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

Article
Could This Circular Textile Put Conventional Leather Out to Pasture?

Modern Meadow’s Bio-VERA™ is a high-performance, upcycled alternative to traditional bovine leather with significantly lower environmental and supply chain impacts. ... View More

Article
What Plastic Pollution? These Companies Are Making Packaging Disappear

As innovators such as Notpla and B’ZEOS continue to prove, the potential uses for seaweed — including as plastic alternatives that are truly compostable and biodegradable — are endless. ... View More

Article
Global Fashion Houses, NGOs Call on Industry to Commit to Deforestation-Free Leather

The Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather calls on brands and retailers to ensure sourcing of bovine leather from deforestation-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier. ... View More

Article
These Fermented Oils Could Be a Game-Changer for Human, Planetary Health

Along with being sub-optimal for human health, many conventional cooking oils contribute to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and soil and water pollution. Fermented oils could save both the environment and our diets. ... View More

Article
Closed-Loop, Reusable Distribution System Saves Spirits Producers Costs, Emissions, Materials

EcoSPIRITS’ EcoTOTE system replaces traditional, 1.75-liter liquor bottles with reusable glass containers that reduce emissions by 60-90% while maintaining product quality. ... View More

Article
Next-Generation Beauty: How Nature-Inspired Biotech Is Evolving Ethical Skincare

Modern Meadow’s Bio-Coll@gen offers a solution to a long-standing cosmetic and skincare challenge: finding a safe, sustainable and scalable replacement for animal-derived collagen. ... View More

Article
Cornell Researchers Upcycling Polyester Textile Waste into Functional Coatings

A new method chemically breaks down old fabric and reuses polyester compounds to create fire-resistant, anti-bacterial or wrinkle-free coatings that can then be applied to new clothes and fabrics. ... View More

Article
Champagne Telmont Raises a Glass to World’s Lightest Champagne Bottle

The bottle, 35 grams lighter than the commercial standard, could represent a significant decrease in the carbon footprint of Champagne bottling. ... View More

Article
One Company May Just Solve Some of Our Most Material Issues

Bio-design tech company Modern Meadow develops circular and regenerative approaches to creating a wide range of versatile materials, with no loss of performance or quality, that can be quickly scaled and brought to market. ... View More

Article
How eCommerce Retailers Can Satisfy Today’s Sustainability-Demanding Shoppers

Gen Z shoppers are more informed about what sustainability should look like in practice — but whether they know it or not, their shopping habits don’t always reflect that. Either way, retailers are striving to keep up sustainably. ... View More

Article
Apparel Giants Bringing Future-Friendly Fabrics to the Mainstream

The apparel industry is awash in launches of circular, plant-based and carbon-sequestering fabrics set to help future-proof fashion. ... View More

Article
PFAS-Removal Solutions for Consumer Products Show Promise But Remain Costly

In light of new EPA guidance and increased consumer awareness, remediation strategies for the so-called ‘forever chemicals’ are coming under increased scrutiny. ... View More

Article
As Forests React to Climate Change, Can Genetically Modified Trees Stand in the Gap?

In the lab, Living Carbon’s GM poplars accumulated biomass up to 53% faster, trapping as much as 27% more carbon than non-engineered poplars. But skeptics aren’t convinced they’re seeing the forest for the trees. ... View More

Article
Trending: Retailers Embrace Reuse, Credits in Ongoing Fight Against Plastic Waste

rePurpose Global helps Thrive Market achieve plastic neutrality for its own-brand products, while The Body Shop expands its refillable offerings in the US. ... View More

Article
How to Select Sustainable Textiles for the Built Environment

Acknowledging that many textile manufacturers are vague about their products, with little to no proof of sustainability or misrepresenting their claims, can be disheartening. But there are a few key ways to identify a greenwashed product. ... View More

Article
ChemSec Approaches Complex Chemistry Discussions with Collaboration and Humor

ChemSec works to eliminate toxic chemicals in products by engaging with companies and policymakers across cultures, industries and governments; ED Anne-Sofie Bäckar says trust, transparency — and sometimes, keeping things light — are key. ... View More

Article
Allbirds Reveals World’s First Zero-Carbon Shoe

Made from a number of carbon-negative materials, M0.0NSHOT could be a giant leap for the shoe industry; Allbirds is open-sourcing the toolkit used to create the shoe and inviting others to follow in its footsteps. ... View More

Article
Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize Winners Offer Viable, Marine-Safe Solutions to Thin-Film Waste

The three winners are sourcing and scaling biobased and degradable alternatives to traditional, thin-film plastic made from fossil fuels. ... View More

Article
Crate Uplevels Sustainable Packaging with World’s First Label-Less Wines

Crate aims to shake up the industry — where most of the sustainability discussion is about the impact of plastic in packaging, but little acknowledgement that paper labels are also part of the problem. ... View More

Article
New Guide Details Tangible Solutions for Retailers to Move ‘Beyond the Bag’

Playbook highlights solutions from the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag that drive near-term, positive environmental impact and cost savings from eliminating single-use plastic bags. ... View More

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