The Importance of Practicing More Sustainably By Catherine Haub Consumers are focusing on purchasing sustainably, indicated by a recent study from IBM found that 80% stated that sustainability is important to them and 60% would change shopping habits to reduce environmental impact [1]. They are also looking into how the company operates, which was evident […]
What are the state’s current regulations, and what can we expect in the future? By Catherine Haub Last week, Los Angeles banned Styrofoam products from being distributed in restaurants as a step towards being more of a zero-waste city starting April 23, 2023 [1]. Los Angeles is not the first city in the state to […]
Ways to Reduce Plastics Environmental Impact By Catherine Haub Now more than ever, individuals and companies are looking for ways to reduce their ecological footprint, and one way they are doing so is by reducing the amount of plastic they use. This is beneficial in reducing the amount of plastic going into the environment, but […]
What are each of the goals and what companies can do to achieve them? By Catherine Haub The United Nations defines sustainable development as “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]. Back in 2015, the United Nations came out with […]
What do these terms mean, and how do they apply to sustainability? By Catherine Haub People across the globe are looking for ways to be more sustainable, leading to new terms describing different goals to be more sustainable. Two terms that have come up lately involve carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas negatively affecting the atmosphere, […]
What do these bans mean for producers? By Catherine Haub In April 2022, the European Union announced a ban on 12,000 chemicals that fall into six broad groups by 2030 to improve human and environmental health [1]. This ban is in response to the study that found that chemical pollution had crossed a dangerous threshold […]
How we turn old into new! By Catherine Haub What happens to the plastic water bottles after you throw them in the recycling? Many know the basics: it gets picked up and turned into new items, but how exactly does that work? How do we turn trash and undesirable into something new? In this post, […]
What is a circular economy, how it applies to the world of plastics, and how to be a part of it! By Catherine Haub In 2010, Dame Ellen MacArthur founded the MacArthur Foundation intending to reframe our economy, and go from a straight line to a circular economy, but what do those mean? According to […]
What are recycling numbers, and how to properly dispose of each plastic? By Catherine Haub Have you ever looked at the bottom of a plastic cup and noticed the triangle with a number in the middle of it? While most people probably have, they believe that it means that the cup can get thrown in […]
Why are companies moving away from green plastic bottles? By Catherine Haub In a milestone precedent, Coca-Cola is going away from green PET, switching to clear PET. In the coming months, Sprite, Seagrams, Fresca, and Mellow Yellow will no longer reside in their iconic green bottles but instead found in clear ones [1]. Many may […]
What are Walmart’s sustainability goals, and are you ready for them? By Catherine Haub To boost sustainability, Walmart has enacted Project Gigaton*, and effort to reduce one billion tons of greenhouse gases by 2030 by placing responsibility on their suppliers [1]. Walmart aligned the project with the Paris Agreement’s 2-degree Celsius warming scenario and consulted […]
Why is plastic so bad? By Catherine Haub Sustainable packaging has been on the minds of consumers much more now than it has been in the past as 37% of consumers are making sustainability a priority when it comes to purchasing products and brands [1]. Contrary to what many people believe, there are many different […]
How the current recycling system doesn’t work, and how to fix it. By Catherine Haub The recycling of plastic in America is a significant issue, with rates reaching a peak of 8.7% in 2018 and only going down since then [1]. The decrease in recycling rates is due to several things, but it all comes […]
How do we Engineer more Sustainable Packaging? By Catherine Haub Like in other industries, packaging has undergone many changes throughout the years based on customer wants and needs and the development of new technologies. Customers are focusing on sustainability more vigorously; in response, companies are changing production to make themselves more sustainable, and packaging companies […]
How to Practice Sustainability with Restrictions By Catherine Haub Plastics play an important role in the medical industry, especially since the invention of blister packaging back in the 60s. It can be found in many major medical devices such as prosthetics, portable medical devices, hearing aids, and so much more due to its versatility [1]. Without […]
How Can We Keep Food Fresher Longer With Our Packaging? By Catherine Haub Talk of greenhouse gas emissions is rising due to how they change our climate, including global warming. More and more people are looking to lower their carbon footprint by living a more sustainable lifestyle, and one way to do that includes decreasing […]
Are Bioplastics Actually Better for the Environment? By Catherine Haub Greenwashing is a common marketing tactic to convince consumers that the products they are purchasing are good for the environment, and a very common strategy is leaving out important information about the products’ sustainability. Take bioplastics for example: the name makes it sound eco-friendly, and […]
What Does Recycled Plastic Really Mean? By Catherine Haub The new R&R: recycled and recyclable. People are looking for items that are eco-friendly, and brands are focusing on marketing themselves around their sustainability practices to appeal to this audience [1]. On many items’ words like “made from recycled material” or “recyclable” are advertised, but do […]
How Will New Laws Affect The World Of Plastic? By Catherine Haub Post-consumer recycled, also known as PCR, plastic is important in areas other than just packaging. Due to its importance in sustainability and how beneficial it is to our environment, it’s no surprise that it has been brought up by lawmakers. Throughout the past […]
What is Greenwashing? By Catherine Haub When it comes to shopping, there has been another factor that many consumers are considering when it comes to buying a company’s product. Now more than ever, consumers are looking for products that are more eco-friendly and sustainable, and tend to gravitate more towards products that are advertised this […]