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
Let me start by saying that I don’t expect you to believe what you are about to read. Why should you take an opinion of an executive of a multi-national at face value? There was a recent quote on Reddit that opened my eyes to an unexpected truth: “April fool’s day is the one day of the year when people critically evaluate news articles before accepting them as true,” (user: kellenbrent). But shouldn’t we aspire to have this attitude every day? Let’s be critical when we are presented with a foregone conclusion. Let’s be curious about what is behind every piece of information we see or hear. Let’s leave preconceived notions at the door and be open to challenging what we believe or what may seem obvious.
The 2015 winners of the annual R&D 100 Awards were announced on November 13 in Las Vegas. Often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the awards recognize technology inventions commercialized in the past year. The Dow Chemical Company had the largest number of nominations and winners of any single developer, with 21 nominations and six awards.The winning Dow products included two packaging solutions, a paint modifier, an adhesive, a power cable insulation, and a solder:
A large audience gathered at this SB ’15 London breakout session Tuesday to (hopefully!) learn more about what appeared to be a very niche subject.A preliminary display of hands around the room confirmed the lack of experience around bio-materials, but also confirmed the enthusiasm to learn. Moderator Kathryn Sheridan provided expertise throughout and eased the audience through a range of background technical detail that many may have found daunting. However, the emphasis was kept firmly on the tie-up with brands and opportunities for the future, rather than an hour-long chemistry lesson.The session started with panel introductions:
Sustainability – the responsible use of resources to ensure a clean, healthy and vibrant world for future generations – is evolving quickly as a global priority for companies and consumers alike. We used to define it largely in terms of environmental footprint reduction - for example, installing systems to limit pollution, or optimize their manufacturing processes to reduce energy and water consumption.
Researchers from Australia’s Flinders University say they have found a “dirt cheap” solution to mercury contamination. Dr. Justin Chalker and his students have developed a dark red polymer from industrial waste products — sulphur and limonene — that turns bright yellow when it absorbs mercury. The color change allows the material to be a mercury detector on top of its remediation capabilities.
A report released Thursday by national women’s health non-profit Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) exposes the failings of the fragrance industry’s self-regulated safety program.
A synthetic spider silk parka, luxury knitwear made from deadstock yarns, and one-of-a-kind pieces from unwanted locally sourced materials are the latest sustainable clothing options.
This week, Nestlé announced it is the newest member of the How2Recycle Label Program. Selected Nestlé USA and Purina® brands will use the How2Recycle label to help communicate to the public how to recycle their packaging.The How2Recycle label is a project of GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), developed to provide clear and concise on-package recyclability information and keep recoverable materials out of landfills. The brands join over 40 How2Recycle member companies using the label on packaging.
Flicking through various CSR reports, it’s interesting to note how often packaging is highlighted as an area in need of more attention. It’s hardly surprising given the complexity of applying lifecycle thinking to a material that needs to protect the product inside it while also delivering a satisfying consumer experience.
The Dow Chemical Company on Tuesday announced the launch a new family of resins that offers unprecedented performance levels to help customers address some of today’s most challenging packaging performance gaps.Innate Precision Packaging Resins are created from a patented molecular catalyst coupled with advanced process technology, which Dow says will empower customers to unlock new packaging opportunities through “unmatched stiffness-toughness balance, processing ease and improved sustainability profiles.”
Americans, on average, replace their mobile phones every 22 months, junking more than 150 million phones a year in the process. When it comes to recycling and processing all of this electronic waste, the World Health Organization reports that even low exposure to the electronic elements can cause significant health risks. Now, University of Missouri researchers are on the path to creating biodegradable electronics by using organic components in screen displays, which could one day help reduce electronic waste in the world’s landfills.
If washing and drying clothes is a major culprit in the environmental waste wars, what if there were more natural fabrics that repelled stains, resulting in fewer washings? One such solution, introduced by Kelby & Co. at the Fashion Tech Lab demo day this summer, is being rolled out in the market next month.
Core to Avery Dennison’s long-term success is developing products and solutions that are sustainable for years to come. With the volume of materials it produces, how does the company deliver a positive environmental and social impact for its customers and the communities in which it operates? For Avery Dennison, it’s a core responsibility — and it all starts with sustainability.
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) released the first-ever industry materiality assessment in its 2015 Sustainability Report on Tuesday. Sustainability analytics firm Framework LLC conducted the assessment using data from across the sector’s value chain to map critical risks and opportunities, and found materials, transparency, and greenhouse gases among the top concerns for the $30 billion cleaning products industry.
A new study commissioned by Zero Waste Europe has found that the majority of product waste is not covered by current extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes and calls for the redesigning of producer responsibility in order to move towards a circular economy.
A 2010 report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF estimated that four out of every 10 people in the world, particularly those in Africa and Asia, do not have clean water to drink, and according to Green Cross International, roughly 3,000 children die each day as a result of diseases caused by ingestion of filthy water.
Researchers at Ford Motor Company are looking to biomimicry in hopes of improving adhesives and increasing the recyclability of auto parts.Improving the recyclability of auto parts by replacing (or otherwise reducing or eliminating) the glue it uses to adhere foams to plastics and metals could give Ford’s sustainability performance a boost. The adhesives it currently uses make disassembling the parts for recycling nearly impossible. Ford is sharing its research findings in a partnership with Procter & Gamble (P&G) as their teams investigate potential biomimetic business solutions.
Coal ash is the United States’ second-largest waste stream, after household garbage. It needs to be stored safely to prevent arsenic, lead, mercury and other toxins from leaching into farmlands, rivers, lakes, and other public water sources. Coal-fired power plants in the United States generate 140 million tons of coal ash each year – leaving an estimated 3.5 billion tons which now must be managed. Now a startup from Charlotte, North Carolina thinks it might have a profitable solution to this toxic problem.
British grocery chains Tesco and Waitrose have added a new facet to their waste-mitigation efforts by launching upcycled packaging.Beginning this month, Tesco shoppers could get their groceries in recycled plastic bags made from back-of-store waste plastic, such as pallet and multi-pack wrapping. Recycling firm Eurokey is collecting and sorting Tesco’s plastic waste, and plastics recycler Papier-Mettier is processing it and turning it into single-use carrier bags.
Sweden is so heavily forested that open areas are the exception.It’s the opposite of continental Europe, where Germany’s well-known Black Forest or France’s Bois Des Landes are deviations in the landscape, which was deforested centuries ago.In Sweden, the slatten, or “plains,” are distinct. They carry geographic names recognizable to the average Swede, such as Uppsala-slätten or Västgöta-slätten.Not surprisingly, the huge swaths of forest in Sweden are central to the culture and economy, both of which have lofty reputations globally for sustainability.Here are six more things that make Sweden’s forest economy unique, according to Iggesund Paperboard.