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
DuPont Honors 22 Packaging Solutions for Improved Sustainability, Cost-Efficiency
DuPont Honors 22 Packaging Solutions for Improved Sustainability, Cost-Efficiency
Published on May 20, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Now in its 28th year, the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation are the industry's longest-running, global, independently-judged recognition of innovation and collaboration throughout the packaging value chain. Nearly 200 entries from over 25 countr... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Analysis Finds GMOs Are Safe, But May Not Increase Crop Yields
Analysis Finds GMOs Are Safe, But May Not Increase Crop Yields
Published on May 19, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Genetically engineered crops may be completely safe for human consumption – but they also are an unlikely solution to world hunger. A comprehensive new analysis found that genetically engineered (GE) crops, often called genetically modified organis... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
5 Reasons EPR Is the Answer for Plastics Recycling
5 Reasons EPR Is the Answer for Plastics Recycling
Published on May 19, 2016
About a 11 minute read

The debates around extended producer responsibility for packaging — an approach whereby consumer goods companies pay some or all of the costs for managing packaging materials — have been raging in the U.S. for more than six years. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Report: $3.5B+ Business Opportunity in Scaling Up Circular System for Plastics
Report: $3.5B+ Business Opportunity in Scaling Up Circular System for Plastics
Published on May 18, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Plastic has many benefits ranging from reducing food waste by providing packaging to cutting transport pollution due to its light weight. However, waste plastic is undervalued by the economy due to externalization of environmental costs. In a new dis... View More

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Innovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
Bolt Threads Raises $50M Series C, Partners with Patagonia to Pioneer Sustainable Textiles
Bolt Threads Raises $50M Series C, Partners with Patagonia to Pioneer Sustainable Textiles
Published on May 12, 2016
About a 3 minute read

You’ve probably heard plenty of startups claim they can “revolutionize” their industry, but in the case of Bolt Threads, they may actually be right. The California-based biotechnology startup is already manufacturing its Engineered Silk™ prot... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Alter Eco's Gone4Good™ Packaging Eliminates Plastic Pouch Problem
Alter Eco's Gone4Good™ Packaging Eliminates Plastic Pouch Problem
Published on May 11, 2016
About a 5 minute read

According to a 2013 study by PCI Films Consulting, 17 billion plastic pouches ended up in landfills throughout the U.S. that year and production is expected to reach 24 billion plastic pouches by 2018 — but that staggering statistic isn’t one tha... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
TerraVia's Algae-Based DHA to Provide Sustainable Omega-3s for Aquaculture Market
TerraVia's Algae-Based DHA to Provide Sustainable Omega-3s for Aquaculture Market
Published on May 9, 2016
About a 4 minute read

TerraVia (formerly Solazyme) and agribusiness giant Bunge Limited have announced the launch of native, whole algae DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) as a sustainable specialty feed ingredient for the aquaculture market, a roughly $3 billion market for omega... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Spinach, Carrots Are Good for You … And for Making Prosthetics, Say UK Scientists
Spinach, Carrots Are Good for You … And for Making Prosthetics, Say UK Scientists
Published on May 9, 2016
About a 2 minute read

Scientists in the United Kingdom are using spinach leaves and carrots to investigate selective formation of metallic nanoparticles in plastics. The researchers are working to form conductive circuits and create antimicrobial surfaces by accelerating ... View More

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Materials & Packaging
G-Star, Plastic Soup Foundation Call on Industry to Help Stop Ocean Microfiber Pollution
G-Star, Plastic Soup Foundation Call on Industry to Help Stop Ocean Microfiber Pollution
Published on May 4, 2016
About a 4 minute read

In 2025, there is one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish in the oceans, and in 2050 the weight of plastic has overtaken that of fish. While the cause of this future scenario would largely be the work of plastic bottles and other types of pac... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: Beauty, Packaging No Longer Need to Come at the Expense of Our Oceans
Trending: Beauty, Packaging No Longer Need to Come at the Expense of Our Oceans
Published on April 29, 2016
About a 4 minute read

The ocean’s value has been estimated as high as $24 trillion, yet despite its inherent connections to the health and well-being of wildlife, humans, and the global economy, it continues to be overexploited and polluted. Scientists have estimated th... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Bioplastic Advancements Show Promise for Biodegradable Milk, Juice, Food Packaging
Bioplastic Advancements Show Promise for Biodegradable Milk, Juice, Food Packaging
Published on April 25, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Food packaging is one of the main generators of packaging waste in developed countries. In 2012, each person in the European Union (EU) countries generated an average of 156.8kg of packaging waste, and plastic containers accounted for 19 percent of i... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Unilever, J&J Campaigns Aim to 'End Bottle Bias,' Boost Bathroom Recycling
Unilever, J&J Campaigns Aim to 'End Bottle Bias,' Boost Bathroom Recycling
Published on April 25, 2016
About a 5 minute read

When it comes to in-home recycling habits, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson have found the same thing: Not all packaging is treated equally. Unilever reports that only 14 percent of Americans are recycling their bathroom bottles, while 56 percent o... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Dow's New Microfoam Packaging Technology to Help Lessen Impact of Rio 2016 Olympics
Dow's New Microfoam Packaging Technology to Help Lessen Impact of Rio 2016 Olympics
Published on April 18, 2016
About a 3 minute read

As the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games and the Official Carbon Partner of Rio 2016, The Dow Chemical Company has launched a new Microfoaming Technology for the packaging industry in Latin America. The project is part of a comprehensiv... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Business Leaders, NGOs Ask IRS Employees to Give Up Coffee Buzz for Bees During Tax Week
Business Leaders, NGOs Ask IRS Employees to Give Up Coffee Buzz for Bees During Tax Week
Published on April 14, 2016
About a 4 minute read

It’s the pinnacle of tax season here in the U.S. this week, and it’s easy to imagine coffee being in high demand at the Internal Revenue Service. So in the midst of their most grueling week of the year, a group of businesses and advocates are cal... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
With 'Electronic Nose' Nanotechnology, We Can Analyze Safety, Chemical Composition of What We Consume
With 'Electronic Nose' Nanotechnology, We Can Analyze Safety, Chemical Composition of What We Consume
Published on April 12, 2016
About a 3 minute read

In light of this year’s Flint, Michigan water crisis and massive methane leak in Porter Ranch, California, along with increasing awareness of manmade toxicities in our environment, consumers are looking for better tools to control their health and ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Recovery Toolkit, Zero-Waste Grocers Aim to Fight Food Packaging Waste
Recovery Toolkit, Zero-Waste Grocers Aim to Fight Food Packaging Waste
Published on April 12, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Following the success of grocery stores such as in.gredients in Austin, TX, and day by day in locations across France, other shops focused on eliminating packaging waste from their shelves have been popping up around the world. Opening this year: new... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: Levi Strauss, MIT Partnerships Advancing Textile Innovations
Trending: Levi Strauss, MIT Partnerships Advancing Textile Innovations
Published on April 8, 2016
About a 0 minute read

As Levi’s VP of Social and Environmental Sustainability, Michael Kobori, said last year in a blog post, along with a long-standing partnership with Goodwill to divert clothing from landfill and take-back programs for apparel for recycling into ever... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Report Reveals 67% of Cans Contain BPA; Campbell Soup, Del Monte to Switch Packaging
Report Reveals 67% of Cans Contain BPA; Campbell Soup, Del Monte to Switch Packaging
Published on March 30, 2016
About a 5 minute read

A report released today by six non-profit organizations found that 67 percent of nearly 200 tested food can linings contained Bisphenol A (BPA). The report also identified the replacement materials and to what extent their safety has been studied. Ah... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Can Diamond-based Semiconductors Solve the Electronic Industry’s CSR Problems?
Can Diamond-based Semiconductors Solve the Electronic Industry’s CSR Problems?
Published on March 30, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Diamonds may be forever, but they soon could change the way we power electronics by cutting e-waste, conserving water and fighting climate change. Today, semiconductors usually are made of silicon, which, when disposed of as e-waste, poisons children... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Avoiding Greenwashing: 10 Principles of Truly Sustainable Packaging Design
Avoiding Greenwashing: 10 Principles of Truly Sustainable Packaging Design
Published on March 29, 2016
About a 3 minute read

As a packaging designer and nature lover, I dream of the day when material science and manufacturing can deliver on the promise of zero environmental impact, high performance, premium finish and low costs. Many breakthroughs have begun to deliver on ... View More

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