Sustainability

BASF, Endress+Hauser, TechnoCompound, and the German Universities of Bayreuth and Jena have partnered to study ways to improve the mechanical recycling of plastics. The project, called SpecRek, is being partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with the goal of reliably and precisely identifying the composition of plastic waste during the recycling process to improve the quality of recycled plastics.

Duracell’s iconic copper-topped batteries are hitting Walmart shelves in new packaging. Individual packs of batteries are now packaged in curbside recyclable, all-cartonboard, paper-blisters that replace the legacy format of thermoformed plastic blisters affixed to cardstock backing.

Amazon may consider bringing several global innovations to India for manufacturing sturdy recyclable paper packaging as the e-commerce company works to reduce the use of plastic across its deliveries.

The move is part of the company’s broader effort to eliminate plastic delivery packaging.

The e-commerce firm has been researching and experimenting for years to find solutions to deliver products to customers with paper.

Addressing this need, Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland has introduced Sustainability Passports, a tool designed to provide transparent, verifiable data about the environmental impact and compliance of its plastic packaging solutions.

The passports answer critical questions: What is the packaging’s CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) footprint? How much post-consumer waste does it contain? Is it exempt from the UK Plastic Packaging Tax? Does it comply with EU food safety regulations?

One of the key changes they made was removing the plastic bags inside and outside the box. Initially, they used outer plastic wraps and lamination to adequately protect the box from damage when it was shipped, which they replaced with a water-based coating that keeps that box safe and undamaged. Inside the box, they now use paper-based wraps that protect the device and are compatible with paper recycling streams.

Regarding pricing and availability, specific details have not been disclosed. However, the production phase is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the aim of making the hemp-based packaging available to food and beverage manufacturers shortly thereafter. The partnership’s goal is to provide an immediate solution for reducing single-use plastics, thereby supporting environmental sustainability and positioning North Queensland as a leader in the circular economy.
 

Hanmer Springs Tea Kiosk Café and Grill at the thermal pools has swapped the traditional pizza box for reusable plastic plates for both onsite café customers and customers who wish to take their pizza poolside.

“We were looking for ways to improve our kaitiakitanga and reduce our carbon footprint,” café manager, Holly Keepa says.

“Pizza boxes were an obvious starting point on this waste minimisation journey as we knew contaminated pizza boxes are not recyclable and were going into landfill.

• Vaseline’s new pump in its Vaseline Intensive Care packaging is widely recyclable in the US and Canada, according to How2Recycle’s assessment

• Since 2018, Vaseline has redesigned its packaging and increased its use of recycled content, avoiding the use of virgin plastic equivalent to approximately 11 million plastic lotion bottles