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

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Hospitals Share Successes, Challenges from Pilot Healthcare Plastics Recycling Program
Hospitals Share Successes, Challenges from Pilot Healthcare Plastics Recycling Program
Published on December 20, 2016
About a 3 minute read

On Monday, the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) announced the completion of a multi-hospital plastics recycling project in Chicago, collaborating with the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). Focused on non-infectious plastic packagi... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: European Packaging Solutions Continue to Drive a Circular Economy
Trending: European Packaging Solutions Continue to Drive a Circular Economy
Published on December 12, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Ambitions of a circular economy continue to drive decisions around Europe as more circular packaging solutions emerge as a prominent piece to the puzzle. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Columbia Recruits Macklemore to Help Raise Awareness of the Effects of PFCs
Columbia Recruits Macklemore to Help Raise Awareness of the Effects of PFCs
Published on December 8, 2016
About a 2 minute read

Columbia Sportswear says its new OutDry Extreme ECO Jacket, which hit shelves last week, marks a milestone in sustainability - as the first high-performance, environmentally friendly, breathable, waterproof jacket made without the use of a common syn... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Nestlé Chocolate Could Have 40% Less Sugar as Early as 2018
Nestlé Chocolate Could Have 40% Less Sugar as Early as 2018
Published on December 2, 2016
About a 2 minute read

Nestlé SA has developed a process to alter the structure of sugar that makes it taste sweeter in smaller amounts, which could help the food giant respond to increasing pressures from governments, health advocates and shoppers to make products health... View More

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Circular EconomyMaterials & Packaging
ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines Streamline Industry Efforts to Eliminate Hazardous Chemicals
ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines Streamline Industry Efforts to Eliminate Hazardous Chemicals
Published on November 29, 2016
About a 3 minute read

On Friday, the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme - a collaboration of 22 leading brands, including Kering, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Coop Switzerland and New Balance, along with 13 value chain affiliates and 7 associates - re... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: BioSteel, Self-Healing Protective Fabrics Among Latest Innovations Revolutionizing Textiles
Trending: BioSteel, Self-Healing Protective Fabrics Among Latest Innovations Revolutionizing Textiles
Published on November 23, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Hot on the heels of its release earlier this month of the world’s first football and running performance products made from upcycled marine plastic waste, adidas continues its journey toward revolutionizing materials with the unveiling of the world... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
How2Compost Label Aims to Facilitate Proper Packaging Disposal
How2Compost Label Aims to Facilitate Proper Packaging Disposal
Published on November 18, 2016
About a 3 minute read

With private and municipal composting programs becoming more mainstream, as well as more companies turning to more sustainable packaging designs, composting is now easier than ever. The next step in the crusade to reduce waste? The Sustainable Packin... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: Packaging Industry Challenged by Plastics BAN List, BillerudKorsnäs’ 3D-Forming Tech
Trending: Packaging Industry Challenged by Plastics BAN List, BillerudKorsnäs’ 3D-Forming Tech
Published on November 17, 2016
About a 4 minute read

The packaging industry in the U.S. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Tetra Pak Unveils New Site Celebrating Game-Changing Food Ideas
Tetra Pak Unveils New Site Celebrating Game-Changing Food Ideas
Published on November 11, 2016
About a 3 minute read

All over the world, new ideas are changing mankind’s relationship with food. From the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to the “ugly food movement,” ideas big and small are making an impact. To uncover such stories, Tetra Pak® has launched a new digi... View More

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Materials & Packaging
New ZDHC Platform to Provide 'Gateway' to Safer Chemicals in Textiles
New ZDHC Platform to Provide 'Gateway' to Safer Chemicals in Textiles
Published on November 2, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The issue of hazardous chemicals isn’t new in consumer products; the Romans knew lead was harmful over 2000 years ago. Scheele’s Green, a copper-arsenic-based pigment, was one of the first colourfast greens used for textiles in the early 1860s. H... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Nevada Facility Begins ‘Clean Lead Recycling,’ Could Lead to Sustainable Lead-Acid Batteries
Nevada Facility Begins ‘Clean Lead Recycling,’ Could Lead to Sustainable Lead-Acid Batteries
Published on November 2, 2016
About a 2 minute read

Recycling and refining high-quality lead has commenced in Nevada, and will soon reach commercial-scale production. Aqua Metals has used its patent-pending ‘AquaRefining’ technology, which the company is calling “the only clean lead recycling me... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Walmart Unveils New Sustainable Packaging Priorities to Complement Zero-Waste Goal
Walmart Unveils New Sustainable Packaging Priorities to Complement Zero-Waste Goal
Published on October 28, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Walmart hopes to reignite the passion around sustainable packaging with vendors, store buyers, packaging suppliers and consumers with three new, clear goals: Optimize Design; Source Sustainably; and Support Recycling. The priorities were unveiled alo... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Disney Thought ‘Outside the Box’ for Its New Moana Doll, Challenges Families to Do the Same
Disney Thought ‘Outside the Box’ for Its New Moana Doll, Challenges Families to Do the Same
Published on October 27, 2016
About a 2 minute read

Disney is inspiring fans to think outside the toy box and help protect the planet in celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana.” Inspired by the Disney Store’s new Classic Moana doll box, which can be turned into a boat inspired by... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: New Cross-Sector Collaborations Delve Into Circular Packaging Solutions
Trending: New Cross-Sector Collaborations Delve Into Circular Packaging Solutions
Published on October 26, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Newly formed groups in Europe and Canada are working to deliver a circular economy for packaging materials: PlasticsEurope has created a Plastics Packaging Circular Economy Group to maximize resource efficiency across the plastics value chain; and On... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Dow Pledges $2.8M to Help Advance Solutions to Ocean Plastic Waste
Dow Pledges $2.8M to Help Advance Solutions to Ocean Plastic Waste
Published on October 25, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The Dow Chemical Company has announced that it has committed $2.8 million over the next two years to drive solutions that address global marine debris and litter. The company made the announcement on Friday, September 16th, at the inaugural Our Ocean... View More

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Materials & Packaging
Trending: Breakthroughs in Biomimicry, Recycling Unlock ‘Tarantula Blue’ Textiles, Closed-Loop Tencel
Trending: Breakthroughs in Biomimicry, Recycling Unlock ‘Tarantula Blue’ Textiles, Closed-Loop Tencel
Published on October 24, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The latest textile innovations include a new TENCEL® made from cotton fabric waste, recently picked up by Patagonia, and a research breakthrough that could lead to ‘tarantula blue’ textiles. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: EPA, Olam Seeking Chemistry, Food Security Research that Can Change the World
Trending: EPA, Olam Seeking Chemistry, Food Security Research that Can Change the World
Published on October 19, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The hunt is on for potentially ground-breaking scientific research in food security and green chemistry. Entries and nominations are now open for the second global Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security (Olam Prize) and the 2017 Presidential Gree... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Could the iCHIP Bring an End to Animal Testing?
Could the iCHIP Bring an End to Animal Testing?
Published on October 18, 2016
About a 4 minute read

We could finally be entering an age where medical and research testing on laboratory animals for human safety is no longer necessary. A team of scientists and engineers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is developing an alternative called the... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: Sewage Sludge, Seaweed Hold Promise for Fuel Innovation, Industrial Symbiosis
Trending: Sewage Sludge, Seaweed Hold Promise for Fuel Innovation, Industrial Symbiosis
Published on October 11, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Add sewage sludge and seaweed to the list of raw materials that have potential for circular economy solutions: Toyota is experimenting with converting human waste into hydrogen to fuel its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car; and Wageningen Food & Bioba... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
ASTRX Partnership Aims to Shape the Future of U.S. Recycling through Systems Approach
ASTRX Partnership Aims to Shape the Future of U.S. Recycling through Systems Approach
Published on September 30, 2016
About a 2 minute read

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition and The Recycling Partnership have teamed up to increase recovery of quality recyclables in the U.S. through a new initiative called ASTRX – Applying Systems Thinking to Recycling. The partners will work closely ... View More

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