Chemistry, Materials & Packaging

The latest developments in safe and sustainable chemicals, new materials, fuels, and more.

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Braskem Strikes Up New Partnerships to Take Sustainable Packaging to the Next Level

Thermoplastics resin producer Braskem has been keeping busy, entering into a series of new partnerships to make bio-based packaging the mainstream choice for the personal care and consumer goods industries.

Trending: Cross-Industry Collaboration, Bio-Based Materials Fuel Sustainable Packaging

Packaging remains a considerable challenge for businesses looking to reduce their impacts, but innovators such as food-service supplier Eco-Products and Finnish startup Sulpac are helping to accelerate the transition to lower-impact models through cross-industry partnerships and sustainable packaging solutions.

Wrangler Adopts Foam-Dyeing Technology, Revs Up to Revolutionize Denim

Yesterday, representatives from across the apparel industry came together at the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute of Texas Tech University, where Wrangler, Lee, the Walmart Foundation and Indigo Mill Designs (IMD) unveiled a disruptive new dyeing process for producing denim.

ASICS, Stahl Partner with bluesign® to Strengthen Chemical Management, Sustainability

Chemicals management continues to go mainstream, with sporting goods manufacturer ASICS Corporation and chemical company Stahl joining the growing body of brands, manufacturers and chemical suppliers to achieve bluesign® system partner status.

150 Companies, NGOs Call for Global Ban on Oxo-Degradable Plastic Packaging

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative has published a statement calling for a ban on oxo-degradable plastic packaging, as evidence emerges linking the material to the mounting microplastics problem.

Sustainable Revenue: 81% of Chr. Hansen's Products Support SDGs

As allegedly the first company ever, Chr. Hansen — a Danish bioscience giant that produces natural ingredients for the food, beverage, dietary supplements and agricultural industry — has conducted an extensive analysis to map its entire product portfolio of more than 3,000 products against the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis shows that 81 percent of Chr.

Looking for a Circular Packaging Solution? Meet RePack

Maybe you remember visiting a post office to pick up one of your online purchases and seeing the hundreds, even thousands, of packages going to other shoppers — to be used once and thrown away. Sure, online purchases need to be individually labelled and protected for transport, so some form of packaging is necessary. But shouldn’t we as environmentally conscious purchasers have a say in how our goods are packaged? And shouldn't sustainably minded brands be able to offer their customers a choice in this matter? Because surely shoppers and brands would choose a returnable, recyclable package for transporting online purchases — especially if it made economic sense. This is where RePack comes in.

Q&A: Tim Greiner on the Transformational Role of Chemical Footprinting

Sustainable chemical management is a critical component of a healthy and circular future. In its second annual report, the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) revealed encouraging advances across industries towards the use of safer materials and greater transparency.

DowDuPont, Novozymes Launch New Platforms to Drive Science-Based Solutions to SDGs

DowDuPont Materials Science (Dow) and WE, a global development charity and youth empowerment movement, have rolled out the We Are Innovators campaign to challenge educators and students to harness chemistry and science to create solutions for pressing global issues.

Abeego: Reducing Food Waste by ‘Keeping It Alive’

It’s Waste Reduction Week in Canada, and to celebrate, I spoke to some superstar companies reducing waste through product design that are featured in the National Zero Waste Council’s Design Portfolio. For the first article in this three-part series, I spoke to Abeego founder Toni Desrosiers about her company’s reusable beeswax wraps.

Aviation Industry’s Uptake of Biofuels Could Spur Mass Deforestation, Critics Say

The global airline industry is flying high — according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the sector is forecasted to make a net profit of $29.8 billion in 2017 and air passengers are expected to double over the next 20 years. But coupled with the industry’s success are unprecedented levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

First-Ever Environmental Impact Factor Label Opens New Doors for Life Science Industry

The environmental impact of laboratories is enormous. But with the launch of ACT, the first-ever environmental impact factor label for laboratory products, nonprofit My Green Lab is working to change that. “The ACT label makes it possible for scientists and procurement specialists to choose safe, sustainable products by focusing on the impact of making, using and disposing of a product and its packaging,” said Allison Paradise, Executive Director of My Green Lab.

CDP: Chemical Companies Must Do More to Meet Paris Agreement Goals

Despite making progress on climate risks, the chemical industry is failing to meet the goals outlined by the Paris Agreement, says a new report by CDP.

Avery Dennison RBIS: Creating Technologies to Drive Sustainable Change

With Sustainable September now underway, an opportunity to elevate the importance of sustainability on a global scale, and the release of our 2014-2016 sustainability report, All of Us, Every Day; we caught up with our own Michael Colarossi, VP of Innovation, Product Line Management and Sustainability.

Walmart's Updated Policy Aims to Drive Toxic Chemicals Out of 90K Household Products

This week, Walmart updated its sustainable chemistry policy, to eliminate toxic chemicals in thousands of consumable products, such as household cleaners, cosmetics and skincare items, and infant products. This policy includes new goals for the company to restrict over 2,700 harmful chemicals in household products by 2022, increase transparency of ingredients globally, and encourage suppliers to certify their products to credible third-party standards such as EPA Safer Choice. The updated policy applies to 90,000 products from 700 suppliers.

Trending: VW, JLR Make Big Commitments to EVs, Circular Tech

Car manufacturers have dominated the news in recent weeks with details emerging about everything from scrappage schemes to big-time commitments to EVs, indicating that a significant industry-wide shift is underway. Now, Volkswagen joins the growing group of mobility giants making the switch to low-carbon vehicles, while Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched a new program that will place end-of-life materials into new products.

Trending: Dow, CLF Uncover New Opportunities in Previously Unrecyclable Plastics

While eliminating impacts at the design stage is a crucial strategy for putting a stop to plastic pollution, it’s just one small piece of the puzzle. According to new initiatives and research from The Dow Chemical Company and the Closed Loop Foundation, investing in intelligent end-of-life solutions for previously non-recyclable packaging is just as important.

BillerudKorsnäs: Megacity Dwellers See Packaging as Crucial Solution for Sustainable Future

Packaging has widely been recognized as a pathway to a sustainable future, but opinions around the critical actions needed to deliver circular outcomes in urban areas, particularly megacities (a metropolitan area with a total population over 10 million people), such as management of recycling, littering, waste and support for sustainable behavior and education, largely differ.