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
Trending: Nestlé, McDonald's, Tetra Pak Advance World Domination of Sustainable Packaging
Trending: Nestlé, McDonald's, Tetra Pak Advance World Domination of Sustainable Packaging
Published on October 30, 2015
About a 5 minute read

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... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
UK Brands Turning to Co-Creation to Help Unlock Packaging Innovations
UK Brands Turning to Co-Creation to Help Unlock Packaging Innovations
Published on October 30, 2015
About a 5 minute read

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... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Dow Launches New Line of Sustainable Packaging Resins
Dow Launches New Line of Sustainable Packaging Resins
Published on October 30, 2015
About a 2 minute read

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... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
University of Missouri Researchers Developing Biodegradable Displays for Electronics
University of Missouri Researchers Developing Biodegradable Displays for Electronics
Published on October 27, 2015
About a 4 minute read

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 lo... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Could Nanotechnology Dramatically Reduce Clothing's Environmental Impact?
Could Nanotechnology Dramatically Reduce Clothing's Environmental Impact?
Published on October 27, 2015
About a 4 minute read

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... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
'Put a Box Around It': Helen Sahi on Avery Dennison's Approach to Innovation, Partnerships, Sustainability
'Put a Box Around It': Helen Sahi on Avery Dennison's Approach to Innovation, Partnerships, Sustainability
Published on October 23, 2015
About a 4 minute read

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 custom... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Materiality Assessment Finds Materials, Transparency, GHGs Critical Issues for Cleaning Products Industry
Materiality Assessment Finds Materials, Transparency, GHGs Critical Issues for Cleaning Products Industry
Published on October 22, 2015
About a 3 minute read

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 val... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Zero Waste Europe: EPR Needs Redesigning to Facilitate Circular Economy
Zero Waste Europe: EPR Needs Redesigning to Facilitate Circular Economy
Published on October 21, 2015
About a 2 minute read

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 ci... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Water for Life Launches Campaign to Bring Sustainable Water Filters to Developing Countries
Water for Life Launches Campaign to Bring Sustainable Water Filters to Developing Countries
Published on October 21, 2015
About a 3 minute read

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 chil... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Ford, P&G Looking to Gecko for Adhesive Innovations
Ford, P&G Looking to Gecko for Adhesive Innovations
Published on October 21, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Researchers from both companies are looking to biomimicry in hopes of improving adhesives and increasing the recyclability of auto parts. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Startup Exploring Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity for Coal Ash
Startup Exploring Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity for Coal Ash
Published on October 20, 2015
About a 2 minute read

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-f... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Trending: UK Grocers Turning Waste into Packaging
Trending: UK Grocers Turning Waste into Packaging
Published on October 15, 2015
About a 3 minute read

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 p... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Sweden’s Forest Economy
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Sweden’s Forest Economy
Published on October 7, 2015
About a 7 minute read

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 ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Berkeley Researchers Developing Artificial Leaves to Produce Carbon-Neutral Fuel
Berkeley Researchers Developing Artificial Leaves to Produce Carbon-Neutral Fuel
Published on October 6, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Researchers at UC Berkeley have created a synthetic leaf that uses water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to make liquid fuels such as methane, butane and acetate — and releases oxygen into the air, The Los Angeles Times reports.Lead researcher on the ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Target Expands Sustainable Product Index to Include 1,000+ Toxic Chemicals
Target Expands Sustainable Product Index to Include 1,000+ Toxic Chemicals
Published on September 30, 2015
About a 4 minute read

Target has improved its sustainable product standard by beginning to test category-specific criteria and consider more toxic chemicals. The retailer’s Sustainable Product Index evaluates products based on a points system and the highest-scoring opt... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Sealed Air Releases 2020 Goals for Its Own Sustainability, Reimagining Customer Solutions for Same
Sealed Air Releases 2020 Goals for Its Own Sustainability, Reimagining Customer Solutions for Same
Published on September 28, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Today, Sealed Air, the packaging solutions company that brought you Bubble Wrap®, released its latest sustainability report. The report outlines new goals for 2020, including reducing operations intensity by 25 percent. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Keurig’s K-Cups Inch Closer to Being 100% Recyclable
Keurig’s K-Cups Inch Closer to Being 100% Recyclable
Published on September 22, 2015
About a 4 minute read

Keurig Green Mountain Inc. is making progress towards its goal of making all K-Cups recyclable by 2020. Following successful recycling research trials, the company has unveiled plans to transition the entire product line to polypropylene, according t... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Consumers Want Environmental Info on Product Labels: Why Now Is the Time to Act
Consumers Want Environmental Info on Product Labels: Why Now Is the Time to Act
Published on September 21, 2015
About a 5 minute read

Package labels that clearly detail food product ingredients have become the norm, thanks in large part to demand from consumers who want to be able to make informed decisions about their purchases. But what about other information related to sustaina... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Vegan, Non-Allergenic and GMO-Free, Algae Could Be Our New Sustainable Superfood
Vegan, Non-Allergenic and GMO-Free, Algae Could Be Our New Sustainable Superfood
Published on September 15, 2015
About a 3 minute read

As the alternative protein market continues to grow and companies explore the viability of more sustainable sources such as heat-resistant beans and even crickets, microalgae has emerged as another nutritionally rich contender. Solazyme, California-b... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Mars, Researchers Reveal Benefits of Cocoa Flavanols, But Not Good News for Chocolate Lovers
Mars, Researchers Reveal Benefits of Cocoa Flavanols, But Not Good News for Chocolate Lovers
Published on September 11, 2015
About a 3 minute read

The University of Dusseldorf, the University of Reading and Mars, Incorporated have unveiled two new studies revealing that cocoa flavanols can help to keep our hearts healthy. Cocoa flavanols are nutrients found naturally in the cocoa bean.The resea... View More

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