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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
3 Material Innovators Using Algae to Paint Greener Picture for Fashion
Living Ink, Algaeing and Mounid are changing the game with carbon-negative, fast-to-produce alternatives to carcinogenic, petroleum-based inks, dyes and textiles. ... View More
McKinsey: Circular Economy for Cement Could Be Worth €110B by 2050
The concrete industry is responsible for 8% of all global carbon emissions; and 30-40% of today’s solid waste is created through the construction and maintenance of the built environment. ... View More
Red Carpet Fashion Needs to Be Green
Imagine if, the day after the Oscars, discussion of the best (and worst!) dressed attendees focused as much on the sustainability characteristics of their choices as on how they looked. ... View More
Truly Closing the Loop: The ‘Recyclable’ vs ‘Circular’ Distinction
The term 'recycling' has become ubiquitous in our daily lives, but the nuances between ‘recyclable’ and ‘circular’ are often misunderstood. Understanding the distinction between the two is crucial in achieving a sustainable future. ... View More
Apparel Brands Drive Circular Fashion Future with Recyclable, Renewable Fabrics
Pangaia and Filippa K are the latest to unveil collaborations with circular textile innovators — fueling progress toward closing the loop on fabric waste. ... View More
Algae May Be a ‘Brilliant’ Solution for Capturing Carbon at Gigaton Scale
By controlling and replicating natural processes, Brilliant Planet’s technology can permanently sequester CO2 from the air while also deacidifying the ocean. ... View More
Store Shelves of the Future: Packaging for a Circular Economy
We recently gathered leaders from McKinsey, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive to ponder what consumer products and their packaging will look like in 2035 and beyond. ... View More
Alaska’s Move to Eliminate Inflight Plastic Reveals Issues Within US Recycling Infrastructure
The airline quickly hit a roadblock in the unrecyclability of paper cups with an integrated plastic lining necessary for beverage service. ... View More
