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

Article
Materials & Packaging
Trending: Plastic Packaging Takes Backseat to Seaweed, Origami-Inspired Alternatives
Trending: Plastic Packaging Takes Backseat to Seaweed, Origami-Inspired Alternatives
Published on January 23, 2018
About a 3 minute read

Though the normalization of single-use plastic packaging has made plastic pollution out to be an insurmountable problem, consumers’ and brands’ growing awareness of the implications of take-make-dispose models is helping drive the development of ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Algae Poised to Power Future Fuel Cells
Algae Poised to Power Future Fuel Cells
Published on January 16, 2018
About a 2 minute read

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new algae-powered fuel cell that is five times more efficient than existing plant and algal models. Both cost-effective and practical to use, scientists expect the fuel cell to bring algal-b... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
A New Year’s Resolution for Retailers: Eliminate Toxic Chemicals
A New Year’s Resolution for Retailers: Eliminate Toxic Chemicals
Published on December 27, 2017
About a 7 minute read

This New Year’s, retailers should make a resolution to get toxic chemicals out of their products and packaging. At a time when the EPA is undermining the implementation of the nation’s new chemical safety law enacted just last year, it’s more c... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingCollaboration & Co-Creation
Trending: Fashion Positive, ZDHC Launch Resource Hubs to Drive Collaboration, Circularity
Trending: Fashion Positive, ZDHC Launch Resource Hubs to Drive Collaboration, Circularity
Published on December 19, 2017
About a 4 minute read

Circularity is slowing making its way into the fashion industry, aiming to transform one of the most polluting sectors into a shining example of sustainability, but it still has a long way to go before it can truly shed its bad reputation. Technology... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: Algae, Ocean Plastics Pave the Way for More Sustainable Consumer Products
Trending: Algae, Ocean Plastics Pave the Way for More Sustainable Consumer Products
Published on December 8, 2017
About a 4 minute read

Petroleum-based plastic’s time is running out as new, more sustainable material solutions emerge. According to the International Air Transport Association, 5.2 million tons of waste were generated by airline passengers in 2016. With the release of ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
G-Star RAW Unveils First-Ever C2C Gold Certified Denim
G-Star RAW Unveils First-Ever C2C Gold Certified Denim
Published on December 5, 2017
About a 3 minute read

Denim has rightfully earned its reputation as a dirty business, but denim brand G-Star Raw is continuing its efforts to shape a new future for the fabric with the development of the first-ever Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold level certified denim. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
What Is Your Company’s True Value to Society? The Answer Might Surprise You
What Is Your Company’s True Value to Society? The Answer Might Surprise You
Published on December 4, 2017
About a 9 minute read

While carbon emissions and water and energy efficiency are top-of-mind concerns for companies keen on reducing the environmental impacts of their products, a sustainable future can’t be achieved without considering chemistry — the foundation upon... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Braskem Strikes Up New Partnerships to Take Sustainable Packaging to the Next Level
Braskem Strikes Up New Partnerships to Take Sustainable Packaging to the Next Level
Published on December 1, 2017
About a 4 minute read

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. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
Trending: Cross-Industry Collaboration, Bio-Based Materials Fuel Sustainable Packaging
Trending: Cross-Industry Collaboration, Bio-Based Materials Fuel Sustainable Packaging
Published on November 29, 2017
About a 4 minute read

Packaging remains a considerable challenge for businesses looking to reduce their impacts, but innovators such as food-service supplier Eco-Products and Finnish startup Sulapac are helping to accelerate the transition to lower-impact models through c... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Wrangler Adopts Foam-Dyeing Technology, Revs Up to Revolutionize Denim
Wrangler Adopts Foam-Dyeing Technology, Revs Up to Revolutionize Denim
Published on November 15, 2017
About a 2 minute read

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 dye... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
ASICS, Stahl Partner with bluesign® to Strengthen Chemical Management, Sustainability
ASICS, Stahl Partner with bluesign® to Strengthen Chemical Management, Sustainability
Published on November 14, 2017
About a 3 minute read

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. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
150 Companies, NGOs Call for Global Ban on Oxo-Degradable Plastic Packaging
150 Companies, NGOs Call for Global Ban on Oxo-Degradable Plastic Packaging
Published on November 6, 2017
About a 3 minute read

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. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Sustainable Revenue: 81% of Chr. Hansen's Products Support SDGs
Sustainable Revenue: 81% of Chr. Hansen's Products Support SDGs
Published on November 1, 2017
About a 3 minute read

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 p... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMarketing & Communications
Q&A: Tim Greiner on the Transformational Role of Chemical Footprinting
Q&A: Tim Greiner on the Transformational Role of Chemical Footprinting
Published on October 20, 2017
About a 8 minute read

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... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
DowDuPont, Novozymes Launch New Platforms to Drive Science-Based Solutions to SDGs
DowDuPont, Novozymes Launch New Platforms to Drive Science-Based Solutions to SDGs
Published on October 17, 2017
About a 5 minute read

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 pressin... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Abeego: Reducing Food Waste by ‘Keeping It Alive’
Abeego: Reducing Food Waste by ‘Keeping It Alive’
Published on October 17, 2017
About a 4 minute read

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 ser... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Aviation Industry’s Uptake of Biofuels Could Spur Mass Deforestation, Critics Say
Aviation Industry’s Uptake of Biofuels Could Spur Mass Deforestation, Critics Say
Published on October 16, 2017
About a 4 minute read

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. B... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
First-Ever Environmental Impact Factor Label Opens New Doors for Life Science Industry
First-Ever Environmental Impact Factor Label Opens New Doors for Life Science Industry
Published on October 13, 2017
About a 2 minute read

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 scien... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
CDP: Chemical Companies Must Do More to Meet Paris Agreement Goals
CDP: Chemical Companies Must Do More to Meet Paris Agreement Goals
Published on October 9, 2017
About a 4 minute read

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. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Avery Dennison RBIS: Creating Technologies to Drive Sustainable Change
Avery Dennison RBIS: Creating Technologies to Drive Sustainable Change
Published on September 29, 2017
About a 5 minute read

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 In... View More

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