Materials
- Vartega for its reclaimed and recycled carbon fiber that enables the diversion of thousands of tons of carbon fiber from the landfill. Vartega's recycled fibers are used in a broad range of applications including nonwoven fabrics, thermoplastic pellets, and 3D printing filaments. Vartega’s partners for this award include Ford, Dow, Michelman, Techmer PM, Michigan State University, IACMI-The Composites Institute, Colorado School of Mines, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.
Design
- Accredo Packaging for its AccredoFlex® RP™ Gen2, an all-Polyethylene fully-recyclable stand-up pouch that can be utilized for a variety of products. These pouches can be made using up to 25% bio-based resin, and are fully converted into pouches using wind or solar energy.
End-of-Life
- Eastman for its Carbon Renewal Technology (CRT), which breaks down waste plastics into molecular building blocks like carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and turns those building blocks into new, virgin-quality plastics.
These winning entries were chosen out of 35 innovations submitted.
“The 2020 Re|focus Sustainability Innovation Awards drew an exceptionally competitive field of entries this year,” said PLASTICS Director of Sustainability Ashley Hood-Morley. “Each winning innovation has the potential to be a game-changer when it comes to eliminating waste in plastics manufacturing and eliminating waste, period. There are countless ways in which this industry is working to solve our planet’s environmental challenges. We congratulate Eastman, Accredo and Vartega for their commitment to sustainability, and look forward to seeing the impact their innovations will undoubtedly have on our industry and our environment.”
In addition to these three award categories, the Leadership in Innovation Award – determined by a judging panel – and a People’s Choice Award – determined by Re|focus attendees – will be announced at the Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit that will take place from May 18-20 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
