Month: January 2021

Founded in 1987, Loch Fyne Seafarms Ltd is a company proud of its heritage and provenance supporting sustainability and harmony with nature. Based in Tarbert, Loch Fyne (a tidal loch on the west coast of Scotland) we are a growing and thriving shellfish processing and international export business. Our wonderful products reach as far as North America all the way across to Far East Asia and almost everywhere else in between. We have established strong links with fishermen who we know and trust, can track the catch and deliver to you, our customer always ensuring the highest level of quality product and customer service.  The beautiful mineral-rich waters of the west coast of Scotland provide us with the best premium shellfish available on the market today.

The competitive nature of the chemicals, oil and gas markets requires that facility owners and operators continue to find ways to improve their current margins and establish resilience regarding long-term and financially relevant environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.  Doing so may mean a significant investment in renewable feedstocks. It may also mean the optimization of base operations and investment in new greenfield and/or brownfield technology upgrades, both new units and retrofits.

Under de Meo’s efficiency drive, Renault will build vehicles on fewer shared platforms to pare back costs by 600 euros per car by 2023, and aim to cut development time for new vehicles by a year, to under three years. The 53-year old’s shift to a more electric line-up will include building a battery plant in France with one of the company’s suppliers, while the company is working on partnerships in areas like technology.

Packaging Digest’s most recent article is an exploration in the growth of ecommerce over the year and, alongside this, the growth in demand for sustainable packaging.  2020 has been a tumultuous year for all but due to lockdown restrictions we have seen a boom in ecommerce with a growth of 209% in April.

A new research contract has been formed between the UK Space Agency and Rolls-Royce Defence that will have planetary scientists working together to explore nuclear power’s potential as a plentiful source of energy to make deep space exploration possible in the decades to come. One area of research will be nuclear propulsion that would involve channeling energy released by splitting atoms to accelerate propellants, like hydrogen, at high speeds.

From developing communities to finding research solutions to global challenges, Universities have a responsibility to support the sustainability agenda in a myriad of ways.  In November, the University Council approved a vision for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) that includes the construction of a major new Science Precinct on central campus.  The Science Precinct will include new space for the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, and the School of Engineering, to enable them to grow, innovate and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The introduction of China’s CSAR means cosmetics companies now need to provide scientific evidence for any marketing claims. Carys Smith and Victoria Stoate from Ayton Global Research explain why this presents an opportunity for brands to improve their claims substantiation generally  You may have seen the big announcement regarding changes to cosmetic regulations in China from the Chinese State Council, including changes for advertising claims substantiation.

According to the UK Green Building Council, the built environment weighs heavily on the UK’s carbon emissions, contributing up to 40% of our carbon footprint. Given the imperative to reach net-zero carbon emissions in Scotland by 2045 to tackle climate change, the property sector will need to play its part. Whilst this challenge looms large, the growth of modular and offsite manufacturing can provide a solution to the housing sector’s environmental impact, helping to create a more sustainable economy.

We believe that Twists can play a large part in the way the world thinks about plastic filler materials, and further the way the world looks at eco-friendly alternatives to everyday items. Twists can be used in so many applications, what will you come up with? Twists are made from post consumer recycled paper and do no harm to the environment. They can be recycled, re-used and even composted with no chemical signature. How can you make a difference? Start by ditching (recycling) your plastic foam packing peanuts, and switching to Twists.

Bahrain’s The National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and Eni’s environmental company will collaborate in the promotion of joint initiatives for the recovery of soil, water and waste resources.  The memorandum of understanding was signed in the presence of H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil and Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer of Eni.

ISEAL has developed a good practice guide to support sustainability systems to strengthen the effectiveness of your improvement strategies. We are seeking input on this draft until 15 January 2021.  Global sustainability challenges are complex problems and determining the best strategies to bring about lasting improvements in sustainability performance remains a core challenge for sustainability systems.

As consumer giants Coca-Cola and Carlsberg recently announced the switch to plant-based plastics that break down within a year, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan encourages local manufacturers to follow suit.  Pangilinan noted that his Senate Bill 40, which seeks to ban the use, manufacture, and importation of single-use plastic, also encourages the research and development of biodegradable alternatives, and incentivizes individuals and groups, including businesses, that manufacture these alternatives.

Lenovo has today revealed how customers are ushering in a green revolution in commerce by opting to offset the carbon emissions of new Think branded products at the point of purchase as part of the company’s new CO2 Offset Services initiative.

Lenovo first launched the program as a pilot in the Nordics in February 2020. Building on this successful pilot, the Company plans to roll out the program in 2021 for all of Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as Asia Pacific and North America. It’s believed to be one of the first initiatives of its kind in the IT industry.

The latest episode sees edie’s senior reporter Sarah George speaking with the Coca-Cola Company’s sustainability director for Europe, Therese Noorlander. 

Noorlander discusses how the company is working with its bottlers and suppliers to accelerate the net-zero transition. The Coca-Cola Company’s largest bottle in Western Europe, CCEP, notably set a 2040 net-zero target in 2020.

She also outlines the business’s plans on water stewardship and plastics – two of its most material topics – in 2021, in line with changing consumer and investor demands and improved scientific research. 

It used to be conventional wisdom that when building a career being a specialist in one area was the key to making it to the top. That notion is being challenged, with a broad selection of skills and experiences now highly desirable for prospective employees and entrepreneurs.

This paper focuses on the possibility of adapting the centrifugal slip casting method to obtain zirconia–alumina composite materials in the form of finished tube-shaped products. These types of products, due to their unique properties, can be utilised, for example, in the transport of aggressive substances, even in extreme temperatures or corrosive conditions. The study reports on the two series of zirconia–alumina composites differing in the content of ZrO2—2.5 and 25 vol%. The fabricated and sintered materials were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and stereological analysis. Moreover, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was provided in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 14044 and EN 15805 standards. The obtained data clearly show that the centrifugal slip casting method allows obtaining samples with high density and extremely uniform distribution of the ZrO2 phase in the alumina matrix. The stereological analysis results proved also that the addition of ZrO2…

As the planet continues to warm, the twin challenges of diminishing water supply and growing energy demand will intensify. But water and energy are inextricably linked. For instance, nearly a fifth of California’s energy goes toward water-related activities, while more than a tenth of the state’s electricity comes from hydropower. As society tries to adapt to one challenge, it needs to ensure it doesn’t worsen the other.

Halide perovskite solar cells have in recent years emerged as a potential alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics due to their outstanding performance, having reached energy conversion efficiency comparable to the currently available silicon counterparts in less than a decade of research. Therefore, in addition to vast academic interest, industries are paying close attention to the development of perovskite-based photovoltaics.

Don’t you love it when the detergent pack zooms across the shirt turning it a crisp white? Or when the toilet cleaner is advertised removing the grimy build-up to reveal a shiny, spotless surface? It’s pleasing to imagine the strong chemicals cutting through dirt and germs. But only because we’re not aware of the whole picture.

Mercedes-Benz is accelerating its journey towards CO2 neutrality. Significant progress was made in 2020, with a steep increase in xEV deliveries: More than 160,000 plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles were sold by Mercedes-Benz Cars worldwide (+228.8%), including about 87,000 units in the fourth quarter.

“We more than tripled sales of our plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars. Demand for these vehicles increased sharply, especially towards the end of the year.