Chemistry, Materials & Packaging
The latest developments in safe and sustainable chemicals, new materials, fuels, and more.
Ambitious Vision for Manmade Cellulosic Fibers Promises Greater Resilience for Textile Industry
New report highlights the huge potential of manmade fibers such as viscose, modal and lyocell to create a more sustainable future, and outlines a sector-wide vision that could revolutionize multiple industries.
Circularity, Human Rights, Regeneration Pillars of Natura & Co’s 2030 ‘Commitment to Life’ Strategy
Cross-Posted from The Next Economy. “We are confident that we will be able to reach these targets by 2030, but we are ambitious to get there sooner; because that is what the planet needs and what our consumers are asking for.” — Christopher Davis, The Body Shop
Stella McCartney, Telus Join Initiative to Tackle Paper Packaging Problem
Cross-Posted from Supply Chain. Participation in Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative to keep the world’s ancient and endangered forests out of packaging supply chains doubles, with the addition of 11 new companies.
Biomimetic Cooling, Housing Solutions Take Top Honors in Youth Design Challenge
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. The Biomimicry Institute’s third annual Youth Design Challenge engaged 6,000 students across the US; and yielded ingenious designs for solutions to problems in cities and nature alike.
Report Outlines Critical Actions for Beauty Brands to Sustainably ‘Make Up the Future’
A new report published this week by sustainability consulting group Quantis maps the urgent actions that cosmetics and personal care brands must address to achieve sustainability in today’s fast-changing world.
Brewers Take Note: Enzymes Can Play a Crucial Role in Global Climate Fightback
LCAs are becoming increasingly important in identifying ways to help solve the climate crisis — not only in pinpointing inefficiencies, but in highlighting how relatively small changes can create a huge, lasting, collective impact.
#ItsInOurHands: Increasing Clarity Around Biodegradability
In a recent Sustainable Brands webinar, Lenzing Group and a panel of experts discussed the implications and applications of biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based plastic products such as wet wipes; as well as efforts to engage the public on their benefits.
How Gap, MycoWorks, Thousand Fell Are Edging Fashion Closer to Circularity
Denim and leather have helped style some of the most iconic fashion statements throughout history — so when taking apparel full circle, it makes sense to start with these types of classic materials that never seem to go out of vogue.
The ‘Secret’ Ingredient in the World’s ‘Greenest’ Buildings? FSC-Certified Wood
Across the country and around the world, thousands of buildings use FSC certification as a way to ensure that the wood materials used support responsible management of forests, keeping them intact and healthy for the people and animals who depend on them.
Trending: Startups Find Surprising Ways to Fuel Shift Away from Animal-Based Proteins
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. Startups in Israel and Colorado are hitting the lab to reinvent dairy products and pet treats, respectively, without a single animal protein (as we know it) in sight.
New Concept Jacket Designed to Illustrate Viability of Fully Recyclable, Circular Garments
DuPont Biomaterials teamed up with Youngone to design a jacket comprised of recycled and plant-based fabrics that can be mechanically recycled at end of life — providing a glimpse into a circular future for textiles.
SB Corporate Members Collaborate to Drive Circular Innovation
When BASF and its customer and fellow Sustainable Brands Corporate Member, Stanley Black & Decker, realized they had similar interest in recycling technologies for plastics and battery materials, they decided to launch an innovation challenge.
2019 Nobel-Winning Chemistry Professor Shares His Views on Renewable Energy
Dr. Stanley Whittingham, the pioneer of lithium-ion batteries, spoke with BASF about a fossil-fuel-free future.
Now Is the Time to Detox the Fashion Industry — Here's How to Do It
ZDHC Foundation Executive Director Frank Michel outlines why now is the time for the industry to stick to its sustainability commitments, and offers the industry a free tool to start detoxing.
Biodegradable, Recyclable: Designing Products for a Better End-of-Use Outcome
As part of an effort to recognize and learn from a wide array of organizations about the ways we can each make a positive impact on people and the planet, Shaw is spotlighting 10 diverse organizations intently focused on products and initiatives that support the wellbeing of people and the planet.
Fibersort Technology Could Be Game-Changing for Recycling Post-Consumer Textiles
Cross-Posted from Waste Not. The tech can separate collected textiles by fiber composition and color into precise recycling feedstocks and return them to the supply chain — but studies show consumers need to drive the garment industry to use more recycled content in their products.
Meet 5 More Disruptors That Could Transform Fashion as We Know It
The H&M Foundation has unveiled the latest crop of innovators to earn its Global Change Award. The five startups share a €1 million prize pot and will participate in the Foundation’s Innovation Acceleration Program.
Forestry Day and Every Day: Don’t Overlook the ‘Urban Forest’
While it is crucial to maintain sustainability managed forests, sourcing paper fiber from them is not the only option to consider. As we all move toward creating a more circular economy, it’s important to also consider sourcing materials from the “urban forest.”
Trending: With COVID-19, It’s 2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back in Fight Against Single-Use Beverage Waste
While Starbucks trials a NextGen coffee cup solution, COVID-19 concerns lead to reusable cup bans around the globe. Meanwhile, a UK soft drink manufacturer rolls out beverages in seaweed cachets.
Trending: In Fashion, What’s Outside Also Counts
New partnerships aim to tackle the fashion industry’s packaging footprint — with circular solutions for polybags and MATCHESFASHION’s new, recyclable boxes furthering the cause.
