UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested almost £2 million in 14 projects to address consumer problems with plastic packaging.

Plastics sustainability has come a long way in recent years thanks in large part to scientific advances. But even as plastics become more and more environmentally friendly, the world continues to be polluted as many industries rely on them for their widely used products. The latest research from Dr. Junpeng Wang, assistant professor in UA’s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering has a solution to reduce such waste and clear a scientific pathway for a more sustainable future that can appeal to the rubber, tire, automobile and electronics industries.

Founded in 2018 by sibling duo Shubham Singh and Himansha Singh, Pune-based Craste purchases crop residues from farmers and recycles them into packaging material and engineered boards. India’s propensity for agriculture means that the country produces a high amount of agricultural waste. A NITI Aayog report quoting MNRE data states that about 500 million tons of agricultural residue is produced every year; NCBI data reveals that about 92 million tons of crop residue are burnt. 

TOMRA and Gualapack work together to prove the recyclability of Gualapack’s first-of-a-kind monomaterial PP spouted pouch through all stages of treatment of a DKR rigid PP waste stream.

A company is making paper packaging products for the food industry using crop waste materials such as apple skins, avocado peel and mango pips. UK-based Tensei has a database of nearly 400 fibres which would otherwise be wasted, including non-wood pulps such as wheat, hemp, bagasse and abaca.

RIL’s initiative to more than double its recycling capacity to 5 billion post-consumer PET bottles will ensure India maintains over 90% recycling rate

How to find a label material that not only communicates sustainability but also gives a clear suggestion for the product’s intended use? This was an issue that the Nordic paint company Tikkurila wanted to solve when designing a new updated look for the Valtti exterior paint product family. Close collaboration with a local printing house resulted in finding the perfect wooden label to compliment the packaging.

Agreed common position on collecting flexible packaging waste in a circular economy outlines essential elements to capture resources

KINGSPORT, Tenn. and CINCINNATI, Ohio – August 2, 2021 — Today Eastman (NYSE: EMN) announced that it has entered an agreement with Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) to further accelerate the transformation of plastic packaging and collaborate on recycling solutions to enable a circular economy. P&G will use Eastman Renew materials in select products and packaging, supporting both companies’ goals to reduce the use of virgin plastic from fossil resources.