics earned their stripes in the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Registry this month. The certification, awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, recognized these intelligent, high-quality solutions for their reduced environmental impact, including the use of chemicals, water, and energy during their production.
While consumers are becoming more comfortable with online shopping and are enjoying the convenience it can bring, there are growing concerns around its environmental impact. The human desire for instant gratification is driving faster and faster delivery services for e-commerce, and that quick service carries a hefty impact.
Novelis, world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has partnered with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to supply aluminum sheet for the recently launched Jaguar XE — “Jaguar’s most advanced sports saloon.”The REALCAR (REcycled ALuminium CAR) project, aimed at creating a closed-loop value chain to recycle vehicles at the end of their useful lives, was launched by JLR in 2008 and funded by Innovate UK.
In one of the highlights of the SB’16 Copenhagen preview event in Denmark last week, Simon Hoffmeyer Boas, Sustainability Director at Carlsberg, introduced the beer giant’s pioneering new packaging solution, The Green Fibre Bottle. Away from the stage, Boas took a moment to discuss the challenges of sustainable packaging and the importance of consumer engagement to the development and success of eco-friendly products.
When it comes to fuel economy, lightweight design and temperature control are important considerations for cars and airplanes alike – and the impact of a coat of paint might surprise you. Vehicles with more reflective coatings or with less paint can be more efficient.According to the U.S. Department of Energy, hot weather can increase vehicle fuel economy because engines warm up to an efficient temperature faster, summer grades of gasoline can have slightly more energy, and warm air causes less aerodynamic drag than cold air. However, the use of air conditioning can reduce a vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 25 percent in very hot conditions.
Consumers are steadily becoming more conscious of environmental issues, and more eager to reduce waste at home and work — but are these enough to translate into action? Moreover, will consumers pay to live up to ‘green’ standards and aspirations in their lives? The success my company, TerraCycle, is seeing with our Zero Waste Box platform seems to indicate that many are willing.
To maintain longevity and customer loyalty in today’s fast-changing world, classic brands must strike a careful balance between embracing innovation and staying true to their roots.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the US alone generates an estimated 24 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW), which ends up in landfills each year — the equivalent of about 70 pounds of textiles per person.
After almost two years of research and collaboration with a variety of partners, social enterprise Fairphone is pleased to announce it has successfully established the first pilot supply chain for Fairtrade-certified gold for the electronics industry. Fairphone is now the world’s first Fairtrade-licensed consumer electronics manufacturer to support responsible gold mining in Peru with the production of the Fairphone 2.
In October, water testing found toxic levels of lead in the water at Flint, Mich. schools. The state of Michigan, community groups, various charities, and even Mark Walhberg and Sean “Diddy” Combs have supported the city of about 100,000 residents with bottled water donations in response.
The winners of the 2016 European Plastics Innovation Awards were announced on Wednesday, and included several products that boast superior environmental performance. The expert jury, made up of both academics and industry professionals, evaluated 37 submissions and selected 7 winners and 5 runners-up. Biobased and lightweight materials were in the spotlight.
Whether the presidential candidates pay attention to it or not, climate change is a looming threat. Failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation was considered to be the greatest global risk in the World Economic Forum’s newly-released 2016 Global Risks Report. Luckily, researchers are making progress on mitigation and adaptation solutions to combat the changing temperatures, thanks to beetles and adaptive building materials.
Shipping temperature-sensitive goods is tricky business – warm climates and summer months create unique challenges for transporting refrigerated goods. Proper temperature regulation prevents spoilage, which is becoming increasingly important in light of the increasing attention being given to food waste.
New research on natural materials has the potential to unlock innovations in packaging, clean energy, and other industries. Fructose, a sugar found in many plants, and calcium carbonate, the material that crystallizes into chalk, shells, and rocks, have each led to chemical discoveries.DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) have developed a methodology that uses fructose to produce cost-efficient, renewable chemicals and polymers for plastics and textiles.
Farmers in the United States could soon benefit from two new ways to increase crop yield that were announced this month.CropClimate is the latest use of big data to benefit agriculture. The web platform uses climate-, soil- and crop-modeling to link the effects of environmental conditions, weather and crop yield history and field management to develop more resilient crop production systems, reports Environmental Leader.
Methane is a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide, and some 1,000 tons of it has been leaking into the air each day at the Southern California Gas Company's (SoCal Gas) Aliso Canyon storage field since October 23. So far, more than 80 thousand tons of methane has poured into the atmosphere, which has forced evacuations of nearby neighborhoods, and could have long-term impacts far beyond the hills above Los Angeles. Around 1,700 homes and two schools were evacuated because of the leak, as noxious odors settled over Porter Ranch, about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. California officials have helped the company in a series of efforts to stop the leak, but it could be weeks or months before the gas flow is halted.
Dairy methane digesters are among the most cost-effective investments California can make to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help achieve its climate change prevention goals, according to a new study by Ramboll Environ.The study examines how cap and trade auction proceeds are being invested by the California Air Resources Board.
There are many opportunities for the design industry to play a bigger part in product sustainability. Case in point: Many of the technological advancements in sustainable packaging suffer from issues that could be tackled through partnership with strong design thinkers. The design industry can also help to bring the conversation about sustainable packaging design further upstream. Here are three important things to consider when it comes to designing for sustainability.