Virgin Media O2 has achieved its bold digital inclusion goals as part of its sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan.   The company’s innovative products, programmes and partnerships have helped one million people experiencing digital exclusion to get online. Virgin Media O2 has helped close the digital divide by providing one million people with free data, devices, and greater access to its network in rural areas. The company has achieved its ambitious five year

FESPA has launched a new anti-greenwashing sustainability guide, designed to help businesses across the print and visual communications industries navigate the ever changing regulatory landscape. It advises on how businesses can ensure their sustainability messaging is accurate, credible and evidence based – and ultimately avoid ‘greenwashing’.     The informative guide, titled ‘Understanding and Avoiding Greenwash’, is part of FESPA’s Sustainability Spotlight initiative...

SCA and the representative organisation for reindeer husbandry and Sámi business and community affairs, the Swedish Sámi National Association (SSR), have signed an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation. The agreement is intended to develop working methods that improve conditions for reindeer husbandry while ensuring that forestry is conducted in a long term and responsible manner.   The agreement is based on an enhanced dialogue between the two organisations, as well a

Maize, rice and cassava drive more deforestation than major export oriented crops like cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This has been shown by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in the most comprehensive global survey of how different commodities are causing deforestation. The study confirms the major impact of meat production, but reveals several overlooked drivers of deforestation.   Food production is the main cause of deforestation in the world, but unt

A redesigned ‘plastic eating’ enzyme could help turn old polyester textiles back into useful raw materials – but only if the plastic is prepared in the right way.  In a study published in Bioresource Technology Journal, scientists from the universities of Portsmouth and Manchester report that a specially engineered enzyme can significantly speed up the breakdown of PET – the plastic used in water bottles, food packaging and polyester clothing – when it is processed at high co

A ‘Made in EU’ competitiveness model should be anchored in sustainably sourced biomass, high quality recycled materials, and European technological leadership across these sectors.   While other regions rely on coal, gas and other fossil reserves to build competitiveness on cheap energy, Europe can build a more resilient, futureproof growth model around the materials it has in abundance: sustainably managed forests, efficient recycling systems, and the industrial know how tha

Hotmelt polymers must deliver consistent performance under demanding conditions. Formulators rely on predictable viscosity, strong cohesion, stable processing behaviour, and a consistent low odour environment from batch to batch.   Licocene Terra was developed to help adhesive formulators integrate renewable carbon into their formulations while maintaining familiar processing behaviour and performance contribution. As part of the Licocene m-PO specialty polymer portfolio, it

Plastic resource efficiency and recycling charity Recoup has published its annual UK Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey, revealing that, of the English local authorities not yet offering kerbside flexible plastic packaging collections, four in five (78%) plan to do so on or before the Simpler Recycling deadline of the 31 March 2027.    However, many appear to be leaving it late. Two thirds (67%) expect to introduce the service in early 2027, with almost half (47%)

Today is Global Recycling Day. Winnie Muheling, director of marketing & communications at Pro Carton, comments.   Global Recycling Day is an opportunity to recognise how recycling powers circularity in practice – closing the loop between production, consumption, and regeneration. The latest Pro Carton European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Survey, released this month, confirms that consumers increasingly view ‘ease of recycling’ as the number one priority when it comes to su