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
Can Products Be Convenient Without Being Wasteful?
Can Products Be Convenient Without Being Wasteful?
Published on March 17, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Selling a product in today’s world is not just about quality and price point anymore. Packaging has become a key factor in the way companies sell products, and specifically, how (if at all) they are making packaging more sustainable. What companies... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
#BusinessCase: Employee Innovations Help ConAgra Save 97M Gallons of Water, 15M Pounds of Packaging - and $70M
#BusinessCase: Employee Innovations Help ConAgra Save 97M Gallons of Water, 15M Pounds of Packaging - and $70M
Published on March 12, 2015
About a 3 minute read

A growing number of companies large and small are finding they can save substantial amounts of money by optimizing various aspects of their operations, thereby proving the previously elusive business case for sustainability. The latest example: ConAg... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Global Stewardship Required to Avoid Silent Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall
Global Stewardship Required to Avoid Silent Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall
Published on March 10, 2015
About a 5 minute read

It’s been 53 years since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, a shocking exposé of chemical pollutants and their impact on the Earth's ecosystems. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
BASF’s Creator Space Hosting Symposium on Smart Energy for a Sustainable Future
BASF’s Creator Space Hosting Symposium on Smart Energy for a Sustainable Future
Published on March 10, 2015
About a 2 minute read

At the first of three science symposia hosted by BASF in honor of its 150th anniversary, to be held this week in Ludwigshafen, Germany, more than 600 top ranking scientists from academia and business will discuss “Smart Energy for a Sustainable Fut... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Dunkin’ Donuts No Longer Dunked in Chemicals
Dunkin’ Donuts No Longer Dunked in Chemicals
Published on March 6, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Dunkin’ Brands, Dunkin’ Donuts’ parent company, has agreed to remove titanium dioxide, a whitening agent that is a common source of nanomaterials, from all powdered sugar used to make the company’s donuts. As a result of this progress, the ad... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Waste2Watergy Helping Beverage Companies Brew Power from Wastewater
Waste2Watergy Helping Beverage Companies Brew Power from Wastewater
Published on February 27, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Waste2Watergy, a Corvallis startup formed at Oregon State University, has secured a $225,000 federal grant to advance technology that cleans organics from brewery wastewater while producing electricity. The company says the technology could revolutio... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
New Packaging Concepts Could Cut Food Waste
New Packaging Concepts Could Cut Food Waste
Published on February 27, 2015
About a 2 minute read

UK recycled packaging manufacturer Spectra unveiled a number of new concepts emphasizing closure technology this week at an industry event in Birmingham.One of the new closure concepts is a two-piece cap that features an inner screw mechanism, which ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Domtar Encouraging Customers to Ask Themselves: Where Does My Paper Come From?
Domtar Encouraging Customers to Ask Themselves: Where Does My Paper Come From?
Published on February 25, 2015
About a 1 minute read

This month, responsible paper company Domtar launched Paper Made Here — a new program that encourages its stakeholders to ask themselves: “Where does my paper come from?”The Paper Made Here program demonstrates why buying North American paper i... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
adidas Group Exceeds 2014 Better Cotton Target
adidas Group Exceeds 2014 Better Cotton Target
Published on February 24, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Today, the adidas Group announced that in 2014, it sourced more than 30 percent of all of its cotton as Better Cotton, exceeding the originally planned 25 percent target. This marks the sportswear giant’s highest volume of sustainable cotton use to... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Multi-Sector Gathering Calls for Harmonized Framework for Shifting to Sustainable Product Portfolios
Multi-Sector Gathering Calls for Harmonized Framework for Shifting to Sustainable Product Portfolios
Published on February 6, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Last week, Sustainable Brands participated in and helped support an important meeting in Berlin, hosted by BASF, entitled "Steering a Portfolio Toward Sustainability." A gathering of almost 150 chemistry industry stakeholders — including ... View More

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Materials & Packaging
Closing the Loop on Recycling: Unilever, P&G Aim to Give Communities Greater Access to Recycling Programs
Closing the Loop on Recycling: Unilever, P&G Aim to Give Communities Greater Access to Recycling Programs
Published on February 6, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Regardless of where we live, we’re neighbors — sharing this grand global space, and thus all of its sustainability challenges and opportunities.Therefore, we believe we also share in the responsibility to develop solutions, and to work togeth... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Plastic Permanence: Our Litter Is Now Part of the Geologic Record
Plastic Permanence: Our Litter Is Now Part of the Geologic Record
Published on February 4, 2015
About a 4 minute read

From a human perspective, the earth’s geography changes pretty slowly — it takes thousands of years for a glacier to carve out a valley, for plate tectonics to form mountains and for volcanic eruptions to layer new land masses. But a recent disco... View More

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Materials & Packaging
Report Highlights CPG, Food Companies Leading and Lagging on Better Packaging
Report Highlights CPG, Food Companies Leading and Lagging on Better Packaging
Published on February 3, 2015
About a 4 minute read

Shareholder advocacy group As You Sow and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have issued a new report examining packaging used by 47 fast food/quick service restaurant (QSR) chains, beverage companies, and consumer good/grocery companies an... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Carlsberg Working to Develop Biodegradable Wood Fiber Bottle
Carlsberg Working to Develop Biodegradable Wood Fiber Bottle
Published on January 28, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Beer giant Carlsberg last week announced its plans to develop the world’s first fully biodegradable wood-fiber bottle.After its participation on a panel on “Wasteless Supply” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carlsberg launched its three-ye... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Millennials Up Pressure on Brands for Sustainable Packaging
Millennials Up Pressure on Brands for Sustainable Packaging
Published on January 26, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Millennials have higher expectations for sustainable product packaging than their older counterparts, according to a new study by Finnish packaging solutions company Stora Enso.Millennials, defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, are the focus o... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Why Durable Bioplastics, Not Biodegradable, May Be the Answer
Why Durable Bioplastics, Not Biodegradable, May Be the Answer
Published on January 20, 2015
About a 3 minute read

To conclude this series about bioplastics and the biodegradability (or lack thereof) of plastic products and packaging, I want to discuss the future of what I consider to be one of the only viable alternatives to plastics derived from non-renewable r... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
L’Oréal, Avery Dennison Collaborating to Reduce Environmental Impact of Labels
L’Oréal, Avery Dennison Collaborating to Reduce Environmental Impact of Labels
Published on January 19, 2015
About a 2 minute read

L’Oréal Americas and Avery Dennison have joined forces to identify and reduce the environmental impacts of packaging labels throughout the entire label lifecycle.The collaboration has already produced a comprehensive Avery Dennison Greenprint™ a... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Pesticide Industry Resists Calls to Reveal Inert Ingredients
Pesticide Industry Resists Calls to Reveal Inert Ingredients
Published on January 15, 2015
About a 4 minute read

Pesticide manufacturers are pushing back against increasing consumer and environmental advocacy group demands for disclosure of the chemicals in pesticide formulations—claiming the information is proprietary.Of particular interest are the so-called... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Honeywell Scales Up Production of Low-GHG Propellant, Insulating Agent and Refrigerant
Honeywell Scales Up Production of Low-GHG Propellant, Insulating Agent and Refrigerant
Published on January 14, 2015
About a 2 minute read

Honeywell has announced that it has started full-scale commercial production of a low-global-warming-potential (GWP) material used as an aerosol propellant, insulating agent and refrigerant.The diversified technology and manufacturing company says th... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
The Myth of Biodegradability in Plastic Consumer Products and Packaging
The Myth of Biodegradability in Plastic Consumer Products and Packaging
Published on January 13, 2015
About a 4 minute read

In my last post regarding the long-term viability of bio-based polymers, I touched on some of the primary concerns we face regarding the rise of plastics labeled as “biodegradable.” It’s an important component of this broad discussion, and one ... View More

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