Material Mindset

Renewable Carbon Initiative Publishes a Position Paper Outlining the Importance of Chemical and Physical Recycling

By Staff
Thursday, June 27, 2024 8:25 AM HÜRTH, Germany—Chemical and physical recycling play essential roles in realizing the objectives of the Green Deal and advancing the circular economy, according to the Renewable Carbon Initiative’s (RCI) latest position paper titled, Home - Goals and Vision of the Renewable Carbon Initiative. RCI advocates for a pragmatic approach, emphasizing that while closed-loop recycling is a noble goal for sectors such as packaging, textiles and automobiles, it should not be approached too dogmatically. Flexibility is essential to prevent environmental and economic inefficiencies, RCI said.

Sight Sciences Releases Its First Sustainability Report

By Staff
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 8:25 AM MENLO PARK, Calif.—Sight Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGHT), an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing technologies that elevate the standard of care, has announced that it has published its first sustainability report, highlighting the company’s sustainability activities, performance, and results from the last three years. “We are proud to issue our first annual sustainability report, showing our commitment to corporate sustainability initiatives and enhanced disclosures,” stated Paul Badawi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sight Sciences.

Eyewear Made From Recycled Water Bottles Is Powered By StokedPlastics

By Staff
Thursday, May 23, 2024 8:25 AM LOS ANGELES—StokedPlastics, a leader in environmental and plastic innovation, has announced that it is supplying sustainable eyewear company Opolis Optics with content made from recycled water bottles for its frames, microfibre cleaning cloths and pouches. Each pair of eyewear contains content from 10 recycled water bottles found near the ocean, the company said.

Environmental Protection Agency Recognizes Small Business Champions

By Staff
Thursday, May 9, 2024 8:25 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently hosted the Administrator’s 34th Annual Small Business Programs Award ceremony to honor the outstanding Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 small business championship of EPA programs, employees, and business and state partners from across the country, according to an announcement from the EPA. The awards ceremony was held in celebration of National Small Business Week, which ran from April 28–May 4, 2024. Click here for a list of all the small business honorees.

Can Global Treaty Talks Help Solve Plastic Pollution Issues?

By Staff
Thursday, April 25, 2024 8:25 AM OTTAWA, Canada—Global leaders are gathering here in Canada's capital this week to discuss progress in drafting a first-ever global treaty to rein in plastic pollution by the end of the year, according to a Reuters report. The pending treaty, due to be finalized at the end of this year, could be the most significant deal relating to climate-warming emissions and environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which got 195 parties to agree to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5°C.

CooperVision Extends Its Partnership With Plastic Bank

By Staff
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 8:25 AM SAN RAMON, Calif.—CooperVision and Plastic Bank, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based social impact organization, have renewed their net plastic neutrality partnership through 2026. With the extension, the partnership has expanded to include a vision care program to provide vision screenings and vouchers for complimentary eye exams and glasses for eligible Plastic Bank collection members in Indonesia, who are essential to CooperVision’s net plastic neutral partnership with Plastic Bank, the company announced.

Renovation Offers Opportunity to Salvage and Repurpose Building Materials

By Staff
Thursday, March 28, 2024 8:25 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—One of the main accomplishments of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) recent headquarters renovation was the extensive reuse of materials—approximately 80 percent of the materials were repurposed. The headquarters was certified Platinum under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), TRUE and WELL (WELL Building Standard) standards. The reuse of materials resulted in a 44 percent reduction in carbon emissions, well below the Carbon Leadership Forum baseline for an interior buildout.

Karün Eyewear Unveils Eyewear Frames Made From Cigarette Butts

By Staff
Monday, March 11, 2024 8:25 AM PATAGONIA, Chile—Karün Eyewear has announced the world's first eyewear frames made from Celion, a new material developed from cellulose acetate recovered from cigarette butts. Employing advanced technology from Imeko, a Chilean cleantech company, the cigarette butts are collected, cleaned, and processed to recover the cellulose acetate, the company noted. A distinctive mechanical-chemical process removes the toxicity from the filters and recovers pure cellulose acetate as a new sustainable raw material. The butts are completely transformed and repurposed into Celion, the foundational material of their forthcoming collection.

Greenwashing and Its Impact on Sustainability Efforts

By Staff
Monday, March 4, 2024 8:25 AM One of the biggest issues companies face when on their sustainability journey is remaining authentic. Many companies want to go green, but often fall into the “greenwashing” trap. Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on “whitewash”), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization’s products, aims, and policies are environmentally friendly.

Science Based Targets Initiative Expands Its Reach to Help Companies Develop Their Green Programs

By Staff
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 8:25 AM The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling organizations to set science-based emissions reduction targets. The organization helps to show businesses how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

A Special Sustainability Resource for Business Is the Environmental Protection Agency Website

By Staff
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 8:25 AM NEW YORK—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a range of resources and updates about the complex arena of sustainable packaging, what types of materials and what types of statements can be made about these to consumers. The EPA points out, "Understanding the production and disposal of these materials is crucial in making economic and environmentally conscious decisions. Encouraging the shift in packaging construction toward more lightweight or efficient materials helps companies save money while decreasing the amount of waste generated when the packaging is discarded.

Entry Deadline Is Jan. 29 for Fashion Accessories Companies and Retailers to Submit for 2024 Positive Luxury Awards

By Staff
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 8:25 AM NEW YORK—Positive Luxury, sustainability experts for the global luxury industry, are once again holding their Positive Luxury Awards this year and the application deadline is still open for fashion accessories companies and retailers. The group noted, "The world’s biggest issues—from climate to inequality—intensify and change every year. More than ever, we need huge ambition and inspirational action to tackle these most pressing challenges. Positive Luxury believes luxury should lead the way. Always setting new standards and creating new norms—luxury can drive real change for people and nature.

A Major New Global Report From Bain Reveals That Consumers’ Environmental Concerns Are Dramatically Increasing

By Staff
Thursday, December 28, 2023 8:25 AM NEW YORK—As extreme weather prompts growing environmental concern across the globe, new research from Bain & Company, a leading global consultancy, shows more than 60 percent of businesses are off track to meet their current sustainability goals. Progress will require a combination of technology, policy and behavior change. An increasingly conscious base of consumers and employees may prove helpful, however.

Walmart Launches Eyewear Brand Made From Traceable Recycled Materials

By Staff
Thursday, December 14, 2023 8:25 AM BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart Vision Centers is collaborating with Karün on a program which offers customers more sustainable eyewear options at an affordable price. The collection is now available at 1,400 Walmart Vision Center locations. In a blog post earlier this month, Ericka Thumbutu, Walmart’s merchandise director, optical, wrote, “We love seeing our customers find the perfect pair of glasses. When the best choice for them is also the right choice for the planet, everyone wins.”

Deadline Is Extended to Dec. 15 for Mido’s Certified Sustainability Awards

By Staff
Thursday, November 30, 2023 8:25 AM MILAN—The organizers of Mido, the largest international eyewear trade exhibition, to be held Feb. 3-5, 2024 at the Rho-Pero Center in Milan, announced that they have extended the deadline for applications for the 2024 Certified Sustainability Awards until Dec 15. Details about the expanded 2024 awards and entry information are posted here.