Community Updates

DuPont Biomaterials Joins the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 – A Pre-competitive Innovation Program Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy

In another step toward promoting sustainability and the bio-economy, DuPont Biomaterials has elevated its partnership with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation by joining the organization’s Circular Economy 100 (CE100) initiative. The pre-competitive innovation program brings together corporates, governments and cities, academic institutions, emerging innovators and affiliates in a unique multi-stakeholder platform to learn and collaborate for a circular economy.

Published 6 years ago | About a 3 minute read

As a member of CE100, DuPont Biomaterials will participate in collaborative projects with other members; attend the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Annual Summit and bi-annual workshops; and join an ongoing discussion around promoting a circular economy across businesses and industries. DuPont Biomaterials joins a leading group of global companies participating in CE100.

In addition to CE100, DuPont Biomaterials has also joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative. Launched at the 2017 Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the initiative brings together leaders from across the fashion industry, including brands, cities and NGOs to drive collaboration among key stakeholders to radically redesign their operating models and create a new textiles economy in line with the principles of the circular economy. The overarching goal is to “ensure clothes are developed with safe and renewable materials, new business models increase their use, and old clothes are transformed into new.”

“Everything we do affects our environment, so we’re committed to developing and marketing solutions that not only improve our everyday lives through high-performance materials, but also reduce environmental impacts,” said Renee Henze, Global Marketing Director, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “Our ultimate goal is to be a part of a circular economy, and by partnering with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s important initiatives, we can collaborate with forward-thinking leaders around the world to progress a more sustainable marketplace.”

DuPont Biomaterials has a rich heritage of leadership in sustainable materials innovation, bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace. Its suite of bio-based, high-performance technologies – including DuPont™ Sorona® polymer – have applications across diverse industries. Made from 37 percent renewable plant-based ingredients, Sorona® polymer offers a high-performing, more sustainably sourced material option for the apparel and carpet industries, with key attributes such as softness, stain resistance and durability, among others. DuPont also is developing a family of engineered polysaccharides, which are renewably sourced, and feature a broad range of performance properties for applications throughout various industries. Collectively, these solutions are supporting progress toward a more circular economy and sustainable future for the world.

“The CE100 is designed to explore, develop and act on new ways to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. With a fine balance between collaboration, innovation, and education, the network stimulates organizations like DuPont to achieve faster, greater successes than could be achieved alone. With DuPont joining the CE100, the network gains a wealth of experience in material science, and engineering rigour,” said James George, Business Engagement Lead, Ellen Macarthur Foundation.

DuPont Biomaterials is committed to the ongoing conversation about the need for renewable, performance-based materials and continued collaboration within the fashion industry to contribute to circularity. In addition to its participation in Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiatives, DuPont Biomaterials recently announced that the Sorona® brand is a new bluesign® system partner, and that they have expanded their Kinston, North Carolina, facility for increased production of Sorona® polymer.