Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Plastic Packaging

Research shows 73% of people are interested in buying fish in Prevented Ocean Plastic packaging if it's the same price or product as with other packaging, and 58% would swap to Prevented Ocean Plastic packaged fish if it was available in their supermarket
MarketLine (10/10)

On Twitter, India’s prime minister lauds sculpture made from plastic and PET bottles erected at KSR Bengaluru station; sculpture was created to raise awareness on proper disposal of plastic waste
OrissaTv.com (10/07)

Sustainable/Responsible Sourcing

International Civil Aviation Organization adopts goal to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050; organization also increases goal to stabilize emissions of international aviation at 85% of 2019 level, aims to increase Sustainable Aviation Fuel production
International Air Transport Association (IATA) (10/10)

Reuse/Next Use/Upcycling

Dow and US university researchers develop 'breakthrough' process to transform PE plastics into PP; scalable method upcycles PE with over 95% selectivity into propylene by using catalysts to dehydrogenate PE, attach propylene groups at reactive sites
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (10/10)

UK-based Worn Again Technologies raises £27.6M to build 'innovative' Winterthur, Switzerland, textile recycling plant with support from Sulzer, Oerlikon, H&M; facility to use chemical upcycling technology to process 1,000 tonnes/year of textile waste
Worn Again Technologies (10/10)

Multi-stakeholder working group launches new technical reference to guide companies on sustainable packaging practices in Singapore; reference specifies guidelines, criteria and best practices in implementing the 3Rs, covers the life cycle of packaging
Singapore Government News (10/07)

DHL Supply Chain introduces circular recovery management solution, Smart Circle, to support companies, such as CISCO Systems, in reuse, reprocessing or recycling of used electronic parts; DHL's goal is to increase product recovery rate to 100%
Deutsche Post AG (DHL) (10/07)

Recyclable/Recycled Materials

Aquapak publishes whitepaper demonstrating effectiveness of Hydropol PVOH-based polymer for use in paper packaging as an oil and grease barrier; material also retains 100% end-of-life recyclability of paper products
Aquapak Polymers Ltd. (10/10)

Braskem introduces Wenew, a new global circular economy concept encompassing company's recycled-based polymers and chemicals, educational initiatives and technologies that support circular economy; initiative will be represented by new logo
Braskem SA (10/10)

LyondellBasell and Genox Recycling to establish joint venture plastics recycling plant in Zhaoqing, China, starting in 2023; site will use mechanical recycling to process PCR waste, producing new polymers for LyondellBasell's CirculenRecover portfolio
LyondellBasell Industries NV (10/10)

Borealis collaborates with Bockatech, creator of EcoCore injection molding technology, to create lightweight, thin-wall PP packaging and reusables; Borealis contributes resins from Bornewables, Borcycle C and Borcycle M portfolios
Borealis AG (10/07)

Flexible Packaging Assn. opposes New Jersey Senate Bill 2145, which aims to prohibit the sale, distribution and import of certain products marketed as recyclable, unless the Dept. of Environmental Protection determines that products are widely recycled
Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) (10/07)

Waste Collection/Disposal/Pickup

Members of US Congress request EPA to create standardized labels for recycling bins, as 62% of Americans worry about incorrect sorting in bins; Leave No Trace program's standardized labels led to recycling level increase of 100% at several national parks
United States Congress (10/10)

Walgreens joins Sustainable Medicines Partnership, which aims to collaborate on projects that make the use of medicines more sustainable, less wasteful; four-year commitment builds on Walgreens' safe medication disposal program, first launched in 2016
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (10/10)

Shaker Heights, Ohio, joins recycling initiative with Cleveland Heights Move to expand range of accepted items, namely plastic food tubs; city to scale recycling revenues to US$24.99/ton at less than 20% contamination rate from US$9.44/ton at 31%-40% rate
Sun Press (Beachwood, OH) (10/10)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

More than 200 packaging companies join ENVALORA, a new collective system of EPR in Spain for packaging in the chemical, plastics, rubber and construction sectors; from 2023, companies will have to take responsibility for management of waste generated
CE Noticias Financieras (10/07)

Recycling Centers/Materials Recovery (MRF)

India-based Metastable Materials commissions new facility for 'chemical-free' recycling of Li-ion batteries near Bangalore; 21,000-sq.-ft. facility to use low-fire-risk carbothermal reduction process at 1,500 tons/year capacity, produce no effluents
Saur Energy International (10/10)

UK-based waste servicer Grundon invests in ZenRobotics AI robotic picker for post-consumer, post-industrial plastic waste at Bishop's Cleeve facility near Cheltenham; Fast Picker can target, pick up to 80 items/min with 99% recovery purity rate
Grundon Waste Management Ltd. (10/10)

Recycling

Novelis Breaks Ground on $2.5 Billion Aluminum Recycling & Rolling Plant
PR Newswire (10/10)

Novelis and Smart Press Shop Create Closed-Loop-Recycling System
PR Newswire (10/07)

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

CMA CGM's Short Sea Lines Division announces new butterfly Morocco Shuttle service between Morocco, France and Spain; service to enable sustainable maritime bridge for fruits, vegetable, will yield 75% less CO2 emissions compared to traditional trucking
CMA CGM SA (10/10)

Norske Skog expects annual CO2 compensation payment to drop by NOK140M/year from 2023 on under Norway's proposed 2023 national budget that would reduce CO2 compensation to Norwegian industry by NOK2.7B annually; initiative aims to stop carbon leakage
Oslo Bors Newsfeed (10/10)

GHG emissions at ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach rise significantly since 2020, according to US EPA's Inventory of Air Emissions report; ports cite using more cargo-handling equipment, longer truck idling times during cargo surges
Daily News (10/10)

Dronamics selects British tech company Zero Petroleum to supply its synthetic zero-emission fuel for its drone network; ZERO SynAVGAS releases same amount of carbon used in its production to creating completely circular and carbon-neutral process
Bulgarian News Agency (10/10)

CyberFuels partners with Trucking Tower to expand sales, marketing footprint to help more fleet executives lower fuel consumption, maintenance costs; CyberFuels' goal is to reach a 95% reduction in CO2 GHGs by using bio-methanol from renewable feedstock
PR Newswire (10/10)

Climate Change

New Zealand seeks public input on how forests are managed through National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry, aims to address concerns over farmland conversion; permanent forest category of Emissions Trading Scheme to open on Jan. 1, 2023
Government of New Zealand (10/07)

Weather Events

Washington state wildfires have burned just over 140,300 acres year to date, the lowest in a decade; public lands commissioner credits wet spring that delayed fire season, DNR equipment, aerial firefighting assets, personnel, agency partnerships  
Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (10/10)

Environmental/Ecological/Carbon Footprint

INEOS Styrolution introduces two new Terluran ECO grades, a fully bio-attributed ABS polymer; new grades include ISCC-certified renewable feedstocks, enabling a reduced CO2 footprint
Ineos Group Ltd. (10/07)

Consumption of primary processed wood products expected to grow 37% to 3.1 billion m3 of roundwood equivalents by 2050; increase will be at least 8% higher in a bioeconomy scenario when mass timber and manmade cellulose fibers are considered: FAO report
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (10/07)

Great Lakes Timber Professionals Assn. issues public comment on US Fish and Wildlife's proposed rule to authorize incidental take permits under ESA; GLTPA recommends agency approve LSR Bat HCPs and authorize requested ITPs with some exceptions
Targeted News Service (10/07)

California, Oregon, Washington governors and British Columbia premier sign climate pledge to promote zero-carbon shipping, decarbonize port operations; measures include battery-electric drayage and cargo handling equipment and investments in shore power
The Maritime-Executive (10/07)

Biewer Forest Management issues public comment on US Fish and Wildlife's proposed rule to authorize incidental take permits under ESA; BFM recommends agency approve Lake States Region Bat Habitat Conservation Plan, authorize requested ITPs with exceptions
Targeted News Service (10/07)

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland develops innovative bicarbonate technology for CO2 capture, a potential alternative to amines; soda solution reacts with CO2 to create sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, which can release CO2 in separate reaction
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (10/10)

Carbon Sequestration

Regen Network launches blockchain-based carbon marketplace for ecological assets; Regen Marketplace allows farmers, foresters, land stewards to originate high-quality, nature-based carbon credits to markets
Globe Newswire (10/10)

Regenerative Agriculture

Participating in International Fertilizer Association Conference, SABIC Agri-Nutrients Reviews Sustainable Solutions
Saudi Arabia News Gazette (10/07)

Water Pollution/Water Quality

Scientists develop geotextile to reduce clogging in tailings ponds, improve long-term drainage performance; geotextile contains nonwoven, woven layers to form composite filter with wide aperture, is placed between tailings: Hohai University
Tech Daily News (10/10)

Waste to Energy

Solvay and Veolia announce groundbreaking on joint refuse-derived fuel cogeneration unit, which would help power Solvay's soda ash plant in Dombasle, France; project will reduce plant's CO2 emissions by 50%, company says
Solvay SA (10/07)

Biodegradable/Compostable Materials

Outlook Group wins Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Business Friend of the Environment Award for Sustainability for its printed flexible packaging films that biodegrade in standard landfill, don't require consumers to change recycling habits
Label & Narrow Web (10/10)

Suominen, Aalto University review Master's course using sustainable nonwovens for design projects; student projects included printing colored soap layer onto hygiene wipes for a smooth washing experience, and biodegradable planting pots, biowaste bags
Suominen Corp. (10/07)

Tech vs. Trees: Wood-based film provides biodegradable alternative to single-use plastic, tech company helps publishers integrate augmented reality into print textbooks, US and UK readers prefer magazines in print and newspapers online
Industry Intelligence Inc. (10/07)

Biobased Chemicals & Materials

Scientists develop biodegradable, antibacterial electrospun composite for cooling, treating burn wounds; composite shortens burn recovery time to 14 days from 21 days, is comprised of polycaprolactone, polylysine nanofibers, contains platelet-rich plasma
Nanotech Daily (10/10)

Turkish scientists determine electrospun polyvinyl alcohol, sodium caseinate fibers are suitable for antibacterial wound dressing use; nanofibers made with glutaraldehyde, GLA cross-linking agents were not suitable for wound dressings due to cytotoxicity
Nanotech Daily (10/10)

NatureWorks is recognized as BioPreferred Program Champion by USDA, signifying long-term commitment to renewable materials, reducing petroleum reliance, support of bioeconomy; company was first materials manufacturer to receive the biobased certification
NatureWorks LLC (10/07)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)

Dow Chemical receives Leading Disability Employer Seal from National Organization on Disability for sixth consecutive year; award recognizes achievement of strong talent outcomes for people with disabilities
The Dow Chemical Co. (10/07)

Estee Lauder participates in UN General Assembly 2022 in New York as part of ELC's sustainability efforts; ELC partnered with UN Foundation to host The Power of Partnerships: Advancing Gender Equality and Impacts, an event supporting advancement of women
Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (10/07)

Community Betterment

Unicharm announces initiatives for International Day of the Girl, Oct. 11; activities include providing knowledge on menstruation through company and school programs, expanding opportunities for school attendance, distributing menstrual products
Unicharm Corp. (10/07)

P&G reaches milestone of 50 million sanitary pads donated in last 15 years to aid over one million young women in Africa experiencing period poverty; company highlights its Always Keeping Girls in School program for menstrual health and hygiene education
Daily Guide Ghana (10/07)