Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Paper Packaging

Packaging Design Wrap-Up: Lush removes plastic tube for its new ‘naked’ mascara; designer turns boxes into modular furniture; fragrance brand embraces sustainability with paper packaging
Industry Intelligence Inc. (08/18)

Tea producer Madura Tea, Gundlach Packaging use Koehler NexPlus Seal Pure MOB flexible packaging paper to replace packaging previously based on metalized OPP for all products; paper boasts barrier properties, consists of 100% certified virgin fiber pulp
Koehler Paper (08/18)

Plastic Packaging

Packaging Snapshot: Berry Global announces closure of 20 facilities to boost its operational efficiency and address market difficulties; company also invests in new facilities in Bangalore, India, and Leamington Spa, UK, to bolster its growth trajectory
Industry Intelligence Inc. (08/21)

Foodservice Packaging Assn. calls for a UK Defra information campaign to ensure small independent foodservice providers are aware of single-use plastics ban, requests for a delay of at least three months to allow operators to use up existing stocks
Packaging News (08/18)

Italy-based AMB to use Indorama Ventures’ flake from rPET trays to produce film suitable for food packaging trays; partnership aims to divert more than 150 million post-consumer PET trays away from landfill or incineration by end of 2025
AMB Spa (08/18)

SAP's Responsible Design and Production is a streamlined data management system for monitoring, measuring, reporting related to environmental impact of production, packaging; Henkel uses it to comply with plastic waste regulations, avoid penalties
CSRWire (08/18)

Study prolongs shelf-life of chilled pork by simply preparing antimicrobial packaging; active materials preserve pork shelf-life by 2-4 days, are made with PET cross-linked with b-cyclodextrin, citric acid, eugenol: Inner Mongolia Agricultural University
Obesity Daily News (08/18)

Sustainable / Responsible Sourcing

Glasgow-based food tech startup ENOUGH secures €40M in funding to scale sustainable protein production; company produces ABUNDA mycoprotein, cultivated from fermented fungi that are fed with sustainably sourced grain sugars
Silicon Canals (08/21)

BASF officials highlight innovations displayed at recent NYSCC Suppliers’ Day, including digital solutions to provide traceability for personal care and cosmetic ingredients; company also showcases Verdessence line of sustainable biopolymer ingredients
CosmeticsDesign.com (US) (08/18)

Reuse / Next Use / Upcycling

Recycling Partnership submits public comment supporting EPA's draft strategy to prevent plastic pollution; group proposes data-driven tools, solutions for effective waste management, recycling, and calls for reduction, reuse, recycling of plastic material
Targeted News Service (08/21)

Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Plastic Initiative is working with Danone, Unilever and PepsiCo to develop a vision for scaling returnable packaging systems; work uses future visualization and analytical modelling
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (08/21)

Researchers upcycle PP face masks, gloves, PPE into sorbent pouches for super-fast oil spill cleanups; pouch comprises superposed microporous, fibrous thin PP films using spin coating, shows high oil uptake kinetics, is effective up to seven cycles: study
International Journal of Molecular Sciences (08/18)

Japan and UN Development Programme to build facilities for recycling rubble from Turkey's major earthquakes, funded by a Japanese grant of US$4.83M; program to provide safe removal of hazardous wastes such as asbestos, reuse of construction materials
Gov Japan Live (08/18)

Carbon upcycler Rubi, fashion brand Ganni to develop the first land- and water-neutral carbon yarn from CO2; process fully converts carbon into cellulose using enzymes, an industrial reactor system, and does not require biobased pulp
Industry Intelligence Inc. (08/18)

Recyclable / Recycled Materials

Indorama Ventures evaluates potential of blockchain technology to authenticate premium rPET grades as suitable for textile production; company partners with SMX, a provider of technologies that support closed loop economy
PR Newswire (08/21)

ExxonMobil creates new HDPE grade, HD7165L, for mono-material laminated packaging that is easier to recycle than multi-material laminate structures; product offers option for brand owners aiming to achieve sustainability targets
Paper, Film & Foil Converter (08/21)

Milan-based Terenzi Group invests in Ricoh Pro TF6251 UV flatbed printer to enhance production of vinyl records; company partners with music label and publisher Rude Records to develop Greenyl, made from recycled plastics using sustainable processes
Large Format Review (08/18)

August 2023 rPET flake to see price cuts during August 2023 amid high supply, low demand, following rend since start of 2023; flake values also declining in UK, eastern and southern Europe: ICIS
ICIS Chemical Business (CBNB Abstracts) (08/18)

Recycling Centers / Materials Recovery (MRF)

Bryson Recycling, the UK's largest social enterprise, invests in four new Recycleye robots to enhance material sorting with AI technology at its Belfast-based plant; deal marks the UK and Ireland's first announced robot repurchase
Recycleye (08/21)

Anaerobic digester Synthica to break ground on five facilities next year in Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana on substantial equity investment from Goldman Sachs; company converts pre-consumer organic waste into natural gas for utilities, industry
Waste Dive (08/21)

Alamo Recycling Center in Texas catches fire due to airbags left outside building, heat wave
Waste360 (08/21)

Earthworks Industries continues developing waste handling project at Cortina Rancheria in Colusa County, California, waiting for EPA approval on remaining flexibility requests; integrated waste operation includes material recovery, composting, landfill
Waste360 (08/18)

Balcones Recycling to build, operate a US$60M materials recovery facility in McKinney, Texas, starting operations in Spring 2025; the 120,000-sq.-ft. facility enabled on 15-year municipal recycling contract, will prioritize community engagement
Balcones Resources Inc. (08/18)

Recycling

ACC comments on EPA's proposed significant new use rules under Toxic Substances Control Act; proposal would hinder advancement of innovative technologies including pyrolysis-based advanced recycling, group says
American Chemistry Council (08/21)

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

EPA includes waste industry in 2024-2027 enforcement initiatives, focusing on landfill methane emissions reduction, exposure to PFAS, coal ash contamination; other efforts cover hazardous air pollutants, chemical accident risk reduction
Waste Dive (08/21)

Australian government policy changes and grants stimulate interest in carbon forestry; meanwhile, New Zealand is wracked with uncertainty amid its government's decision to redesign rules for forestry projects in country's emissions trading scheme
S&P Global Commodity Insights (08/21)

Sappi reviews Scope 3 emissions tracking, determines it will focus on tracking upstream emissions in categories 1-8, due to lack of control, nature of downstream emissions; categories 9-15 'much less relevant to our evaluation and will not be tracked'
3BL Media (08/21)

DOE to invest up to US$1.2B for US's first direct air/carbon capture facilities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, and Kleberg County, Texas; projects with Occidental, Battelle to remove over 2 million tonnes/year of CO2 from atmosphere, create 4,800 jobs
U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) (08/21)

Stanford University researchers develop aluminum flake paint that reduces indoor temperature, lowers CO2 emissions and saves costs; new paint offers more versatile alternative to Purdue University's ultra-white paint, with US patent application underway
Stanford University (08/18)

Climate Change

Australian Forest Products Assn. marks National Forestry Day, calls for recognition of forest products sector for its contribution to regional communities, economy, climate change fight; sector sustains 180,000 jobs, adds AU$24B/year to national economy
Australian Forest Products Association (08/21)

Weather Events

3M scientists share insights to tackle indoor, outdoor air pollution due to heat, wildfires, sandstorms; company suggests measures including use of N95 respirators, reducing pollution-creating activities at home, using air purifiers
3M Co. (08/18)

Environmental / Ecological / Carbon Footprint

Auto parts supplier Snop and steelmaker Salzgitter Flachstahl extend collaboration on CO2 emission reduction in steel production; Salzgitter aims for nearly carbon-neutral production by 2033 through hydrogen-based processes via SALCOS route
German Equity Markets (Web Disclosure) via PUBT (08/21)

Salzgitter starts 100-day, €100M reline of blast furnace A in move toward low-CO2 steel production by 2033; company plans to decommission one of its furnaces by 2026
Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) (08/21)

University of Michigan's BioMatters team develops eco-friendly construction material from upcycled sawdust, aiming for zero-waste freeform concrete structures; team's novel process includes robotic 3D printing, incremental set-on-demand concrete casting
States News Service (08/21)

Cargill, BAR Technologies, Mitsubishi Corp. and Yara Marine Technologies test WindWings tech, which specifies large wing sails on cargo vessels to harness wind power; innovation can potentially decarbonize cargo vessels by up to 30%
Business Wire (08/21)

Uber Eats in Mexico is evaluating changing food orders so that consumers can differentiate restaurants that use packaging with a smaller environmental footprint; CEO says consumers are willing to pay more for packaging with a smaller footprint
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (08/21)

Carbon Capture, Storage & Utilization (CCSU)

University of Pennsylvania researchers help develop system to convert CO2 emissions into propane, a potential clean fuel source; electrochemical conversion of CO2 supports future energy needs by storing renewable energy, researchers say
ENP Newswire (08/18)

Andritz announces its first supply of carbon capture plant to steel industry, promoting sustainable carbon circularity; pilot plant began operating at Voestalpine’s steel mill in Linz, Austria, in Q2 of 2023
Andritz AG (08/18)

Carbon Sequestration

Verra invites proposals by Sept. 13 for development of new Verified Carbon Standard Program methodology for tropical peatlands
Verra (08/18)

Imperial College London and Utah State University researchers find canopy soils on old trees in Costa Rica are crucial habitats and carbon stores; such soils most commonly form in at-risk forest types, such as cool, foggy areas of tropical forests
ENP Newswire (08/18)

Verra to revise carbon accounting methodologies and develop new conservation protocols for REDD projects involving wetlands; public consultation starts in early 2024, with implementation expected by year end
Verra (08/18)

Water Pollution / Water Quality

US Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs seek exemption from state pollution rule designed to protect wild rice, claiming they are not damaging the rice beds, but researcher and Ojibwe tribe say companies use discredited MPCA method to bypass water quality standards
Industry Intelligence Inc. (08/21)

Maine approves US$101,400 penalty against ND Paper mill in Old Town; state environmental regulators reported that 30,720 gallons of a sodium hydroxide mix poured through drain in September and October 2020 because of open valve, flowed to Penobscot River
Maine Monitor, The (08/21)

Pollution

Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum joins other state attorneys in pushing for further curbs on new plastic production under EPA's National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution
Oregon Capital Chronicle (08/21)

Waste Management

Assn. of Plastic Recyclers supports EPA's first Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution; company recommends strategies to reduce plastic pollution, waste, emphasizes need to move toward circular economy for plastics and all materials
Targeted News Service (08/21)

Astra Energy subsidiary Regreen Technologies develops system to process municipal solid waste into compostable product, adhering to California's organic waste reduction mandate; Total Waste System can be sold or deployed globally
Globe Newswire (08/21)

Food Waste

American University of the Middle East publishes study titled 'Food Waste Hydrochar: an Alternate Clean Fuel for Steel Industry'
Climate Change Daily News (08/21)

Biodegradable / Compostable Materials

Scientists develop green anti-Staphylococcus aureus complexes for biodegradable food packaging; complexes are made using hinoki essential oil, cyclodextrins: University of Tsukuba and Institut Teknologi Kalimantan
MDPI Journal: Foods (08/18)

Biobased Chemicals & Materials

Neste forms partnership with Suntory, ENEOS and Mitsubishi for commercial scale production of PET resin from renewable feedstock; Suntory will use biobased PET to produce renewable bottles beginning in 2024
Nordic Regulated Equity Markets (Web Disclosure) via PUBT (08/21)

OrganoClick reports Q2 biobased binder sales in nonwoven, fiber technologies soared 334.8% year-over-year to SEK 10.0M; eco-friendly binder sales increase attributable to existing customers, initial deliveries to new customers
Nordic Regulated Equity Markets (Web Disclosure) via PUBT (08/21)