RanMarine’s Waste Shark Eats Trash Floating in the O...

Dutch sustainable technology innovators are at it again, this time with an aquatic drone with an appetite for trash floating at sea. RanMarine and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have teamed up and set loose the first wave of Waste Sharks, autonomous robots with an aim to keep our waterways clean. It's not news that [...]

Dutch sustainable technology innovators are at it again, this time with an aquatic drone with an appetite for trash floating at sea. RanMarine and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have teamed up and set loose the first wave of Waste Sharks, autonomous robots with an aim to keep our waterways clean. It’s not news that our oceans are increasingly polluted. From oil spills to islands made of garbage, to the acidification of the water due to excess levels of carbon...
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Clarifying Our Stance on Plastics Use

If you've been a fan of our blog posts so far, you might have noticed we're pretty critical of plastics waste. Given that we're a company that uses plastic in our void fill products, it could seem a little strange to speak up against a material that we, too, are guilty of using. That being [...]

If you’ve been a fan of our blog posts so far, you might have noticed we’re pretty critical of plastics waste. Given that we’re a company that uses plastic in our void fill products, it could seem a little strange to speak up against a material that we, too, are guilty of using. That being said, we’d like to take the time to clarify our stance on industrial plastics use and how we seek to continue our tradition as a...
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An Algae Water Bottle You Can Drink From (And Eat)

I know it might seem like we're picking on plastic lately, but the facts are there: plastic waste is a major problem. Contributing from everything to bursting landfills, floating garbage islands in the middle of the ocean, and the leaching of toxic chemicals back into ground and water tables, the material that once revolutionized packaging [...]

I know it might seem like we’re picking on plastic lately, but the facts are there: plastic waste is a major problem. Contributing from everything to bursting landfills, floating garbage islands in the middle of the ocean, and the leaching of toxic chemicals back into ground and water tables, the material that once revolutionized packaging is now sealing our (and our world’s) demise. But not everyone’s content with that fate. Plastic alternatives have been cropping up over the years in...
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Polymer Injection Technology: Turning Old Tires into...

When we think of transportation, images of vehicles big and small might come to mind. Cars, trucks, planes, ships, all with their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to choosing the right vehicle to move your products (or yourself). Though when it comes to sustainability, the focus is on the emissions of these vehicles. [...]

When we think of transportation, images of vehicles big and small might come to mind. Cars, trucks, planes, ships, all with their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to choosing the right vehicle to move your products (or yourself). Though when it comes to sustainability, the focus is on the emissions of these vehicles. Rarely do we think of how some of the parts might cause environmental problems of their own. Come to think of it, how many sets...
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Moove Over, Plastic: Milk-Based Packaging is on its Way

As the old saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. So too do we find that to be the case with plastic, a revolutionary material that’s shaped industries the world over as well as asserting itself as the standard of food packaging. Of course, this all comes at the cost of [...]

As the old saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. So too do we find that to be the case with plastic, a revolutionary material that’s shaped industries the world over as well as asserting itself as the standard of food packaging. Of course, this all comes at the cost of our overburdened landfills, oceans, and the overall health of our environment. Desperate to find an answer to our plastics problem, some researchers are turning to...
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Is Microfibrillated Cellulose The Future of Barrier ...

Plastic has been the front-runner in food packaging for decades now. With its hardiness, malleability, and inherent air and moisture resistance, it's been a natural (artificial) choice as a food-safe material. Though it might keep your favorite snacks protected from bacteria or and excess air causing them to go stale, however, our extensive obsession [...]

Plastic has been the front-runner in food packaging for decades now. With its hardiness, malleability, and inherent air and moisture resistance, it’s been a natural (artificial) choice as a food-safe material. Though it might keep your favorite snacks protected from bacteria or and excess air causing them to go stale, however, our extensive obsession with the stuff is wreaking havoc on our environment. But is there anything as good as this fossil-fueled barrier juggernaut? If it’s the Earth we wish...
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How Precious Plastic is Reshaping Our Waste Problem

It's often all too easy for businesses to dismiss recycling and green initiatives as too costly to implement compared to conventional methods. After all, a good capitalist knows one ought to maximize revenue while minimizing expenses, right? But just as rent or property taxes, equipment, wages, and whatever else you care to list off your books is considered [...]

It’s often all too easy for businesses to dismiss recycling and green initiatives as too costly to implement compared to conventional methods. After all, a good capitalist knows one ought to maximize revenue while minimizing expenses, right? But just as rent or property taxes, equipment, wages, and whatever else you care to list off your books is considered a fiscal cost of doing business, we cannot forget the cost we inflict on our planet as well. While some CEOs might try to justify this...
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The Plastic Bottle Cutter Spins Waste into Rope

While the art of recycling plastic bottles into rope isn’t new, the inventors behind the Plastic Bottle Cutter sure are making it trendy. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Plastic Bottle Cutter might be a clever way to make the best of a bad situation (that is, the ridiculous amount of plastic waste that’s tossed [...]

While the art of recycling plastic bottles into rope isn’t new, the inventors behind the Plastic Bottle Cutter sure are making it trendy. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Plastic Bottle Cutter might be a clever way to make the best of a bad situation (that is, the ridiculous amount of plastic waste that’s tossed into our oceans and landfills). With over 150 million tons of plastic waste floating out at sea and millions more stashed away in dumps on...
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This New Photocell Turns CO2 into Fuel, Thinks It’s ...

Finally, it looks like we might be able to tap into the process that our leafy cohabitants have been mastering for thousands (if not millions) of years. A research team at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has come up with a new photocell that harnesses the power of artificial photosynthesis, taking carbon dioxide and [...]

Finally, it looks like we might be able to tap into the process that our leafy cohabitants have been mastering for thousands (if not millions) of years. A research team at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has come up with a new photocell that harnesses the power of artificial photosynthesis, taking carbon dioxide and sunlight and turning it into usable fuel. Before beginning to even describe this eco-friendly sorcery, let’s touch base on the not-so-eco-friendly problem that’s prompted the...
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How Farm from a Box Could Feed the World

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables from a farm just outside of town is more than just an industry gimmick using "organic" and "locally sourced" as buzzwords. In fact, that we've grown to prefer conventional mass-production harvesting over natural, small farm agriculture practices is more than a little backwards. With the rising cost of food [...]

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables from a farm just outside of town is more than just an industry gimmick using “organic” and “locally sourced” as buzzwords. In fact, that we’ve grown to prefer conventional mass-production harvesting over natural, small farm agriculture practices is more than a little backwards. With the rising cost of food logistics and a global food shortage affecting hundreds of millions of people, we need to reconsider how we grow our food. Some would say to think...
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How Ecommerce is Cutting Down Shopping’s Carbon Foot...

Of all the conveniences the 21st century has to offer, online shopping has to be one of the best. From computer, tablet, or smartphone, in just a few clicks, you can order anything from armchairs to zebra-print neckties and have it sent straight to your house. But more orders means more delivery trucks, and more [...]

Of all the conveniences the 21st century has to offer, online shopping has to be one of the best. From computer, tablet, or smartphone, in just a few clicks, you can order anything from armchairs to zebra-print neckties and have it sent straight to your house. But more orders means more delivery trucks, and more delivery trucks means more greenhouse gases, right? Well… not exactly. CO2 emissions associated with retail and ecommerce product pathway stages. Image source: Anna Argyridou (via...
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RePlast and the Art of Turning Waste into Building M...

When you think of plastic bricks, fond memories of playing with Legos might come to mind. But for New Zealander inventor and engineer Peter Lewis and ByFusion, shaping plastic into blocks is more than child's play. As more people and businesses become aware of the dangers of climate change, recycling, sustainability, and green technology has [...]

When you think of plastic bricks, fond memories of playing with Legos might come to mind. But for New Zealander inventor and engineer Peter Lewis and ByFusion, shaping plastic into blocks is more than child’s play. As more people and businesses become aware of the dangers of climate change, recycling, sustainability, and green technology has never been more in-demand. Outside of incinerating our trash or trying to find clever ways to bury and hide it, finding ways to reduce and...
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