Jakob Winter ’s Post

Do you ever think about the environmental impact of plastic packaging of your new clothes? 🤔 If every garment is shipped in a polybag, there could be more than 150 billion polybags produced per year.* Plastic packaging is predominantly linear in application, characterised by low recycling rates, which leads to significant negative externalities like natural system degradation due to leakage and greenhouse gas emissions from production and incineration. Shifting to renewable, bio-based plastic alternatives can mitigate these issues by decoupling from fossil fuels and reducing environmental impacts. Bio-based plastics offer benefits like natural degradation, which lowers the risk of environmental leakage. Despite their potential, bio-based plastics represent less than 1% of total plastic production, facing several challenges to widespread adoption. These include: 1️⃣ Functionality: Bio-based alternatives often lack the mechanical and barrier properties of conventional plastics, such as transparency, water and oxygen resistance. 2️⃣ Impact: The environmental benefits of bio-based packaging require thorough validation, as concerns like deforestation for paper-based options and competition with food resources for compostable packaging arise. 3️⃣ Infrastructure: Although composting infrastructure is in place, the key challenge lies in the absence of efficient collection and routing systems. While there are ample facilities to process compostable packaging, dedicated collection and recycling systems are required, as compostables are not compatible with traditional recycling streams. 4️⃣ Cost competitiveness: Bio-based plastics are currently more expensive than fossil-based plastics due to factors such as production scale, optimisation levels, and raw material costs.  To address these challenges, Fashion for Good initiated the Home Compostable Polybag Project to understand, assess, and validate innovations in bio-based and compostable polybag alternatives. Read more about the project at https://lnkd.in/ef3KY9hQ *SOURCE: Fashion for Good. "Polybags in the fashion industry (Whitepaper)". 2019. #sustainablefashion #sustainablity #polybag #compostable #biodegradable #alternative #innovation #fashiontech

Will #plastics with this symbol ♻️ 𝗯𝗲 #recycled ? Not really.... This ♻️ symbol, accompanied by a number between 1 and 7, serves as a 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲, indicating the type of plastic rather than specifying how the item can be recycled. While some of these resins are easily and frequently recycled in multiple facilities, others are not. ⬇️Some examples are: 𝟭 - #PET (widely used for drinks bottles and some food packaging) Widely recycled 🟢 𝟯 - #PVC (car parts, cable insulation, windshield system, etc.) Not easily recyclable 🔴 𝟳 - 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 (wide range of plastics including bio-based plastics) Sometimes recyclable 🟡 👉𝗪𝗵𝘆 ♻️ 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁? Because defining whether a plastic item is recyclable doesn’t only depend on the chemical composition of the #plastic but on several different factors including: ➜How different resins are 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 in the plastic item. ➜If the recycling sites of your 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 are equipped for that specific type of resin or multi-resin product ➜... 👉𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀? No, while some plastics may appear similar, when mixed with others, they can negatively impact the recycling process! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 ♻️ 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 but unfortunately, what happens after that isn't so easy to determine... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm a materials engineer passionate about #𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, #𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 #𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, #𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 #Friday𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 !

Companies across the globe are developing innovative materials that reduce environmental impact and offer sustainable alternatives to traditional industrial inputs. Here are some noteworthy companies making significant contributions in this field: Bolt Threads Led by CEO Dan Widmaier, Bolt Threads harnesses biotechnology to create sustainable materials inspired by nature. Their flagship product, Mylo™, is a mycelium-based leather alternative that offers a sustainable option for the fashion industry. Ecovative - the mycelium technology company Co-founded by Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, Ecovative Design uses mycelium to create biodegradable packaging and building materials. Their commitment to fungal technology helps reduce waste and the carbon footprint associated with production processes. Modern Meadow Modern Meadow is advancing the field of biofabricated materials, particularly focusing on leather alternatives that do not require animal inputs. Their technology produces materials with a lower environmental impact compared to traditional leather manufacturing. Paptic Ltd Co-founded by Tuomas Mustonen, Paptic develops renewable packaging materials that combine the versatility of plastics with the recyclability of paper. Their products aim to replace plastic in many applications, significantly reducing plastic pollution. The Hemp Plastic Company Led by Glen Kayll, The Hemp Plastic Company focuses on producing bioplastics from hemp, one of the most sustainable and versatile plants. Their plastics are used in a variety of applications, offering a durable and environmentally friendly alternative. Nanollose Ltd (ASX:NC6) Steered by CEO Alfie Germano, Nanollose creates sustainable textile fibers derived from microbial cellulose, which is grown in a process that uses significantly less water and land than conventional textile production. Apeel James Rogers, CEO of Apeel, leads the company in developing plant-derived coatings that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. This technology reduces food waste significantly, contributing to a more sustainable food system. Mura Technology Under the direction of Richard Daley, ReNew ELP is pioneering chemical recycling technology that converts plastic waste back into oil, which can then be used to produce new plastics. This process supports the circular economy by enabling the reuse of plastic waste. These companies are at the forefront of developing renewable materials that offer real solutions to environmental challenges, contributing significantly to the sustainability of industries and the health of our planet. #RenewableMaterials #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #Innovation #GreenTech

Performance matters more than ever in recycled polymers. Recycled plastics often fall short in usability. To expand their applications, additives become the game-changer. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 are performance-enhancing additives? → Substances mixed with recycled polymers for better properties → Improves durability and strength → Enhances color consistency and appearance → Boosts thermal and UV resistance 𝗪𝗵𝘆 do recycled polymers need additives? → Compensates for mechanical degradation during recycling → Addresses odor or contamination issues → Expands usability in demanding applications → Aligns recycled materials with virgin plastic performance 𝗛𝗼𝘄 additives boost usability across industries: → UV stabilizers for outdoor furniture and agriculture films → Compatibilizers for blending mixed recycled plastics → Color masterbatches for vibrant packaging solutions → Flame retardants for safer construction materials → Anti-microbial agents for medical-grade applications → Flow enhancers for smoother manufacturing processes → Impact modifiers for durable automotive parts 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: → Drives recycled plastics into premium applications → Reduces dependency on virgin polymers → Supports a circular economy with high-performance solutions 𝗣.𝗦. What’s your take on the role of additives in recycling? At Soltex Petroproducts Limited, we specialize in developing additive solutions that bring out the full potential of recycled polymers. ✌ Hi, I’m Geet. Director at Soltex Petroproducts. India’s Precision Masterbatches company. Let’s create together – because innovation fuels excellence.

Sustainable packaging series Material choice Packaging is made up of simple assemblies and produced at high volume. Once produced, the pack typically has little-to-no impact on the planet until it is disposed of. At this point the material it is made from is critical as this determines the disposal and recovery options. When choosing materials, we focus on these five things in order of priority: Functionality; material choice should be made on performance. First and foremost the material properties must be suitable for the target shelf-life, product compatibility and desired user experience. Circular economy; we want to select materials that enable us to reduce the amount of packaging needed and reduce CO2 emissions in production as well as open up opportunities to recycle and recapture material value at the end of the product life cycle. User behaviour; understanding typical user behaviour is key to ensuring planet conscious choices don’t have adverse consequences. Introducing a non-recyclable material into a product line that is synonymous with recycling may contaminate recycling streams and cause more harm than good. Value; high cost doesn’t necessarily mean higher value. Compostable materials are typically 2-3 times more expensive than traditional plastics, however the materials have little or no value to recyclers. By comparison aluminium is currently around 1.5-2 times more expensive than PET and the recycling rates are also around 1.5-2 times higher. Market pull; lastly we select materials that match the consumer demand. Whilst you may wish to prioritise this, what the market wants doesn’t necessarily align with what is truly best for the planet or what makes sense in the context of use. "Good to know…The aluminium industry is pushing for 100% recycling rates by 2050. Currently 76% of aluminium packaging is recycled in the EU. Recycling rates of PET are currently around 49% in the EU." Want to know more? Get in touch or drop us a comment below. #sustainablepackaging #packagingconsultancy #designstrategy

Performance matters more than ever in recycled polymers. Recycled plastics often fall short in usability. To expand their applications, additives become the game-changer. Read this post from our Director Geet Chadha

♲ 𝚄𝚙𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙳𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? 🗑 🔃𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 Plastic waste is transformed into products of similar value, either in an 'open-loop' scenario where recycled material creates different products or in a 'closed-loop' where it recreates the same object. 🔓HDPE Bottles → Plastic Pipes 🔒PET Bottle →PET Bottle. ⬇️𝙳𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐: #Recycling a material into a product of lesser quality or value compared to its original form. This can occur when materials undergo multiple recycling cycles (leading to degradation or loss of properties), when recycling streams are contaminated or due to the addition of additives that make plastic difficult to recycle. 💠 Plastic bottles → Polyester fiber ( for use in textiles, such as clothing and carpets) ⬆️𝚄𝚙𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐: This involves transforming #plastic waste into high-value polymer materials. 📿 Plastic items → Jewellery (adding aesthetic appeal to recycled materials) It's not trivial to achieve with Mechanical Recycling (the most widely used recycling technique today), but there is hope for other recycling techniques. (🤫𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 🧪 is gaining traction for upcycling PET and other conventional plastics, but that's a story for another post!) ----- I'm a materials engineer and every day at work, I have the privilege of discovering remarkable #startups pioneering new technologies, materials and more. I share my insights in a weekly #sciencedigest series focused on #circularity #materials #sustainablealternatives. 🌱 #plasticwaste

❗ Did you know? 🥛 Contrary to the common belief that glass is the most environmentally friendly disposable material, it occupies the last place in the ranking. According to a study done by phys.org on the production (even from recycled glass) of a single bottle: • many times, more resources and energy are used; • large amounts of carbon dioxide are released; • it is necessary to reach very high temperatures; • more fuel is used when transporting them because they weigh more. 🥤 The second place is assigned to plastic packaging. They are durable, chemical resistant and lightweight, but: • break down into harmful microparticles; • cannot be endlessly recycled. 🥫 The most environmentally friendly material for disposable packaging turns out to be aluminium. • It can be recycled continuously. • Saves 95% of the energy used to make a new can. • It is light and easy to transport. ✅ Of course, the safest and best way to protect the environment is by using reusable packaging.

Currently, zero percent of the world’s thermoset materials are recycled (car tires, hip joints, bowling balls, etc) – they’re either incinerated or thrown in landfills. New plastic is made from a bio-sourced material that has crosslinked thermosets’ durability but can be easily recycled, degraded.

PK Innovation Research – END OF PLASTICS: EMBRACING A REVOLUTIONARY PAPER-BASED SOLUTION FOR PALLET WRAPPING In an era where sustainability is not just a preference but a necessity, a groundbreaking alternative to plastic pallet wrap has emerged, marking a significant stride toward environmental conservation. This innovative solution harnesses the strength and flexibility of crepe paper, offering a fully recyclable, FSC-certified option that seamlessly integrates with existing wrapping machinery, whether hand-operated, semi-automated, or fully automated. This product stands out for its remarkable lightness, at just 42 grams per square meter, yet does not compromise on durability, stretchability, or tear resistance. Designed to accommodate a variety of industrial needs, it is available in natural kraft and white, and in multiple roll sizes and weights, ensuring versatility for diverse packaging requirements. The introduction of this paper-based wrap aligns with global legislative trends aiming to reduce single-use plastics. For instance, legislation like California's SB 54 mandates that all single-use packaging must be recyclable or compostable by 2032, highlighting the timely relevance of adopting such sustainable alternatives. For logistics and transportation companies, transitioning to this sustainable wrapping solution not only supports compliance with increasing environmental regulations but also offers an opportunity to enhance their brand image as pioneers in sustainability, potentially attracting environmentally conscious clients and partners. As businesses around the world intensify their efforts to reduce environmental footprints, this paper-based wrap represents not just a product but a pivotal movement in the packaging industry—toward more sustainable practices that can significantly mitigate the global plastic waste crisis. If you would like to receive deep insights into our research method and how we could contribute to your innovation journey. Book a time with me https://lnkd.in/gZN_B8Wq Follow us for more research updates https://lnkd.in/eVJrMMjy or https://lnkd.in/erRiEaEH