Circular Economy

The fibers of a desert plant grown by University of Arizona scientists could someday revolutionize the paper industry, cut water use and provide a viable crop alternative for Arizona's farmers. Read More

Archer Daniels Midland and P&G Chemicals, a business unit of Procter & Gamble, have announced the formation of a Technology Council to explore opportunities that will lead to the development of innovative, natural-based products. This is the first joint project between ADM and P&G Chemicals. Read More

More than 6,000 computers go to waste every day in California, according to a new study prepared by a coalition of industry groups under sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cleaning up computer and electronic waste could cost industry as much as $232 million, or generate as much as a $36 million profit, depending on what solutions are chosen, the report found. Read More

Turning soy oil into industrial grade plastic? Call it food for thought, says University of Delaware chemical engineering professor Richard P. Wool, who discussed his research during a recent presentation at the Royal Academy in Dublin, Ireland. Read More

That next Big Mac you get might be wrapped in sustainability. EarthShell Corporation, makers of environmentally preferable disposable food packaging, announced yesterday that McDonald’s Corp. has approved its EarthShell sandwich container for use in 300 of the fast food giant’s restaurants. Read More

Chiquita, the world's top banana producer, which grows about one-quarter of all bananas sold, announced its participation this week in the Better Banana Project, an environmental certification program requiring companies to rein in the use of toxic chemicals, reduce pollution, and conserve soil and water. Read More

Armstrong World Industries, the world's largest manufacturer of acoustical ceilings, has announced a program that allows building owners to recycle their old ceiling tiles rather than dump them in landfills. Read More

84 Lumber Company, the nation's fourth-largest supplier of building materials, said Thursday it will phase out sales of products from endangered forests by the end of 2003. Read More

In what it claims to be a world first, the Danish environmental protection agency has proposed setting taxes on packaging materials based on their environmental impacts. Read More

Petroleum-based wax paper, watch out: there's a slick new game in town, and it could be better for the environment. Researchers have developed a way to make an eco-friendly bio-based version of the kitchen and food-industry staple. Read More