Chemistry, Materials & Packaging
The latest developments in safe and sustainable chemicals, new materials, fuels, and more.
Lenzing Rolling Up Its Sleeves to Lead Textile Industry on Climate Action
In its first year disclosing to CDP, the fiber maker earned ‘A’ scores for its global climate and forests stewardship. Here’s what got it there.
250+ Orgs Outline Plan for Biden, Congress to #BreakFreeFromPlastic
Cross-Posted from Waste Not. Report identifies 13 solutions to reduce the environmental and health impacts of plastics, with particular attention to helping communities disproportionately affected by the effects of petrochemical pollution.
Global Innovation Competition Seeks Solutions to Microplastic Pollution
Conservation X Labs’ $650,000 challenge aims to “harness planetary genius” to create solutions to replace plastic in textiles and textile manufacturing.
The Shift from Sustainable to Regenerative Design
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. The language and terms we use influence our approach to the problems we face. Switching from sustainable to regenerative design enables us to more easily leave behind strategies that are no longer equal to the challenges we face.
Sika Sarnafil’s Retractable Roof for the Rogers Centre Is a Case Study in Recycling and Reuse
Cross-Posted from Waste Not. When Toronto’s Rogers Centre stadium needed a new roof, the owner turned to Sika Sarnafil — the manufacturer of the original vinyl roof membrane. Choosing a Sarnafil roof provided the additional benefit of the company’s recycling program
No Compromises: How Eastman’s Naia™ Renew Is Transforming the Fashion Industry
Here, Shaw’s Kellie Ballew and Eastman’s Ruth Farrell discuss the opportunities created by Eastman’s Naia™ Renew textile, and the need to show the market that sustainability and circularity can be achieved without compromise.
HMTX Industries Aims to Raise $1 Million to Battle Addiction Crisis
Cross-Posted from Behavior Change. The luxury vinyl maker’s support of this cause is a unique example of how companies are committing themselves to social sustainability — an important component of the corporate social responsibility model.
New PANGAIA Partnership Aims to Scale Industry Adoption of Sustainable Synthetic Textiles
With an investment in Kintra Fibers, a material science company that makes 100% bio-based and compostable yarns, PANGAIA aims to raise industry standards for synthetic materials.
Please Hold the Packaging: Creating a No-Landfill Meal Kit
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. Meal kits are synonymous with excessive packaging, but they have a crucial redeeming feature — they reduce food waste. At Just Salad, that got us thinking: Could we drastically reduce packaging to make meal kits an unambiguous environmental win?
How Seiko Epson Is Using Digital Technology to Transform the Textile Industry
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. Through its cutting-edge inkjet textile-printing technology, Seiko Epson is aiming to not only transform the textile industry, but to help solve an array of social issues caused by analog printing in a range of fields.
Protect What’s Good: How Tetra Pak Doubled Down on Its Brand Promise in 2020
Cross-Posted from Walking the Talk. Jeff Fielkow, President and CEO of Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada, discusses his experience at the helm of a major corporation during a global health crisis; and the critical elements of effective leadership.
‘Shipageddon’ Isn’t Just About Deliverability — It’s About Sustainability
The impacts of shipageddon will extend far beyond the processing of the glut of holidays packages. Are companies prepared to fulfill the surge in orders? And are packaging companies ensuring both product safety and the planet’s longevity?
New Guidelines, 2020 Brand Audit Aim to Finally Move the Needle on Corporate Plastic Stewardship
Cross-Posted from Waste Not. Since scientists first raised the alarm about plastic pollution in the environment, brands have been slow to respond. Will the 2020 Brand Audit and new plastic-stewardship guidelines help accelerate an overdue shift away from single-use plastic?
3 Advances in Sequestering Carbon in the Built Environment
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. The ability to not only eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, but actually sequester carbon, would transform buildings from net negative to net positive entities. Here, we examine several approaches making this possible.
Ahead of Black Friday, Brands Join Fight Against Paper Packaging Problem
Cross-Posted from Collaboration. 22 more brands have joined Canopy’s Pack4Good campaign to greatly reduce the three billion trees cut down every year for paper packaging.
Committing to Compostable: Neutrogena’s Journey to Create a 100% Plant-Based Cleansing Cloth
Cross-Posted from Our Healthy Lives Mission. Transitioning the market-leading Neutrogena make-up wipes to 100% plant-based fabric will massively increase the reach of the innovation, and illustrates the potential for transforming products across numerous brands and sectors. The company plans to share information about the new fabric with the industry.
New Calculator Helps Beauty Formulators Assess Health of Products
The chemical giant’s 1,4-Dioxane Online Calculator allows beauty and cosmetic formulators to reassess product formulas when necessary, and helps them navigate regulation for continued success.
Q&A: Shaw Pivots to Fulfill Its Purpose During the Pandemic
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. When business as usual ground to a halt this year, companies such as Shaw saw the opportunity to innovate to find new ways to help communities and the spaces in which they live and work.
Q&A: Embedding Diversity, Inclusion Into the World’s Largest Chemical Company
Cross-Posted from Organizational Change. BASF has been recognized as a leader for its work to become a diverse and inclusive workplace, but Peter Eckes — BASF’s President of Global Bioscience — recognizes that much work remains to be done.
That’s the Spirit! Bacardi’s Biodegradable Bottle Latest Boon to Beverage Packaging
Set to arrive in 2023, the bottle — which will biodegrade in 18 months — will replace 80M plastic bottles currently produced by Bacardi across its portfolio of brands every year.
