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
Apple uses a lot of aluminum across its product line — it’s part of the company’s design ethos. But it also represents almost a quarter of Apple’s manufacturing emissions.
Earlier this year, the Global Fashion Agenda released the CEO Agenda for the fashion industry, which highlights the “efficient use of chemicals, water and energy” as a core priority for immediate implementation. However, while chemical management is listed high on this agenda, time and again, the importance of this topic is not reflected in key conferences and events.
Three new goals to enhance the circular economy for plastics and reduce packaging waste have been announced by leading U.S. plastic producers including BASF, Dow, DuPont and Braskem.
People of all ages are more aware of their impact on the planet’s limited resources and ecosystem health than ever before. Packaging is of particular concern, prompting this year’s Earth Day theme: end plastic pollution. “I’d like more people to take care of the Earth,” said Yasmine, a 7th grader in the Garden Club at Montgomery Middle School in San Diego, CA. Fellow club member Daisy, also in 7th grade, agrees. “People can use more reusable bags instead of plastic,” Daisy added. “We have lots of reusable bags at home. When we do get plastic bags, we reuse them.”
Although we see every day as Earth Day, the annual celebration always inspires great conversation about sustainability and how we can do better as a society. We believe education is the cornerstone of this observance, and though we always hear about important best practices for recycling and minimizing water usage, paper is something we all use every day and an important factor that many people still don’t have right. It’s unrealistic to believe our business world will ever be truly paperless. With that in mind, it’s more productive to focus on how to make more sustainable paper choices — focusing instead on how your paper is made.
Growing consumer awareness and pressure has pushed plastic waste to the forefront of sustainability concerns, prompting numerous commitments to reduce single-use plastics, more efforts to combat marine plastic pollution, and the adoption of a bottle deposit scheme in the UK, to name a few.
The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), a multi-stakeholder collaborative that drives the commercial adoption of sustainable chemistry, has selected the 10 startups that have won the opportunity to pitch their sustainable chemicals, materials, products and manufacturing technologies to large, strategic companies at the GC3’s 3rd Annual Green & Bio-Based Chemistry Technology Showcase & Networking Event.
By 2020, the market for “green” chemistry is expected to reach $100 billion globally, with North America seeing an increase from $3 billion to over $20 billion during the same period. This growth, essential to the future of our planet, is a sign that the industry is engaged in much-needed change. Today, 8.3 percent of all deaths and 5.7 percent of the total burden of disease worldwide are related to chemical exposure.
This year has already seen some great steps forward in the uphill battle against fashion and textile waste: industry agreements and action plans have been announced; sustainable fashion startups are receiving support from the Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator and the Nike Circular Innovation Challenge; and collaborations have produced a
Amidst a wave of negative public opinion on plastics and the waste associated with it, several companies have responded with commitments to reduce single-use plastics, combat marine plastic pollution, and support startups with
The environmentally devastating statistics on the meat industry are staggering. It seems predicated on the idea that the population needs to eat now, so the future can take care of itself. If humanity follows through on that idea, efforts at sustainability will go to waste. Before you slap another steak on the barbecue this summer, contemplate the following arguments against red meat as we know it:
Plastics and packaging are ubiquitous and leading to major problems both for waste management and ocean pollution. While many companies are committing to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, there is still a lot of work to do on all fronts.
The potential of a circular economy continues to unfold as new technologies are help transform everything from post-consumer textiles to almond shells into high-quality raw materials. CARBIOS, a pioneer in the field of bioplasturgy, has taken its enzymatic depolymerization process to the next level, rendering it applicable to PET polyester fibers from textile waste.
Ahead of its Annual Meeting of Shareholders this week, Starbucks has announced it is committing $10M in partnership with Closed Loop Partners and its Center for the Circular Economy to develop a more sustainable coffee cup. Together, the organizations will establish a new consortium to launch the NextGen Cup Challenge, which will award accelerator grants to entrepreneurs working on potential cup solutions and encourage industry collaboration.
The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, and after they’re built, buildings can use a substantial amount of energy to keep us comfortable. Reducing the environmental impacts of buildings – particularly through their materials and energy intensity – has become a priority for startups and large companies alike.
The war against single-use plastics rages on as even more brands rise to the challenge of creating a plastic-free future. Online food delivery companies Just Eat and Deliveroo are the latest businesses to hop aboard the sustainable packaging bandwagon.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has taken an important step to clean up the fashion supply chain, rolling out a new digital manufacturing process that will eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals that have traditionally been used in the industry for jeans finishing.
Makersite, a groundbreaking open data platform created by Everycs that aims to make better products faster, has developed a first-of-its-kind modeling app that simultaneously calculates a product’s production costs, its compliance and its effect on environment and health.
Aquafil and H&M have joined forces to make sustainable fashion mainstream through the H&M Conscious Exclusive collection.
In a bid to scale product transparency, chemicals management innovator Toxnot and transparency and regenerative design leader International Living Future Institute (ILFI) have embarked on a new partnership. Toxnot provides a best-in-class toolset to collect, manage and report on the chemicals in product supply chains.