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
Walmart Implements Policy to Remove Harmful Chemicals from Consumer Products
Walmart Implements Policy to Remove Harmful Chemicals from Consumer Products
Published on March 4, 2014
About a 2 minute read

Walmart has informed dozens of product manufacturers throughout its supply chain that it is now implementing its new policy to phase out hazardous chemicals from its consumer products, announced late last year. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
LEGO Seeking Sustainable Alternative to Its Trademark Brick Material
LEGO Seeking Sustainable Alternative to Its Trademark Brick Material
Published on February 22, 2014
About a 2 minute read

LEGO told Plastics News this week that it is looking for a sustainable alternative to Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), the plastic resin used in its signature bricks, by 2030.LEGO’s senior project manager Allan Rasmussen told PN that, not onl... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Testing the 'CVS Effect' on Microbeads: Could L'Oréal & Unilever Be Bolder?
Testing the 'CVS Effect' on Microbeads: Could L'Oréal & Unilever Be Bolder?
Published on February 20, 2014
About a 3 minute read

Recent commitments from L'Oréal, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and P&G to phase microbeads out of their products by (or before) 2017 is laudable and a good step forward. This news responds to scientific research linking the tiny, polystyrene b... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
EU Initiative Developing Plastic Packaging Made from Wastewater
EU Initiative Developing Plastic Packaging Made from Wastewater
Published on February 20, 2014
About a 3 minute read

An EU-funded program is developing a method for making plastic packaging from the fermented wastewater of processed juice, which could save the beverage industry millions while tapping into growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products.Through th... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Sustainable Packaging Market to Hit $244 Billion by 2018
Sustainable Packaging Market to Hit $244 Billion by 2018
Published on February 19, 2014
About a 3 minute read

Consumer demand, government legislation and technology advances will propel sustainable packaging to a $244 billion market by 2018, according to a new report by Smithers Para.The Future of Sustainable Packaging to 2018 details market sizes, projectio... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Beer Store Recycles More Packaging Than It Sells, Saves Ontarians $40M
Beer Store Recycles More Packaging Than It Sells, Saves Ontarians $40M
Published on February 3, 2014
About a 4 minute read

The Beer Store, a privately owned chain of retail outlets selling beer and other malt beverages across Ontario, Canada has announced that it has saved the province $40 million in the last year, thanks to its bottle recycling system and the cooperatio... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
American Cleaning Institute Rolls Out Sustainable Products Initiative
American Cleaning Institute Rolls Out Sustainable Products Initiative
Published on January 31, 2014
About a 3 minute read

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), the nonprofit trade association representing over 120 companies in the US cleaning products industry — including BASF, Clorox, Dow, Novozymes, Method, Seventh Generation, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever, to nam... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
P&G Removing Phosphates from All Detergents by End of 2015
P&G Removing Phosphates from All Detergents by End of 2015
Published on January 31, 2014
About a 2 minute read

Procter & Gamble announced this week that it will eliminate phosphates from all of its laundry detergents — which include brands such as Tide, Ariel, Cheer, Gain, Ace and Bold — by the end of 2015. The company says the goal of the change is t... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Chemicals in Consumer Products: New Progress in Transparency
Chemicals in Consumer Products: New Progress in Transparency
Published on January 31, 2014
About a 5 minute read

The states of Washington and California are breaking new ground by providing consumers with information on potentially harmful chemicals in the products they buy and use on a daily basis. Washington’s focus is on products meant for children; Califo... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Carlsberg Partners With Suppliers to Embrace Packaging Upcycling
Carlsberg Partners With Suppliers to Embrace Packaging Upcycling
Published on January 23, 2014
About a 3 minute read

Carlsberg has joined with a group of global suppliers to develop the next generation of packaging products that are optimized for recycling and reuse, otherwise known as “upcycling.”The term, popularized by William McDonough & Michael Braunga... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Nike, PUMA in Talks with Chemist Revolutionizing Bio-Based Materials
Nike, PUMA in Talks with Chemist Revolutionizing Bio-Based Materials
Published on January 22, 2014
About a 2 minute read

University of Delaware professor Dr. Richard Wool is setting about revolutionizing bio-based materials for a wide variety of applications. The professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering — who is also director of UD’s Affordable Composites... View More

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Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
Blue Sun First to Commercialize Enzymatic Biodiesel Process at Scale
Blue Sun First to Commercialize Enzymatic Biodiesel Process at Scale
Published on January 19, 2014
About a 2 minute read

Blue Sun Energy, a transportation fuel technology commercialization company, has implemented its enzymatic biodiesel processing technology at its 30 million gallon per year biodiesel production facility in St. Joseph, Missouri, making it the most adv... View More

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Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
Awards Honoring Innovations in Bio-Based Fuels, Products Now Accepting Nominations
Awards Honoring Innovations in Bio-Based Fuels, Products Now Accepting Nominations
Published on January 14, 2014
About a 2 minute read

Now in their fifth year, the Sustainable Bio Awards recognize the range of innovations taking place in the development of truly sustainable bio-based fuels and products. From biofuels and feedstocks to face cream and finance, this year’s awards wil... View More

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Collaboration & Co-CreationCollaboration & Co-CreationMaterials & Packaging
Nestlé Partners with Stem Cell Tech Company to Study Link Between Nutrition and Disease
Nestlé Partners with Stem Cell Tech Company to Study Link Between Nutrition and Disease
Published on January 11, 2014
About a 2 minute read

The Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) has signed a long-term research agreement with Wisconsin-based Cellular Dynamics International (CDI), a leading developer of stem cell technologies for in vitro drug development, stem cell banking and i... View More

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Materials & PackagingInnovation & Technology
Not Magic, Science: Startup Creating Plastic Out of Thin Air
Not Magic, Science: Startup Creating Plastic Out of Thin Air
Published on January 4, 2014
About a 2 minute read

We’re hearing more and more often about inventive new ways companies are turning waste into valuable resources — from turning everything from CO2 and methane gases to human and food waste into fuels, and plastic into bacteria-battling “ ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
IBM's Plastic 'Ninja Polymers' Could Be MRSA Bacteria's First Worthy Opponents
IBM's Plastic 'Ninja Polymers' Could Be MRSA Bacteria's First Worthy Opponents
Published on January 3, 2014
About a 3 minute read

A team of research scientists at IBM and Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have drawn upon years of expertise in semiconductor technology and material discovery to crack the code for safely destroying the antibiotic-r... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Natura Asks: Why Do You Need What You Don't Need?
Natura Asks: Why Do You Need What You Don't Need?
Published on December 31, 2013
About a 4 minute read

In December 2011, Patagonia called on US consumers to make more considered purchases with its famous “Don’t buy this jacket” ad and this year encouraged customers to value what they already have with its “Worn Wear” campaign. Along the same... View More

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Materials & Packaging
I'm Dreaming of a Toxin-Free Christmas
I'm Dreaming of a Toxin-Free Christmas
Published on December 24, 2013
About a 3 minute read

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are scrambling to make last-minute purchases for friends and family. As items cross the check-out counter, products enter our lives carrying with them a chemical footprint that is often overlooked. While... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra, NL Industries Fined $1.1 Billion in 1990 Lead-Paint Poison Case
Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra, NL Industries Fined $1.1 Billion in 1990 Lead-Paint Poison Case
Published on December 23, 2013
About a 2 minute read

Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries and ConAgra Foods have been found liable for removing lead-based paint from the interiors of thousands of homes throughout California to the tune of $1.1 billion, thanks to a ruling by Santa Clara County Superior Court... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
EPA Releases Screening Data on 1,800 Chemicals, Announces ToxCast Data Challenges
EPA Releases Screening Data on 1,800 Chemicals, Announces ToxCast Data Challenges
Published on December 23, 2013
About a 2 minute read

“EPA’s use of cost-effective advanced chemical screening techniques has transformed this country’s knowledge of the safety of almost 2,000 chemicals currently in use,” said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Rese... View More

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