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
Materials & PackagingMaterials & Packaging
Materials Science Breakthroughs & The Try, Try Again Model
Materials Science Breakthroughs & The Try, Try Again Model
Published on October 13, 2025
About a 5 minute read

If innovation had a lab soundtrack, it wouldn’t be a triumphant drumroll—it would be the quiet hum of “try again.” Dow’s research in food packaging and recycling technology reflects that rhythm: every experiment, win or lose, adds something... View More

Article
Collaboration & Co-CreationMaterials & Packaging
Sustainable Packaging’s Biggest Challenge? Human Nature
Sustainable Packaging’s Biggest Challenge? Human Nature
Published on September 11, 2025
About a 5 minute read

As EPR laws take hold and consumer expectations rise, the window for proactive collaboration is closing. Brands can put aside their fears around collaboration or risk falling behind. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingRegulation & Public Policy
EPR Helping Push Sustainable Packaging to a New Level
EPR Helping Push Sustainable Packaging to a New Level
Published on August 29, 2025
About a 4 minute read

EPR has already shown the potential to help us enter an era where sustainable packaging plans apply a new set of three Rs: refine, redesign and reimagine. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
Microbes, Milk & Potato Peels: The Future of Sustainable Plastics?
Microbes, Milk & Potato Peels: The Future of Sustainable Plastics?
Published on August 11, 2025
About a 9 minute read

In this Innovation Watch, five breakthroughs offering real-world options for brands banking on a sustainable future for plastics and packaging. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
Plastic Pollution Devastating Human Health, Costing Trillions
Plastic Pollution Devastating Human Health, Costing Trillions
Published on August 7, 2025
About a 5 minute read

As final global plastics treaty negotiations take place in Geneva, The Lancet elevates plastic pollution as a grave, global threat to human health. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
RePak Helping Retailers Ratchet Up Bottle-Recycling Efforts
RePak Helping Retailers Ratchet Up Bottle-Recycling Efforts
Published on July 18, 2025
About a 5 minute read

HydraPak has expanded a successful pilot that redirects harder-to-recycle plastics toward potential reuse, but reaching viable scale remains a work in progress. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
Why Recycled Plastic Won’t Solve the Packaging Pollution Problem
Why Recycled Plastic Won’t Solve the Packaging Pollution Problem
Published on April 11, 2025
About a 7 minute read

As brands roll back packaging pledges, recycled plastic is taking center stage — but at what cost? Here's why integrating alternative materials into supply chains makes the most business sense. ... View More

Article
Circular EconomyMaterials & Packaging
5 Best Practices to Discover EPR Cost Savings in Your Packaging Data
5 Best Practices to Discover EPR Cost Savings in Your Packaging Data
Published on April 4, 2025
About a 3 minute read

Businesses are required in certain states to collect and report packaging data — so if your company must gather packaging data anyway, why not use it to reduce packaging waste (and EPR fees!)? ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
The 5 Product Categories Best Suited for Reusable Packaging
The 5 Product Categories Best Suited for Reusable Packaging
Published on March 11, 2025
About a 4 minute read

New study from Closed Loop Partners and the US Plastics Pact identifies the top 5 consumer product categories poised for near-term reuse success in US retail. ... View More

Article
Circular EconomyCollaboration & Co-CreationMaterials & Packaging
First Citywide Reusable Cup Project Shows Viability of Reuse at Scale
First Citywide Reusable Cup Project Shows Viability of Reuse at Scale
Published on February 26, 2025
About a 3 minute read

In three months, the first citywide program in the US to offer a free reuse-and-return system for to-go cups produced environmental benefits when compared with a single-use alternative. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
US Voters Support Policies That Reduce Single-Use Plastics
US Voters Support Policies That Reduce Single-Use Plastics
Published on February 7, 2025
About a 4 minute read

Oceana releases new poll, calls on lawmakers to continue momentum behind solutions to problematic plastics. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingSupply ChainCircular Economy
Latin Innovators Unseating Conventional Leather with Circular, Biobased Alternatives
Latin Innovators Unseating Conventional Leather with Circular, Biobased Alternatives
Published on December 23, 2024
About a 8 minute read

Polybion and Mabe Bio are future-proofing leather production with local and circular strategies that utilize waste, boost local economies and empower rural communities. ... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingInnovation & Technology
Meet the Startup Remolding the Future of Fashion
Meet the Startup Remolding the Future of Fashion
Published on December 4, 2024
About a 7 minute read

Simplifyber is redesigning fashion production with a cellulose-based, liquid fiber that can be molded for a variety of applications, including shoe uppers — bypassing 60% of traditional manufacturing steps and significantly reducing waste, energy u... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
How Can Businesses Rethink Packaging to Support Circularity?
How Can Businesses Rethink Packaging to Support Circularity?
Published on November 11, 2024
About a 6 minute read

Prioritizing packaging made from recycled materials that can be recycled again simplifies sustainable choices for consumers. The easier the process, the more likely consumers are to participate — reducing the chances that packaging ends up as waste... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
BMW, Volkswagen Eyeing Plant-Based Future for Car Interiors
BMW, Volkswagen Eyeing Plant-Based Future for Car Interiors
Published on September 6, 2024
About a 4 minute read

The auto giants are collaborating with makers of hemp- and flax-based materials that reduce weight and manufacturing emissions and enhance recyclability. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
How Does Consumer Behavior Challenge the Circular Economy?
How Does Consumer Behavior Challenge the Circular Economy?
Published on August 27, 2024
About a 6 minute read

Economic models shift slowly, and consumer habits are hard to break. A shift from linearity to circularity won’t happen overnight, but there are tangible ways businesses can help consumers shift their behaviors today. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
erthos: Giving the Plastics Industry an AI-Driven, Biobased Upgrade
erthos: Giving the Plastics Industry an AI-Driven, Biobased Upgrade
Published on August 13, 2024
About a 6 minute read

The Toronto-based startup creates high-performance biomaterials that seamlessly integrate into manufacturing systems and supply chains five times faster than industry standard — eliminating a barrier to widespread adoption. ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
Nissan’s ‘Cool Paint’ Will Cut Car-Interior Heat, Energy Use
Nissan’s ‘Cool Paint’ Will Cut Car-Interior Heat, Energy Use
Published on August 9, 2024
About a 4 minute read

The paint's cooling performance is most noticeable when a vehicle is parked in the sun for an extended period. Keeping the interior cooler helps reduce load to the A/C — and in electric vehicles, draw on the battery. ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyMaterials & Packaging
MIT Team Creates Clean Hydrogen with Seawater, Soda Cans, Caffeine
MIT Team Creates Clean Hydrogen with Seawater, Soda Cans, Caffeine
Published on August 8, 2024
About a 5 minute read

The engineers believe they have discovered the recipe for running a sustainable hydrogen reactor, which they plan to test first in marine and underwater vehicles. ... View More

Article
Materials & Packaging
Sustainable Sailing Puts Its Sail-Recycling Process to Sweet, New Use
Sustainable Sailing Puts Its Sail-Recycling Process to Sweet, New Use
Published on August 2, 2024
About a 4 minute read

The UK startup is partnering with the University of Edinburgh to use waste sails in the creation of high-value chemicals used in everyday products — even, potentially, food ingredients. ... View More

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