With new technology and developments around every corner, things move fast at Smart Plastic HQ. Keep up with everything right here.
A new international study by Unilever reveals that a third of consumers (33%) are now choosing to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good.
Unilever:
The study identifies two probable reasons for consumers’ greater focus on sustainable purchasing in emerging economies compared to developed markets. First is direct exposure to the negative impact of unsustainable business practices, such as water and energy shortages, food poverty and poor air quality. And second is the power of social norms. So, while Brazilian, Indian and Turkish people feel pressure from their family, friends and even their children to buy greener, more socially responsible products, this sense of social scrutiny is currently less prevalent in the UK and US.
Read the full report over on Unilever’s blog post, Report shows a third of consumers prefer sustainable brands.
A diver who filmed a huge “slick” of plastic floating in clear waters in Indonesia said he has “never seen anything like this scale” of ocean pollution before.
Anna-Lena Janzen and Nick Kilvert writing for abc.net.au:
Murdoch University lead researcher Elitza Germanov said microplastics — particles smaller than five millimetres long — contain toxic chemicals that, if ingested, could alter biological processes in the animals, such as growth, development and reproduction. "We are still trying to understand the magnitude of the issue," Ms Germanov said. "Microplastic contamination has the potential to further reduce the population numbers of these species, many of which are long-lived and have few offspring throughout their lives."
Tests found water bottles were harbouring dangerous germs like E.coli.
While quenching your thirst after pounding the treadmill is a vital part of any workout, it turns out you could actually unwittingly make yourself sick.
Kate Pickles writing for Daily Mail:
Tests revealed thousands of moisture-loving bacteria crawling all over the spouts and caps. Research by TreadmillReviews.net lab-tested 12 refillable water bottles that had been used by athletes over the course of a week. In fact, the average person's water bottle was found to have over 300,000 colony forming units of bacteria. Perhaps most surprising, most of these germs were the most harmful types - known as gram negative rods - such as E.coli and salmonella. There were a host of bacteria linked to skin infections, pneumonia as well as blood poisoning.
Here we characterise and quantify a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters between California and Hawaii: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
From a scientific report on nature.com:
Here we characterise and quantify a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters between California and Hawaii: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Our model, calibrated with data from multi-vessel and aircraft surveys, predicted at least 79 (45–129) thousand tonnes of ocean plastic are floating inside an area of 1.6 million km2; a figure four to sixteen times higher than previously reported.
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Smart Plastic is pleased to announce that Topco has informed the Company’s management team of their decision to substantially increase their volume of business with SPT.
Smart Plastic Technologies, LLC, a specialist in the development, production and marketing of unique additives for use in polymers which provide biodegradation, antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-counterfeit properties in finished products, is pleased to announce that Topco has informed the Company’s management team of their decision to substantially increase their volume of business with SPT. It is anticipated this will occur during the last quarter of 2017.
Topco Associates LLC is a privately held $5 billion company that provides innovative business solutions for its food industry member-owners and customers.
Topco is currently supplying bags with the SMART additive to some of their members. Those include Price Chopper, Harp’s Foods, King Kullen, Laurel Grocery and Affiliated Foods Midwest. This decision is expected to more than double that volume.
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Smart Plastic is pleased to announce that they will be attending the Pack Expo. Their booth number is 6842 Lower South Hall.
We are excited to announce that Smart Plastic will be attending Pack Expo again this year. Find us at Booth 6842 Lower South Hall! And for tickets, check out Pack Expo’s website.
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Smart Plastic is pleased to announce the opening of the company’s second location in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Smart Plastic Technologies, LLC, a specialist in the development, production and marketing of unique additives for use in polymers which provide biodegradation, antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-counterfeit properties in finished products, is pleased to announce the opening of the Company’s second location in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“This location was chosen as it is where our V.P. Sales, Dick Frost lives with his family. Virtually all sales related details will be managed from this location while production management will remain in our Wheeling location. It’s another example of the growth of our company. We are very thankful” stated Dick Frost, V.P. Sales for Smart Plastic.
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From the moment we wake up in the morning and brush our teeth, to when we watch TV at the end of the day, plastic is all around us.
From the moment we wake up in the morning and brush our teeth, to when we watch TV at the end of the day, plastic is all around us.
Diego Gonzaga writing for Greenpeace:
Everyday, more and more plastic keeps being produced, used and thrown away. In countries where disposable cups are made of plastic, for example, it may take only seconds for one to leave the package, be used, and end up in a trash can. So much plastic is being consumed that there is an area bigger than France of throw-away plastic swirling at all depths in the North Pacific Ocean. It has become so ubiquitous that birds are using it to build their nests.
