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We recently learned about a collaborative project between blown and cast film German manufacturer Suedpack and global thermoforming  and tool systems manufacturer Illig Maschinenbau, that demonstrate that thermoformed food packaging with components that are certified compostable and predominantly biobased is possible under current market conditions. The development, say the partners, is in keeping with the increasing trend and demand for compostable and biobased packaging solutions in more and more countries.…

We have previously reported on various industry sustainability type projects being undertaken by nova-Institute. The private and independent German institute, which has offered research and consultancy since 1994 with a focus on the transition of the chemical and material industry to renewable carbon: How to substitute fossil carbon with biomass, direct CO2 utilization and recycling, has launched a completely new website.   In their endeavors to completely replacing the fossil…

Right now, the housing market is insane in much of the country — too many buyers are chasing too little real estate with interest rates at historic lows, which is driving home prices into the stratosphere. Mighty Buildings, a startup based in Oakland, CA, may have a remedy. By combining its patented 3D-printing technology, automation, and advanced materials, notably a thermoset composite, Mighty Buildings prints modular houses and accessory dwelling…

When I first wrote about TerraCycle Inc.’s Loop project, I was skeptical. The company developed an online shopping platform in which specific brand-name products from program partners are packed in a durable, reusable, returnable tote and sent to consumers. After the products are used, the empty bottles and packages are put back into the tote and returned to TerraCycle using a pre-paid UPS shipping label. The bottles and other plastic…

A circle surrounding the letters V and W — just one glance and it’s clear that we’re looking at a Volkswagen. The basic shape of the logo has been in use since 1945 and has been subject to continued development over the years. Volkswagen recently modernized the logo in one of the world’s biggest rebranding exercises. “The new logo represents Volkswagen’s breakthrough into an electric, connected, and CO2-neutral era,” says…

[embedded content] A new video posted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) points to research at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Overseen by Prof. Rebecca Cockrum assisted by grad student Hailey Galyon, the research aims to develop bioplastic materials from bacteria to replace single-use plastics used on farms. Completely biodegradable, the material comes from a unique source: bacteria. It’s said to be ideal as…