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Worn Again has developed a first-of-its-kind textile-to-textile chemical recycling technology . the aim is for this unique process to enable the 'recaptured' polyester and cellulose from cotton to be spun into new fabric, creating a circular resource model for textiles. H&M and Kering's PUMA brand will monitor the testing.

Knowing how conventional cotton is grown and denim is made, always-a-better-way outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has set out to change the industry. The company has partnered with chemical company Archroma on a new denim collection, launched this week - which is Fair Trade certified and said to use 84 percent less water, 30 percent less energy and 25 percent less CO2 compared to conventional denim dyeing processes - as well as a campaign telling us all about it.

Two childhood friends spent a decade, beginning in college, figuring out how to cheaply make plastic from carbon that's been captured from the atmosphere.

Two childhood friends have teamed up to market AirCarbon, a plastic produced using carbon drawn from industrial atmospheric emissions. Their process could enable carbon-negative manufacturing. "I wish I had been smart enough to figure this out," says William Dowd, a former biotechnology research director at Dow Chemical. "I was astounded by what they were able to do

AkzoNobel, the paint, coatings and specialty chemical company, has developed exterior wall paints that reflect more infrared light to reduce heat absorption and reduce energy consumption. With this technology, an average house can save up to 15% on energy, while offices and apartment buildings can save up to 10%.

IKEA achieved its goal to source 100% of its cotton from sustainable farmers that use less water, less chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. As a result, IKEA has become the first major retailer to achieve this goal across all product categories.

Each year, Future 500 releases a report of what we predict will be the most critical social and environmental issues driving corporate-stakeholder engagement in the coming year. This year, we anticipate that corporations will be challenged to go even further than last year, using their economic influence on policy and politicians while being asked to take a bigger stand on global issues.

In 2016, we predict that stakeholders will continue to organize around issues like chemicals, water scarcity and local control of resources, challenging the private sector to drive change in their supply chains, make more time bound commitments and be more transparent. We anticipate increased focus on women impacting the global economy and concern around global ocean health, an issue moving to the forefront of our list.

Wastewater treatment and renewable energy production can be costly endeavors. However, if valuable chemicals could be extracted from wastewater, or if algae could more easily be used to turn carbon dioxide from the air into biofuel, companies could profitably pursue such projects. Researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) and the Chinese Academy of Science & Technology are working to make this possible.

The Coca-Cola Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and Kering are among 10 companies to begin testing and refining the new Natural Capital Protocol, in collaboration with the Natural Capital Coalition and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The participating companies will use the Protocol to assess water use opportunities and risks in site-specific locations, explore methods for aligning strategic business decisions with natural capital assessment results, and more.

There are a projected $35 million in cost savings over the initial contract term through 2023. Industrial customers benefit from considerable cost savings using reclaimed water by lowering operating costs of chemicals and labor.

Following 10 months of pressure, G-Star joined the Detox campaign in early 2013, committing to eliminating all uses of hazardous chemicals from its supply chain and products by 2020. Now, as Forbes' Rebecca Suhrawardi reports, the company is launching "the most sustainable denim ever."

By the fall of 2020, REI will sever its business relationships with any of its 1,000-plus suppliers that don't meet stringent new requirements in areas including environmental impact, chemical usage, animal welfare, and labor safety and fairness. The move is among the most comprehensive efforts to advance sustainability in the retail sector. The outdoors-equipment retailer has already supplied to its vendors a 12-page document detailing the new sustainability standards. Some go into effect immediately, while others are more ambitious and aspirational and won't be mandatory for a couple of years.

In an effort to dye its clothes without using toxic chemicals, the green-minded apparel company is making its new Clean Color Collection with natural dyes sourced from 96 percent renewable resources.

CVS Health has joined GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition to advance efforts around reducing product packaging waste in collaboration with its suppliers. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition has more than 190 members, including Amazon, BASF, Dow Chemical, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, and more.

The global market for green chemistry is expected to boom from $11 billion in 2015 to about $100 billion by 2020, according to data from the American Sustainable Business Council and the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council. While challenges remain -- notably around building a consensus about what "green" chemistry really means -- consumers are increasingly demanding safer and more sustainable products. "In a nutshell, the green chemistry market is poised for takeoff," writes Libby Bernick. GreenBiz.com (5/6)  

After new chemistry policies from the like of Target, Walmart and Kaiser Permanente, the economics of green alternatives are increasingly favorable.

The EPA is banning exports of five mercury compounds, effective Jan. 1, 2020, under the reformed Toxic Substances Control Act.

Technology is being developed to reduce water use in dyeing but the use and abuse of water to dye clothing continues

Procter & Gamble plans to end the use of phosphates in all of its laundry detergents in the next two years, a move that will have the greatest impact on developing countries, the Guardian reports.

Global waterways, especially in developing countries, are set to benefit as the Tide manufacturer aims to cut phosphates from all its laundry soaps within two years.

Columbia, Md.,-based W.R. Grace & Co. under its bankruptcy plan of reorganization, paid over $63 million to the US government to resolve claims for environmental cleanups at approximately 39 sites in 21 states, the US Department of Justice and the EPA announced today