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
California Adopts Groundbreaking Safer Consumer Product Regulations
California Adopts Groundbreaking Safer Consumer Product Regulations
Published on September 10, 2013
About a 2 minute read

California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) now has significantly expanded oversight regarding chemicals used in products involved in the state’s commerce stream, following the adoption of the Safer Consumer Product (SCP) Regulatio... View More

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Materials & PackagingInnovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
WikiPearl Promises an Edible Packaging Revolution
WikiPearl Promises an Edible Packaging Revolution
Published on September 9, 2013
About a 5 minute read

Consumer demand for foods convenient and fast has led to a surge in packaging waste across the globe. The use and disposal of plastic in particular has spiked, and despite increased corporate and municipal recycling programs, far too much plastic sti... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Cascadian Farm Launches First Bio-Based Cereal Box Liner
Cascadian Farm Launches First Bio-Based Cereal Box Liner
Published on September 6, 2013
About a 2 minute read

Cascadian Farm, makers of more than 75 organic products, yesterday announced that it has introduced its first-ever cereal box liner made from renewable plant sources.The company says its Cinnamon Crunch cereal is now packaged in an inner bag made fro... View More

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Materials & PackagingInnovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
This Tiny Patch Could Be a Game Changer for Global Health
This Tiny Patch Could Be a Game Changer for Global Health
Published on September 4, 2013
About a 3 minute read

Kite Patch is the latest breakthrough technology in the global fight against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. A non-toxic adhesive patch that makes you virtually invisible to mosquitos, Kite brings a scalable solution to protect the world�... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Biotech Companies Launch Campaign to Combat Anti-GMO Movement
Biotech Companies Launch Campaign to Combat Anti-GMO Movement
Published on August 8, 2013
About a 3 minute read

This week, a group of biotech seed companies including Monsanto, Dow and DuPont launched a website to combat mounting opposition to genetically modified foods among consumer groups and activists, according to Reuters. ... View More

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Circular EconomyMaterials & Packaging
Canadian Coffee Company Releases Guilt-Free Single-Serve Coffee Pods
Canadian Coffee Company Releases Guilt-Free Single-Serve Coffee Pods
Published on July 31, 2013
About a 3 minute read

A Canadian coffee company says it has developed a more environmentally friendly alternative to the ever-popular, single-serve K-Cup pods, made a household name in recent years by the ubiquitous Keurig home coffeemakers. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Dow Unveils Ozone-Based Solution for Safe Sanitation of Food and Beverage Processing Environments
Dow Unveils Ozone-Based Solution for Safe Sanitation of Food and Beverage Processing Environments
Published on July 29, 2013
About a 2 minute read

Dow Microbial Control, a unit of The Dow Chemical Company, today introduced its Advanced Oxidation System (AOS) Certified technology for whole-room sanitization, which will provide food and beverage producers with an effective, chemical-free system f... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Tom's of Maine Experimenting with Potato Starch Packaging
Tom's of Maine Experimenting with Potato Starch Packaging
Published on July 20, 2013
About a 2 minute read

This post first appeared on Earth911.com on July 10, 2013.Already topping lists of the nation’s most sustainable companies, Tom’s of Maine is looking to reduce end-of-life waste from its products even more by experimenting with biodegradable pack... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Oshenite®: The Marine Mineral That Could Revolutionize Plastic Packaging
Oshenite®: The Marine Mineral That Could Revolutionize Plastic Packaging
Published on July 2, 2013
About a 3 minute read

Oshenite®, a bioplastic additive produced from a renewable marine mineral called oolitic aragonite, allows environmentally conscience brand owners and manufacturers to produce or use plastic packaging with reduced amounts of fossil fuel-based resins... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
New Novozymes Technology Boosts Biofuels Productivity
New Novozymes Technology Boosts Biofuels Productivity
Published on July 2, 2013
About a 4 minute read

Whether one believes corn-based ethanol is a viable long-term solution for the United States’ energy portfolio or not, the reality is that 280 plants across the country will continue to produce biofuels. And with the constant argument over the rise... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
New Green Chemistry Commitment Promises to Change the Chemical Industry and Chemistry Education
New Green Chemistry Commitment Promises to Change the Chemical Industry and Chemistry Education
Published on June 17, 2013
About a 2 minute read

Twelve colleges and universities have joined Dow Chemical and other chemical industry leaders in signing the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC). This is the first nationally organized effort to link higher education and the chemical industry to effect ... View More

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Materials & Packaging
Nike, Levi Strauss Publish Updated Hazardous Chemical Plan
Nike, Levi Strauss Publish Updated Hazardous Chemical Plan
Published on June 14, 2013
About a 3 minute read

Nike, Levi Strauss, H&M and several other members of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group have committed to publishing a list of chemicals targeted for phase out or research by 2015 as part of a plan to eliminate hazardous chemicals fr... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Coca-Cola's PlantBottle Rollout Signals Brands Taking Sustainability in China Seriously
Coca-Cola's PlantBottle Rollout Signals Brands Taking Sustainability in China Seriously
Published on June 13, 2013
About a 4 minute read

When Coca-Cola first rolled out its PlantBottle in fall 2009 in Copenhagen, the beverage giant sent a signal to the entire food and beverage industry that it had had to take sustainable packaging more seriously. Additional companies, including Heinz,... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Are We at the Dawn of a Refill Revolution?
Are We at the Dawn of a Refill Revolution?
Published on June 12, 2013
About a 4 minute read

Over the past 10 years we’ve seen a recurring ambition from clients — wanting to ‘do a Nespresso.’ This is because it’s a refill system that premiumised their brand, redefined their category, elevated user experience, drove consumption and ... View More

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Circular EconomyCircular EconomyMaterials & Packaging
New McDonough-Waste Management Collaborative Focuses on Product and Packaging Innovation [Video]
New McDonough-Waste Management Collaborative Focuses on Product and Packaging Innovation [Video]
Published on June 5, 2013
About a 3 minute read

During his plenary presentation last night at the SB '13 conference, designer, author and sustainability thought leader William McDonough announced a new partnership between McDonough Innovation and Waste Management, Inc — North America's largest e... View More

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Materials & PackagingInnovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
Blue Box Cleaning Up Equipment, Bottom Lines for the Industrial Sector
Blue Box Cleaning Up Equipment, Bottom Lines for the Industrial Sector
Published on May 28, 2013
About a 7 minute read

In the final week leading up to the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) finals presented by Target on June 5th, where the runner-up will be decided via live online public vote, we will feature daily articles introducing our semi-finalists. Toda... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
PulpWorks Set To Revolutionize Blister Packaging, Rid the World of PVC
PulpWorks Set To Revolutionize Blister Packaging, Rid the World of PVC
Published on May 28, 2013
About a 1 minute read

PulpWorks, based in San Rafael, CA, designs and manufactures sustainable packaging, molded from 100% post-consumer waste paper, for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. The company has created a compostable and biodegradable alternative to tox... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
How Plastics Packaging Can Exemplify Sustainability
How Plastics Packaging Can Exemplify Sustainability
Published on May 23, 2013
About a 5 minute read

The rapid adoption of plastics in innumerable applications over the years stems from their overall benefits versus other materials; in particular, their reliability, ease of manufacturing, lighter weight and affordability. ... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Sustainable Packaging Innovation Case Study: Pfeiffer Lab Wine Packaging
Sustainable Packaging Innovation Case Study: Pfeiffer Lab Wine Packaging
Published on May 22, 2013
About a 4 minute read

Today there are three ways to ship wine in the mail: cardboard, molded pulp or expanded polystyrene (EPS). Pfeiffer Lab, a Bay Area design firm, has been working on a design strategy project to re-envision wine packaging using new bio-based materials... View More

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Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Crowdsourcing a Sustainable Packaging Strategy: Learning from Unilever's Sustainable Living Lab
Crowdsourcing a Sustainable Packaging Strategy: Learning from Unilever's Sustainable Living Lab
Published on May 21, 2013
About a 5 minute read

Companies crowdsourcing their sustainability strategies is a growing trend, and I was lucky enough to experience this first-hand last month, through a Unilever Sustainable Living Lab session, as a guest speaker discussing sustainable packaging design... View More

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