THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Norway is the first country to scrutinize such a comprehensive scope of plastic sectors, making this study one of the most holistic views of a national plastic system ever presented.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Playbook highlights solutions from the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag that drive near-term, positive environmental impact and cost savings from eliminating single-use plastic bags.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The concrete industry is responsible for 8% of all global carbon
emissions; and 30-40% of today’s solid waste is created through the construction and maintenance of the built environment.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The term 'recycling' has become ubiquitous in our daily lives, but the nuances between ‘recyclable’ and ‘circular’ are often misunderstood. Understanding the distinction between the two is crucial in achieving a sustainable future.
WASTE NOT -
This is the first in a three-part series in which we break down key barriers and opportunities to turn ‘the plastic recycling problem’ into a circular plastics economy.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Every beverage container recycled through gamified reverse vending machines will give fans an instant prize and qualify them to win NFL
season tickets.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The airline quickly hit a roadblock in the unrecyclability of paper cups with an integrated plastic lining necessary for beverage service.
WASTE NOT -
Starting in October, the country will phase out a variety of single-use plastic products; but most think it does not go far enough to tackle pollution and waste.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
New reports by Zero Waste Europe and Planet Tracker slam the industry for piecemeal attempts at sustainability and circularity; where it fails to adopt more holistic approaches and take greater responsibility for environmental and social issues, investors must help move the needle.
WASTE NOT -
A circular economy for plastics is achievable in our lifetime, though it will require consumers and manufacturers to work together. Whether companies decide to keep it in-house or partner with like-minded third parties, an investment in our future now will lead to more profitable operations and create relentless forward progress.
CLEANTECH -
The electronics giants announced a series of innovations including personal-care device recycling, smart home energy-efficiency improvements, and a new laundry cycle and filter designed to eliminate microplastic pollution from synthetic materials.
WASTE NOT -
While recycling and lightweighting packaging strategies are helpful, they still align more with a linear rather than circular economy. Here, Upstream CEO Matt Prindiville lays out his organization’s vision for a truly plastic waste-free future.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
80M tons of plastic waste will end up in the environment just in the next 10 years. Without voluntary, global producer responsibility programs to unlock capital towards infrastructure and bridge the policy vacuum, how else do polluters suggest for us to tackle this massive financing gap in the meantime?
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Developing and optimizing a fully circular plastics value chain is a complex challenge that can’t be achieved with any single solution. We challenge our peers and other key stakeholders to be courageous and take risks, to explore new possibilities and partnerships, and persist until we have solutions.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
As seen in ongoing incidents of greenwashing and a new Greenpeace report, the onus is on consumer product manufacturers to take more comprehensive approaches to stemming their flow of plastic into the world — and turning the tide of public opinion.