Sustainability: Page 2
-
Sparkling water craze meets reuse with Aerflo’s launch
Investor Closed Loop Partners hailed the convenience of the startup’s refillable bottle system. Aerflo estimates its reusable capsules, which carbonate water on the go, could each displace more than 330 beverage cans.
By Maria Rachal • Sept. 12, 2024 -
EPA recommends BPI, GreenScreen, other ecolabels in food service ware procurement
It’s the first time in nearly 10 years the agency is evaluating new recommendations of standards for sustainable federal purchasing. EPA said it would accept comments on the proposed updates for 30 days.
By Maria Rachal • Sept. 11, 2024 -
Keurig Dr Pepper to pay $1.5M to settle charges about K-Cup recyclability
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says the beverage company omitted from filed documents some important information about testing the curbside recyclability of its K-Cup coffee pods.
By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 10, 2024 -
As Amazon and others nix air pillows, packaging manufacturers diversify to cushion the blow
Packaging companies are having to adapt to keep up as e-commerce expands and protective packaging trends shift. Retailers are trying new void fill materials, rightsizing packages and more.
By Shefali Kapadia • Sept. 10, 2024 -
Sponsored by Cruz Foam
How to deliver high protective performance with sustainable block and brace packaging
As consumer demand for sustainability rises and regulations tighten, companies are abandoning plastic foams and switching to more sustainable alternatives.
Sept. 9, 2024 -
Packaging innovations: McDonald’s four-flap McFlurry, Capri-Sun bottle debate
Plus, New England Coffee ditches its plastic pod base for commercially compostable materials.
By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 6, 2024 -
Music venues become a proving ground for reusable packaging
Groups like Upstream and musicians such as Grace Potter are pushing to replace single-use cups with reusable options. This weekend’s Imagine Zero Music Festival is the latest example of a reuse-focused event.
By Cole Rosengren • Sept. 6, 2024 -
Myplas film recycling plant in Minnesota to reopen under new ownership
GDB Circular plans to upgrade the facility and improve operations at the film recycling plant, which opened in December but idled soon after due to financial issues.
By Megan Quinn • Sept. 4, 2024 -
Berry seeks insights on reusable cups at scale in California rollout
Berry provided HDPE cups that are ultimately recyclable for a NextGen Consortium initiative that began this month in the city of Petaluma. The company expects legislation will drive more reuse activity in the coming years.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 30, 2024 -
Reverse vending machines win CalRecycle funding for beverage container redemption
As California seeks to bolster its bottle bill, a $70 million round of grant funding is supporting more than 250 new recycling sites across 30 counties. This also includes mobile recycling and bag drop programs.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 28, 2024 -
Chang Robotics offers PFAS alternative for food-contact fiber packaging
“We're really trying to solve a major societal environmental problem,” said Timothy Wei, chief scientist for the startup that developed a graphene oxide-based barrier material.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 26, 2024 -
Amcor releases decarbonization road map
Redesigning packaging to weigh less, use fewer materials and incorporate lower-carbon materials is part of the company’s efforts to reach SBTi-validated 2033 emissions reduction targets.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 23, 2024 -
Coca-Cola ‘on track’ for packaging recyclability goal, ‘behind plan’ on recycled content target
In an environmental update, the beverage giant reported that progress on reusable packaging formats and recyclability was stagnant in 2023 while its rate of recycled PET use ticked up.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 22, 2024 -
Plastics Pact Network details its 6-year impact on tackling plastic pollution
Future work will focus on environmental justice, informing policy and securing more funding to scale impact.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 22, 2024 -
Google achieves plastic-free packaging ahead of 2025 with help of new paper
Google says it was important to work with partners such as Veritiv to design the new paper material and other packaging to give consumers visual cues that encourage recycling.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 21, 2024 -
5 stats on plastics recycling and ‘circularity’ investments
In new reports this summer, various groups shared updated data on where plastics transformation investments are being allocated, how recycling and recycled content use are evolving, and more.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 21, 2024 -
Graphic Packaging’s new technology set to reduce paperboard coatings
The technology slated to debut in the plant GPI is building in Waco, Texas, allows the use of paper cups and production scrap as paperboard feedstocks. The company has also introduced new sustainability targets and retired others.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 20, 2024 -
28% of PET bottles are being recycled, The Recycling Partnership reports
The PET Recycling Coalition reports it’s been able to help capture more PET bottles and non-bottle PET packaging. There’s still more demand for clear recycled PET, while interest in pigmented or opaque rPET is low.
By Maria Rachal • Aug. 20, 2024 -
Packaging innovations: Twinings gets canned, Black Cow’s udderly different vodka packaging
Plus, e.l.f. Cosmetics makes changes to boost product accessibility and Sensei Farms ditches its plastic clamshells.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 12, 2024 -
Alternative inks and coatings aim to increase recyclability and aid sustainability goals
Recent state legislation seeking to limit carbon black hasn’t progressed yet, but companies are already seeing demand for different approaches using algae, magnetic coatings and more.
By Hollie Stephens • Aug. 12, 2024 -
Target still struggles to lower virgin plastic use by 2025 deadline
While the retailer made some progress toward its goal to reduce virgin plastic use in its own-brand packaging 20% by 2025, it’s still using more — not less — than the 2020 baseline.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 6, 2024 -
Starbucks, Huhtamaki partner on compostable cold cup lids
The double-walled paperboard cups have a bioplastic liner, and the lids are made from molded fiber. Two states with local mandates are targets of the initial rollout.
By Katie Pyzyk • Updated Aug. 9, 2024 -
Coca-Cola takes some heat for plastic packaging at Olympics: reports
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games are spotlighting challenges and opportunities with reusable containers for food and beverage service.
By Maria Rachal • July 30, 2024 -
Q&A
Aesthetics vs. environment: How Estée Lauder balances luxury and sustainability
Efforts include sourcing postconsumer resin and leveraging chemical recycling. Making sustainability leaps more apparent to consumers is also a concern at the cosmetics and skincare giant.
By Katie Pyzyk • July 29, 2024 -
Mars doubts it can achieve 2025 sustainable packaging targets
Almost half of Mars’ packaging portfolio is being redesigned or eliminated to align with current or future recycling infrastructure. But infrastructure advancement is taking longer than expected, per its latest sustainability report.
By Maria Rachal • July 29, 2024