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
Plastic is the boon and bane of our times. While its uses are numerous and at times, even critical, its waste and the resultant pollution clogs up our rivers and oceans and pollutes our lands. But recent advancements in packaging offer hope. ... View More
Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) has released its 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, highlighting progress toward its 2015 goals. Of note are the fact that the beverage giant exceeded two of its environmental sustainability goals: conserving 6... View More
Scientists at City University, Hong Kong have developed a treatment for cashmere that enables it to self-clean with some help from the sun.The technology coats cashmere fibers with tiny particles of the mineral anatase titanium dioxide. When exposed ... View More
NASA research shows Earth's atmosphere contains an unexpectedly large amount of an ozone-depleting compound from an unknown source decades after the compound was banned worldwide.Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), which was once used in applications such a... View More
A team of South Korean scientists has converted cigarette butts into a valuable material that they say could be used as an energy storage device in computers, electrical vehicles, wind turbines and various handheld devices.As reported by the Institut... View More
BASF has developed a versatile, high-performance polyamide called Ultramid®, which is derived from renewable raw materials — the company says it replaces up to 100 percent of the fossil-based resources used at the beginning of the integrated produ... View More
The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN) has published a new brochure called Reducing Fresh Food Waste: The Role of Packaging.The free brochure explains that Americans throw away 36 million tons of food each year, worth $16... View More
Thanks to the company’s new coatings technology EvCote™ Water Barrier 3000 — made from plant-based oils and recycled PET bottles — companies and consumers can now select a more sustainable cup in which to serve cold drinks. The company says t... View More
A group of scientists at the University of Birmingham is calling for soft furnishings to be discarded with the same caution as electronics. Waste from soft furnishings such as curtains, cushions and sofas contain brominated flame retardants (BFRs), w... View More
A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that the use of new nanomaterials in tire production could help further the sustainability of the industry and reduce the environmental impact of vehicles, provi... View More
Sustainable chemical technology company Genomatica, which develops manufacturing processes using alternative feedstocks that enable its licensee partners to produce the world’s most widely-used chemicals a ‘better way,’ announced this morning t... View More
Solazyme, Inc, a pioneer in renewable oils and bioproducts, and AkzoNobel, a global producer of paint, coatings and specialty chemicals, announced today they have expanded their previous agreement for the joint development of Tailored™ algal oils. ... View More
As the demand to reduce carbon-based raw materials intensifies, companies are not only looking at how they can reduce their consumption, but also at how they can find appropriate replacements for fossil fuel-based raw materials.To meet this challenge... View More
Carbios, a French green chemistry company specializing in technologies enabling the recovery of plastic waste and the production of bio-polymers, has announced a significant step forward in the development of its controlled biodegradation process for... View More
UK specialty paper and advanced materials manufacturer James Cropper PLC — which has developed breakthrough processes for recycling cocoa husk waste into paper and for recycling both the paper and plastic components of disposable coffee cups — ha... View More
A research team at AlgaStar Inc, a Florida-based algae cultivation company, has reported that biological simulation has yielded a 300 percent increase in algae growth rate over normal conditions. Based on findings presented by AlgaStar CEO John Erics... View More
In its fifth annual Corporate Citizenship Report, released this week, biotech company Biogen Idec puts forward an aggressive set of 2020 goals, including reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 80 percent (compared to its 2006 baseli... View More
Tetra Pak has launched a campaign to raise industry awareness of the importance of the front end of the packaging life cycle — the sourcing of renewable materials — and is calling on the consumer goods industry to commit to prioritizing renewabil... View More
Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer (M&S) are leading a consortium of UK packaging, retail and recycling organizations to launch a market trial aimed at recycling as many as 1.3 billion plastic food trays each year.The campaign focuses on reducing ... View More
Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics has launched a campaign called Recycle Rally — A 30-Day Recycling Challenge, to inspire people to cultivate daily recycling behaviors. ... View More