Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Sustainable Sourcing

Bridgestone to debut Firestone Firehawk race tires made from sustainable guayule natural rubber at NTT Indycar Series Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge May 27; Bridgestone to commercialize tires made of guayule natural rubber grown in US Southwest by 2030
Bridgestone Americas Inc. (04/25)

Arkema announces SUCCESS certification at its plants in Marseille and Serquigny, France, for biobased materials derived from castor seeds; SUCCESS is world's first sustainable castor supply chain code
Arkema Inc. (04/25)

US LBM on Earth Day reaffirms commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices; they include using suppliers with certified forestry practices, reducing fleet's emissions and fuel consumption, minimizing wood waste in component manufacturing
PR Newswire (04/22)

Reuse/Next Use/Upcycling/Closed Loop

Tech vs. Trees: DS Smith converts paper waste into soil additives for farmers, publishing insiders credit Barnes & Noble for bolstering print books, London studio uses recycled paper to create furniture
Industry Intelligence Inc. (04/22)

Recyclable/Recycled Materials

Orion Engineered Carbons to align sustainability targets with Paris Climate Agreement, aiming for net-zero GHG emissions by 2050; goals include launch of broad range of recycled-based products by 2025, achieve 30% EBITDA from sustainable solutions by 2030
Business Wire (04/25)

Teijin Frontier develops CO2 emissions calculator for polyester fiber production processes; system compares differences in emissions between petroleum-derived fibers and recycled fibers, helps to clarify which processes need improvement
Teijin Ltd. (04/25)

Gen 2 Carbon launches ultra-lightweight, 60-gsm G-TEX nonwoven mat made from recycled carbon fibers; mats can be processed with any resin system, and offer 'excellent' drapeability by combining carded textile flexibility with lower fiber area weight
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. (04/25)

Norsk Hydro begins building US$150M aluminum recycling facility in Cassopolis, Michigan, with completion in 2023; plant to produce 265 million lbs./year of recycled aluminum to support automotive innovation, and locally employ 70 direct employees
Cassopolis Vigilant (04/22)

AF&PA members investing in paper recycling infrastructure, with US$5B in investments, planned or announced, from 2019-2024 that will use 7.8 million tons of recycled fiber; AF&PA aims to increase use of recycled fiber from paper products to 50% by 2030
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) (04/22)

Recycling Centers/Materials Recovery (MRF)

University of Nevada, lithium-ion battery recycler American Battery Technology to research battery metal extraction technologies at campus laboratory; company is currently building 100,000-sq.-ft. battery recycling plant in Fernley, Nevada
PR Newswire (04/25)

Freepoint Eco-Systems receives ISCC Plus certification for its Hebron, Ohio, advanced recycling facility, with operations expected to begin in 2023; certificate verifies company's fully traceable supply chains, commitment to environmental sustainability
PR Newswire (04/25)

Envela's Texas-based Echo Environmental Holdings signs property purchase agreement to build solar panel recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona; company expects property purchase deal to close in Q3
Accesswire (04/22)

Li-Cycle orders Veolia's HPD crystallization technology for its Rochester, New York, lithium-ion battery recycling plant to optimize nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate production from batteries; raw materials to restore function for 225,000 EV batteries/year
ENP Newswire (04/22)

Recycling

Wisconsin recycling facilities offering more money for aluminum cans on high demand caused by automotive industry's increasing use of aluminum, war in Ukraine; price is now at least US$0.80 compared to year-ago's of US$0.60-US$0.65, says facility manager
WITI-TV (04/25)

ACC highlights industry efforts to conserve natural resources; group is guiding members toward air monitoring, water conservation, reduced GHG emissions, reduced waste and more plastics recycling
American Chemistry Council (ACC) (04/22)

Bausch & Lomb, Terracycle report 48 million units, or 290,145 lbs., of used contact lenses, eye and lens care materials recycled through One by One, Biotrue recycling programs; Biotrue program alone collected over 153,222 units since its April 2021 launch
Bausch & Lomb Inc. (04/22)

Toyoda Gosei develops cellulose nanofiber-reinforced plastic for automotive components that doesn’t increase CO2 emissions; product has one-fifth the weight and five times the strength of steel, is easily recycled and reused
Automotive Interiors World (04/22)

Trex concludes 15th annual Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, announces top US schools for recycling plastic film, with Charter Next Generation sponsoring cash prizes; Trex composite decking is produced using 95% recycled and reclaimed materials
Trex Co. Inc. (04/22)

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Alibaba aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, spotlight more sustainable products; company's Tmall platform to pilot program that allows consumers to identify eco-friendly products, inform them of emissions they could save by buying certain products
Benzinga (04/25)

OCOchem and AirCapture announce US Dept. of Energy grant to engineer integrated carbon capture and conversion plant at Nutrien's Kennewick Fertilizer facility in Kennewick, Washington; plant would use recycled CO2 to produce formic acid
PR Newswire (04/25)

Dana publishes 2021 sustainability report; highlights include placement in 90th percentile in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, long-term renewable energy agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90%
DANA (04/25)

Freudenberg groups battery, fuel cell business in separate, independent Freudenberg Battery & Fuel Cell group as of Apr. 1; company pursuing CO2 offset strategy, with goals to reduce 25% of CO2 emissions by 2025 compared to 2020, be carbon neutral by 2045
PR Newswire India (04/25)

US DOT reports key environmental initiatives within the last year; highlights include investing US$5B for a national electric vehicle charging network and reducing pipeline emissions by ensuring nearly 400,000 mi. of natural gas pipelines are maintained
U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) (04/25)

Climate Change

Healthy Soil Biomes and StoryFile launch AI-powered conversational video experience to provide public with resources on how to create healthy farming methods that can help mitigate global issues like food/water scarcity and climate change
Globe Newswire (04/25)

Estee Lauder will sponsor Climate Group's Climate Week NYC for the sixth year in a row; partnership aids Estee Lauder's goals for action against climate change in the coming decade
The Climate Group (04/25)

Canadian government announces investment of more than C$6.4M for six projects under its AgriScience Program to help tackle climate change and create sustainability in Canada's agriculture sector
Web India (04/25)

Danish government to invest DKK675M in Plantefonden, a plant-based fund, to help country's plant-based sector; fund will invest in and promote climate-friendly food research as part of an agreement led by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries
Krishijagran.com (04/25)

TNC says US president's Earth Day executive order recognizes critical role forests play in climate and communities; it calls for this 'smart' science-based, cooperative approach to forest conservation and restoration to be accelerated and amplified
The Nature Conservancy (04/22)

Forest Fire/Wildfire

US loggers worry president's executive order to protect old-growth forests will add more bureaucracy to a forest management framework already unable to keep up with growing wildfires worsened by climate change, says American Forest Resource Council
Canadian Press DataFile (04/22)

Environmental/Ecological/Carbon Footprint

Earthbanc, UNCCD to explore fintech and carbon credit platform to finance land restoration, carbon removal; Earthbanc also plans public investment platform, and new sustainable land bonds to meet framework of UNCCD/SDGs for land degradation neutrality
Earthbanc AB (04/25)

Molson Coors announces series of upgrades to improve the environmental credentials of its brewing operations in Colorado; planned overhaul will reduce waste at facility by 35%, capture 30% more CO2 and reduce energy usage by 30%, company says
MarketLine (04/25)

Arbor Day Foundation commits to planting 500 million trees, with a focus in neighborhoods and forests of greatest need, over next five years; ADF has helped plant almost 500 million trees in more than 50 countries since it was founded in 1972
PRWeb (04/25)

US DOT's Federal Highway Administration launches Carbon Reduction Program that unlocks US$6.4B in funding for states and localities over five years; projects can include zero-emission vehicles and facilities, truck stop and port electrification systems
U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) (04/25)

Scion says proposed changes to New Zealand Emissions Trading scheme could help address challenges related to amount of afforestation needed to meet emissions-reduction targets; in its submission in response, research entity suggests other options
Scion (04/25)

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

GreenBiz: Carbontech innovation going 'bonkers,' as money to fund early-stage carbon removal approaches is adding up, including US$350M fund from venture capital firm Lowercarbon Capital, and nearly US$1B fund created by tech firms Stripe, Shopify, others
GreenBiz (04/22)

Holcim joins Carbon Capture Coalition, which is working to build federal policy around commercial scale deployment of carbon management technologies; Holcim has been developing carbon capture feasibility studies, assessing viability of a CCS facility
Business Wire (04/22)

Ocean GeoLoop installs main modules for carbon capture pilot at Norske Skog's newsprint factory in Skogn, Norway; pilot plant to start full operations this summer, will capture up to 100% of factory's CO2 emissions, converting CO2 to stable, liquid state
Ocean GeoLoop AS (04/22)

Carbon Sequestration

Bluesource Sustainable Forestry's recent acquisition of New York state forestland included 30,000 acres in Lewis County for US$8.8M from Corrigan TLP and 20,000 acres across three counties from TFG's Heartland Forestry Fund IV for an undisclosed amount
Watertown Daily Times (04/25)

Maryland enacts first conservation law in US focused on private finance; it will allow state to buy environmental outcomes like carbon sequestration, and state loan fund changes will authorize financing for acquisition and restoration of natural assets
Targeted News Service (04/22)

UPM-funded scientific report 'Fossil carbon emission substitution and carbon storage effects of wood-based products' emphasizes methodological transparency as carbon footprint becomes increasingly important for product labelling
UPM Kymmene Oyj (04/22)

UPM-funded study contributes to science-based methodology to calculate all climate effects of forest industry; it finds forests, wood-based products can help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon and replacing fossil-based, GHG-emitting materials
Finnish Environment Institute (04/22)

Carbon Trading

Of 500 US and UK ESG and finance decision-makers surveyed by Sylvera, 96% say their companies invest in carbon credits; 39% link investing in voluntary carbon markets to positive public perception/competitive edge, 38% cite helping to protect planet
Sylvera Ltd. (04/22)

XPO introduces Ship Net-Zero program to give its North American truck brokerage customers a way to negate carbon footprint of their freight by purchasing carbon offsets; program tracks offsets to emissions calculations in the customer’s XPO account
XPO Logistics Inc. (04/22)

Regenerative Agriculture

Proposed legislation in New York state aims to ensure regenerative agriculture in the state by 2030, along with 100% renewable electricity and zero-emission vehicles
Congressional Documents & Publications (04/25)

Grassroots Carbon opens new storefront on its website as part of its mission to open access to all who wish to participate in carbon credit market; GC's goal is to promote adoption and improvement of regenerative practices on a scale to have huge impact
EINPresswire (04/22)

Regenerative agriculture helps farmers and ranchers withstand effects of climate change, says report from Natural Resources Defense Council, adding that farmers should use an agricultural model that's 'more in sync with our ecosystems' natural patterns'
States News Service (04/22)

Air Pollution/Air Quality

Global air filter market to reach US$4.81B in 2026, after growing at CAGR of 5% on companies resuming operations amid Covid recovery, decrease in global air quality; companies using more nanofibers, nanocoating on filter media for better dust separation
Globe Newswire (04/25)

Industrial Waste

Nature’s Sunshine releases its first Sustainability Report; sustainability goals include 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, 100% renewable energy use at owned facilities by 2023, reduce waste by 35% at owned manufacturing plants by 2025
Nature's Sunshine Products Inc. (04/22)

Waste Management

K-C India, in partnership with the Plastics for Change Foundation, recycles 22.5 tonnes of single-use and multi-layered plastic in 2021 to build sustainable housing units in Karnataka; PE diverted from oceans will also aid on-ground waste collectors
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (04/25)

World Business Council for Sustainable Development launches SPHERE framework to help businesses choose the most sustainable packaging; SPHERE is based on efficiency, circularity, climate and biodiversity impacts, harmful substances, waste mismanagement
Dairy Processing & Markets (04/22)

Tyson Foods announces that six of its plants across Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Georgia have achieved Zero Waste to Landfill Gold level validation, meaning that 95%-99% of the plants' waste has been diverted from landfills
Globe Newswire (04/22)

Biodegradable/Compostable Materials

Solvay to begin production of its new generation solvent, Rhodiasolv IRIS, from its site in Melle, France, starting in 2023; solvent can be used in paint stripping, industrial cleaning, agrochemistry, and is non-flammable, biodegradable
Solvay SA (04/25)

Researchers develop biodegradable packaging film using lignin nanoparticles derived from simple, green, scalable manufacturing process; nanoparticle bioadditive also gives film UV-shielding, antioxidant, antibacterial properties: study
Research Square (04/22)

Biobased Chemicals & Materials

Trinseo introduces MAGNUM BIO ABS resins for automotive applications; products contain up to 80% bio-attributed content based on materials such as used kitchen oil and pulp industry residues that do not compete with foods
Trinseo (04/25)

Ingevity to showcase biobased specialty inerts for plant health, crop protection at Adjuvants for Agrochemicals 2022 Symposium in Bordeaux, France, April 24-29; portfolio of solutions are derived from renewably sourced materials including lignin, tall oil
Ingevity (04/25)

Lignin can greatly improve protein adhesive properties, increase strength of protein films, and enhance water resistance of soy protein; lignin can be polymerized and repolymerized by shifting pH, then cross-linked to proteins using heat, chemicals: study
Research Square (04/22)

Community Betterment

NHL team Boston Bruins will allow teams to sell advertising space on jerseys beginning next season; team is looking for a company ingrained in the New England community, says Bruins president
The Boston Globe (04/25)