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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How Research & Insights Help Brands Meet Consumer Desire for More Sustainable Products

Assessing how products resonate with consumers and using those insights to refine them is a critical part of product development — and just one way that strategic insights add value for brands. ... View More

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Digitization, Data Driving the Quest to Decarbonize Building Materials

Shaw’s Kellie Ballew spoke with Stacy Smedley, executive director of Building Transparency, about the organization’s role in decarbonizing the construction industry. ... View More

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The 5 Biggest Packaging Trends Impacting Sustainability in 2024

Improved automation is a major driver behind several of the biggest trends that will impact packaging sustainability in 2024. ... View More

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Under Armour’s Breakthrough Fiber-Shed Test Method Now Available to Industry

The brand is sharing its solution with the apparel industry and suppliers, and developing a reduced-shed version of its largest fleece offering. ... View More

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Molecular Recycling Could Be Crucial to Realizing a Circular Economy

We caught up with Eastman’s Plastics Division President, Scott Ballard, who explained the potential of molecular recycling as the company prepares to show the world what’s possible. ... View More

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Venerable Japanese Company Goes Circular with Versatile, Upcycled Textile

Meet NUNOUS — a brand-new, radically versatile material made from fabric waste — developed by fabric-dyeing giant Seishoku Co., Ltd. ... View More

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2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back: LEGO Is Latest Company to Disclose Sustainability Setback

The world’s largest toymaker acknowledged the issues it encountered in pursuit of a more sustainable alternative to its oil-based plastic bricks, illustrating the still-circuitous path to sustainable solutions. ... View More

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A Clean, Circular Materials Future Is No Longer a Fabrication

At SB’23 San Diego, three sets of innovators at the forefront of the materials and packaging space shared key insights into the biobased and circular solutions driving a sea change in the market. ... View More

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Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Accelerator Backing Seaweed to Replace Oil-Based Films

Convened by Lonely Whale, the program aims to accelerate scaling and market adoption of seaweed-based alternatives to thin-film plastics made from fossil fuels. ... View More

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6 Principles Driving Circular Innovation at Eastman

Learn about how we're transforming recycling to create a circular economy in this six-part series. ... View More

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These 3 Plant-Based Serviceware Brands Are Deliciously Diverting Plastic Waste

Loliware, Uuvipak and Twiice have created rapidly biodegradable (and even edible) bio-based products that completely upstage their petroleum-based, single-use plastic-polluting counterparts. ... View More

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bluesign Continues to Clean Up Fashion with Expansion into Denim, Footwear

Partnerships with brands including Madewell and Vibram will help adapt bluesign’s existing standards and guidelines for two untapped industries. ... View More

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Consumers Want More Sustainable Packaging But Struggle to Identify It

Retailers continue to refine what packaging they find acceptable to answer consumer demand for more sustainable solutions — and consumer goods companies must keep innovating to keep pace. ... View More

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New Insulating Paints Reduce Energy, Costs, Emissions, Discomfort in Extreme Temperatures

The paints, developed by Stanford researchers, can reduce the need for both heating and air conditioning in buildings, as well as refrigerated cargo spaces such as trains and trucks. ... View More

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Royal Society of Chemistry Task Force Aims to Make Liquid Polymers ‘Benign by Design’

The Sustainable Polymers in Liquid Formulation (PLFs) Task Force will collaborate to innovate throughout the value chain and across sectors including cosmetics, water treatments, lubricants and agricultural products. ... View More

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Beyond Bioplastics: Agricultural Waste Streams Becoming Next-Gen Packaging Materials

By upcycling agricultural waste, these three startups are replacing plastic with a new wave of packaging materials that ‘make no compromises along the supply chain.’ ... View More

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On the Importance of Made-to-Scale, Sustainable Chemicals for Products

Consumers deserve access to functional, sustainable and affordable products without having to sacrifice quality or their health. Scalable, bio-based chemicals hold tremendous promise in accomplishing these goals. ... View More

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Textile Additive Expedites Breakdown of Stubborn, Synthetic Fibers

Despite its potential to address microplastic pollution on a number of fronts, the makers of CiCLO stress they don’t want to enable more unnecessary plastic consumption justified by ‘biodegradability.’ ... View More

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Change the Product, Not Just the Packaging: A Crucial Step Towards a Sustainable Food Future

A growing industry solution to plastic packaging pollution is to create food products that are more stable and compatible with more minimal and sustainable packaging materials. ... View More

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Industry of All Nations’ Undyed Cotton Initiative Shows Proof of Concept for a More Natural End Product

The popularity of the company’s undyed apparel collection proves the business case and consumer demand for more consciously produced, less toxic clothing. ... View More

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