GreenerDesign Staff

Green business news and tools for aligning sustainability with business success. Resources for successful green strategies, covering operations, marketing, energy, product design, and more.

Design Roundup: Cleaners Packaged in Sugar Cane, Art That Dries Clothes Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 27, 2010
In this roundup of design news, a cleaning product company turns to sugar cane packaging, Method released its first antibacterial line, artwork that becomes a drying rack wins a Levi Strauss...
NEC Makes Cashew-Based Bioplastic for Electronics Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 27, 2010
Electronics company NEC has developed a bioplastic made with an extract from cashew nut shells and plant cellulose that is twice as strong as another bioplastic typically made from corn...
Tool Provides Quick Access to Design for Environment Advice Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 26, 2010
The Center for Resilience at the Ohio State University has created an online tool to provide quick and easy access to Design for Environment (DfE) guidelines and case studies....
CO2-Grabbing Foam, Recycled Bottle Buildings Vie for Earth Awards Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 23, 2010
Foam that captures carbon dioxide, bamboo sunglasses made by artisans and a building covering made of recycled bottles are among the finalists of the Earth Awards....
U.S. EPA Targets Cancerous Dyes, Toxic Detergent Chemicals
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 19, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified three types of chemicals found in dyes, flame retardants and industrial detergents that it plans to take action on, which could range from...
Two Years After Baby Bottle Ban, Canada to Label BPA Toxic Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 18, 2010
Two years after targeting bisphenol A (BPA) by banning baby bottles that contain the estrogen-mimicking chemical, Canada will soon officially declare BPA as toxic....
Consumers Choosing Drinks with Greener Packaging Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 13, 2010
Recyclable and recycled content are the most important environmental attributes consumers look for in beverage packaging, and many have changed what types of packaging they buy based on...
P&G Brings Sugarcane Packaging to Pantene, Covergirl Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 12, 2010
Procter & Gamble is bringing sugarcane to shampoo and makeup with new packaging that will be on shelves next year....
Mushroom-Based Packaging Uses 98% Less Energy than Styrofoam Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 10, 2010
A packaging material made of mushroom roots and agricultural waste is lowering its energy footprint further with new sterilizing technology....
'Bio-Bug' Taps the Power of Human Waste Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, August 05, 2010
The so-called "Bio-Bug" cruised the streets of Bristol using methane generated by the local sewage treatment facility. The waste from 70 homes can power the Bio-Bug for a year,...

Cosmetics Bill Seeks Full Ingredient Disclosure, FDA Oversight Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 22, 2010
The cosmetics industry would no longer be self-regulating and would have to disclose all product ingredients under the proposed Safe Cosmetics Act, introduced earlier this week in the U.S....
German Retailer Ditches Plastic for Canned Beer and Soda Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 19, 2010
While some companies and supermarkets have been switching drinks to plastic bottles, hoping to cut emissions with lighter weight packaging, one retailer in Germany is swapping plastic bottles for...
36 Companies Test Common Language for Packaging Sustainability Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 08, 2010
The Global Packaging Project has released indicators and metrics for measuring packaging sustainability, hoping that they are adopted worldwide to improve discussions on packaging....
Household Dish Detergents Now Phosphate-Free
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 02, 2010
A voluntary ban on phosphates in dishwasher detergent, spurred by a large number of state bans, went into effect yesterday....
Enviro Group Sues FDA for BPA Inaction Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 01, 2010
An environmental group has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for not taking action on bisphenol A (BPA) in the 18 months since the group filed a petition...
Electrolux Turns Ocean Garbage Into New Vacuums Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, June 29, 2010
Electrolux is raising awareness of plastic waste in the oceans by putting plastic collected from waters around the world in peoples' homes....
Updated Packaging Tool Adds Impacts From Shipping, Refills Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, June 24, 2010
A new version of a web-based packaging impact tool allows companies to see how single-use packaging compares to refills. Users can also figure out the transportation-related impacts of different...
Energy Star Helps Automakers Cut 750K Tons of CO2
By GreenerDesign Staff, June 24, 2010
An Energy Star program aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of manufacturing plants has helped the auto industry cut the amount of electricity and fuel needed to make vehicles, slashing...
FTC's 'Lighting Facts' Label Highlights Bulbs' Energy Efficiency Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, June 23, 2010
A new rule from the Federal Trade Commission aims to make it easier for consumers to compare types of bulbs by making lumens, not watts, the most prominent figure on packaging....
Fuel from CO2, Safer Pesticides Earn Green Chemistry Awards Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, June 22, 2010
The latest Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize waste-cutting chemical production methods and genetically engineered microorganisms that produce fuels and chemicals....

FEATURED

Dissolving Microneedles Take a Stab at Zero-Waste, Painless Shots Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 20, 2010
Administering vaccines with a small patch covered in numerous microscopic needles instead of a hypodermic needle could lead to more effective vaccinations that anyone can give and that leave...
Demand Grows for Alternative to Gender-Bending Chemical Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 12, 2010
German company LANXESS is expanding production of a plastic-softening chemical that is made without an ingredient that disrupts hormones and is being phased out of certain products in the U.S. and...
Research Failure Produces Oil-Free Adhesive Design
By GreenerDesign Staff, July 07, 2010
A failed attempt at making a special adhesive resulted in the accidental creation of a vegetable oil-based adhesive that can be used to make duct tape, stick-on notes, labels and more....

Green Confidence Index

Green Confidence Index A monthly snapshot of Americans’ attitudes about and confidence in their leaders and institutions, nationally and locally, as well as in their own understanding of issues and their willingness to make green purchasing choices.