CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
While eliminating impacts at the design stage is a crucial strategy for putting a stop to plastic pollution, it’s just one small piece of the puzzle. According to new initiatives and research from The Dow Chemical Company and the Closed Loop Foundation, investing in intelligent end-of-life solutions for previously non-recyclable packaging is just as important.
PRESS RELEASE -
Braskem, the largest producer of biopolymers in the world, today announces that Buhbli Organics, together with Peel Plastics, will be utilizing Braskem's I'm greenTM bio-based Polyethylene in their Himalayan Bath Salts pouch. Buhbli Organics bath salts are now available in over 1,000 Walmart stores in the U.S. in the Naturals section of the Cosmetics department.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Microplastics — extremely small pieces (less than 5 mm) of plastic debris resulting from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste — have been found in tap water around the globe, according to a new report by Orb Media, a D.C.-based nonprofit digital newsroom. The discovery has led to a call from the scientific community for urgent research on microplastics’ implications for human health.
PRESS RELEASE -
Braskem, the largest producer of biopolymers in the world, today announces that Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. has launched its new Earthborn Holistic® VentureTM brand pet food line offering sustainable packaging produced by Peel Plastics Products Ltd., utilizing Braskem's I'm Green bio based Polyethylene (PE). Peel Plastics manufactures the new Earthborn Holistic® VentureTM pet food bags, utilizing Braskem's bio-based polyethylene, helping mitigate the carbon footprint associated with its packaging.
WASTE NOT -
Capturing littered plastic – whether in the oceans, on beaches or from city streets – and transforming it into new products has become something of a creative marketing drive, with brand owners investing in high-profile launches to demonstrate leadership in this space: P&G’s beach plastic shampoo bottle and the
WASTE NOT -
Bottle deposit schemes just got a major boost, thanks to a new analysis issued by thinktank Green Alliance. Communicated via an infographic, the analysis suggests that introducing deposit return schemes on plastic bottles would be the single most effective action to accelerate progress. The concept has been a hot topic in the UK over the last year, as the Government searches for ways to curb the country’s considerable plastic waste problem.
PRESS RELEASE -
National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership is pleased to announce its newest funding partner, the global food and beverage leader, PepsiCo. The organizations have agreed to collaborate on an ambitious cross-sector approach to increasing recycling rates across America.
WASTE NOT -
As the circular economy continues to gain steam, two new public-private partnerships have emerged, driving the widespread reuse of recycled plastics towards the mainstream.
In an effort to make good on its goal to design 100 percent of its packaging to be recoverable or recyclable by 2025 and to increase packaging recovery and recycling rates, food and beverage giant PepsiCo has partnered with nonprofit The Recycling Partnership.
CLEANTECH -
Taking plastics recycling to a whole new level, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has pioneered a new technology that restores used polypropylene plastic (PP) to ‘virgin-like’ quality. Developed in P&G labs, the patented technology is being licensed to PureCycle to deploy in a new recycling plant in Lawrence County, Ohio and will allow consumers to purchase more products made from recycled plastic.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) announced today it has teamed up with national nonprofit, Keep America Beautiful, to award two $50,000 grants for organizations to establish Hefty® EnergyBag™ programs in their communities. The program is an innovative approach to diverting traditionally non-recycled plastics – like chip bags and juice pouches – from landfills and converting the materials into valuable energy sources.
WASTE NOT -
The crusade against marine plastics continues with a new initiative driven by nineteen aquariums across the US. Launched today, the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) seeks to drive a shift away from single-use plastic and toward more sustainable alternatives.
As its first order of business, the Partnership has rolled out a new nationwide consumer campaign, "In Our Hands," to empower their 20 million visitors and millions more in their communities to make positive behavior changes and raise awareness around how plastic pollution threatens ocean and freshwater animals.
CLEANTECH -
Environmental NGO Parley for the Oceans is on a roll. Just weeks after announcing new partnerships with designer Stella McCartney and Corona, the organization has joined Intel and SnotBot on a mission to Alaska, where they will be using AI and drone technology to collect data from whales.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Eight million tons of plastic trash find their way into the world’s oceans every year. If this trend continues, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050 according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Considerable action is required to avoid this fate, but more and more organizations are beginning to step up to the plate. Creative campaigns that seek to engage consumers through multi-media and innovative products are proving to be an effective way to reach and educate wide audiences quickly, accelerating the uptake of behaviors and actions that could spur meaningful change.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Plastics continue to make headlines as brands uncover new and creative solutions that transform trash into profitable products. Building on its efforts to reinvent how products are designed, manufactured and used, HP Inc. has launched Original HP ink cartridges made from plastic bottles recycled in Haiti.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Brands continue to uncover new ways to transform waste into valuable materials, providing critical solutions for pressing problems such as ocean plastics.
Stella McCartney is the latest label to team up with Parley for the Oceans in an effort to keep plastics out of the world’s oceans. The designer, who previously designed a sneaker for adidas in partnership with Parley, intends to use the nonprofit’s recycled plastic yarn in lieu of woven or recycled polyester in her line of shoes, accessories and outerwear.
PRESS RELEASE -
Here’s my prediction: in the not-too-distant future, circular economies – where the resources you use to create a product eventually return to the business to be reused or recycled – will be the norm. Businesses of tomorrow will look back at our sluggishness in making the switch and they will shake their heads in wonder.
But why has business been sluggish? After all, doing more with less, creating more value with fewer resources, has long been standard in business: you pursue profitable growth while also staying efficient with resources.
That’s just good business.
PRESS RELEASE -
The European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) has given interim approval for the recyclability of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), produced by Synvina C.V., Amsterdam, in the European bottle recycling market. Following EPBP’s assessment PEF bottles are expected to be disposable through existing recovery systems the same way as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the conventional material for plastic bottles. The interim approval applies to a PEF market penetration of up to 2%.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) today released its 2016 Sustainability Report, laying a solid foundation with strong first-year results since announcing its 2025 Sustainability Goals. Prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards Comprehensive Option (GRI 102-54), GRI is the most widely used framework for sustainability reporting used globally by businesses, governments and other organizations. The report highlights the successes of Dow’s commitment to redefine the role of business at its intersection with society.
PRESS RELEASE -
PepsiCo has joined the New Plastics Economy initiative as a Core Partner, signaling the global food and beverage company's continued commitment to reduce packaging waste.
Led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the New Plastics Economy is bringing together industry, government, NGOs, scientists, students and citizens to build a more sustainable global plastics value chain.
COLLABORATION -
The problem of marine plastics continues to be a top priority across the globe, spurring even more businesses and organizations to dig in their heels and find create new solutions to the growing issue.
Continuing its efforts to keep plastics out of the ocean, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has teamed up with The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit to launch a $2 million New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize.