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Materials & Packaging

The latest developments in materials, feedstocks and processes that are transforming the way many conventional products are made and packaged — and eliminating their negative impacts

BMW, Volkswagen Eyeing Plant-Based Future for Car Interiors

The auto giants are collaborating with makers of hemp- and flax-based materials that reduce weight and manufacturing emissions and enhance recyclability. Read More...

How Does Consumer Behavior Challenge the Circular Economy?

Economic models shift slowly, and consumer habits are hard to break. A shift from linearity to circularity won’t happen overnight, but there are tangible ways businesses can help consumers shift their behaviors today. Read More...

erthos: Giving the Plastics Industry an AI-Driven, Biobased Upgrade

The Toronto-based startup creates high-performance biomaterials that seamlessly integrate into manufacturing systems and supply chains five times faster than industry standard — eliminating a barrier to widespread adoption. Read More...

Nissan’s ‘Cool Paint’ Will Cut Car-Interior Heat, Energy Use

The paint's cooling performance is most noticeable when a vehicle is parked in the sun for an extended period. Keeping the interior cooler helps reduce load to the A/C — and in electric vehicles, draw on the battery. Read More...

MIT Team Creates Clean Hydrogen with Seawater, Soda Cans, Caffeine

The engineers believe they have discovered the recipe for running a sustainable hydrogen reactor, which they plan to test first in marine and underwater vehicles. Read More...

Sustainable Sailing Puts Its Sail-Recycling Process to Sweet, New Use

The UK startup is partnering with the University of Edinburgh to use waste sails in the creation of high-value chemicals used in everyday products — even, potentially, food ingredients. Read More...

First, Food – Now, Fashion and Furniture: More Innovations in Circular Materials

These two women-owned startups are repurposing waste streams from food manufacturing into striking interior finishes and “leather” handbags and accessories. Read More...

Engineering the Future of Circular Packaging in the US Heartland

A collaboration between Dow and New Energy Blue aims to make a new biomass refinery in Mason City, Iowa a linchpin in a massive, circular shift for the plastics industry. Read More...

Olive Oil’s Packaging Puzzle: Glass or Plastic?

Long shipping routes, rising fuel and transportation costs, and concerns about the carbon footprint of food supply chains have driven many companies to reconsider their packaging options for greater efficiency. Read More...

How Innovations in Materials Science Are Improving Office Spaces

Although some return-to-office policies might still be met with resistance, employees and employers can feel better about returning when buildings are safer and more sustainable — thanks to advancements in materials science. Read More...

US Plastics Pact Unveils Bold New Roadmap to Transform the Use of Plastics

Update to 2025 Roadmap carries forward unfinished targets from the original plan and outlines new steps toward circular design, based on insights from 130+ US Plastic Pact Activators. Read More...

Pernod Ricard Partnership Expands Circular Spirits Distribution

The spirits giant has expanded its partnership with ecoSPIRITS, whose closed-loop packaging system reduces waste and emissions from the production and transportation of bottled beverages. Read More...

Will a Global Plastics Treaty Effectively Curb Plastic Pollution?

Not at this rate: In one corner, industry bodies and petrochemical companies call for enhanced recycling and the increased use of materials with recycled content. In the other, climate campaigners continue to push for cuts in production — an argument that won’t be resolved anytime soon. Read More...

Alternative Packaging Alliance Out to Reshape the Conversation Around Boxed Wine

The group — comprised of seven higher-end wine producers — is bringing a decidedly hip, modern update to a segment with a big perception issue. Read More...

Researchers Tweak Bacteria to Create Strong, Flexible, Sustainable Plastic

Researchers at Kobe University have engineered bacteria to produce a plastic modifier that makes bioplastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable —which holds great potential for enabling sustainable plastic production. Read More...

More Beauty Retailers Embracing a Circular Economy for Packaging

New initiatives from Kiehl’s, Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart and Ulta lay further groundwork for reducing the beauty industry’s massive plastic footprint. Read More...

Major Snack Brands Continue to Cut Plastic in Packaging

While Walkers and the British Crisp Co shift to paper, Mars embraces digital simulation software to slash its amount of plastic needed. Read More...

‘Keggers,’ Elevated: Winemakers Tapping Into More Sustainable Vessels

Wine packers such as Sonoma-based Free Flow Wines are taking advantage of the reduced stigma of stainless steel-bound wine, along with increased ambitions from winemakers to reduce their packaging footprint. Read More...

Startup Using Biomimicry to Break Textile Dyeing Down to Its DNA

Colorifix's technology uses DNA sequencing to replicate nature's hues into sustainable pigments, curbing the industry's overreliance on water- and chemical-intensive dyeing processes. Read More...

3 Takeaways from Our Ongoing Journey to ‘Innovate Boldly. Package Sustainably.’

We’re constantly exploring ways to achieve the functional benefits of plastic with fiber-based packaging alternatives, so that no one walking down a grocery store aisle must choose between function and sustainability. Read More...

Upcoming Events

October 14-17, 2024
SB'24 San Diego
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December 11-12, 2024
SB Member Network: Shifting Customer Behavior and Demand December Member Meeting
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March 18-19, 2025
SB'25 Tokyo Marunouchi