Sustainability

Hwaseong, South Korea -- The European Union's February 12, 2028 deadline requiring food service outlets to offer reusable packaging for takeaway is exposing a washing infrastructure gap that could determine compliance across the bloc.

EU packaging waste hit 79.7 million tonnes in 2023

The EU generated 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2023, equal to 177.8 kg per citizen, with only 42.1% of plastic packaging recycled. Global disposable cup demand is projected to reach 491 billion units by 2028, while the UK alone consumes 7 million cups daily, generating 30,000 tonnes of cup waste annually.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Midea has sold more than 10 million R290 air conditioners globally since 2018, cutting carbon emissions by an estimated 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the company disclosed at IFA 2026 in Berlin.

Midea claims 16 straight years as the world's leading manufacturer of R290-based air conditioners

The natural refrigerant carries an ultra-low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no harmful PFAS substances, and roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than conventional alternatives. Midea says the emissions reduction achieved through its R290 unit sales matches the carbon absorption capacity of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. At its stand, the company displayed a transparent model demonstrating internal system operation to visitors.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Midea has sold more than 10 million R290 air conditioners worldwide since 2018, cutting an estimated 5.2 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, the company said at IFA 2026 in Berlin.

Midea marks 16 years as world's leading producer of R290 natural-refrigerant air conditioners

The company presented its latest lineup of HVAC and energy-management solutions under its 'Green Vision, Cloudless Future' initiative. R290 carries an ultra-low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no PFAS substances, and roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than conventional refrigerants, according to Midea. The 5.2 million tCO2e reduction is comparable to the carbon absorption of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest, the company stated.

London – September 15, 2026 -- KraftPal Holdings Ltd has completed construction of the KP25039, a new semi-automatic paper pallet production machine capable of producing up to 100 pallets per hour, as the company accelerates its licensing-based manufacturing network.

KraftPal cuts entry costs to speed licensing partner adoption

The KP25039 is designed as a lower-cost, entry-level alternative to KraftPal's existing production lines, aimed at lowering the barrier for businesses to become licensing partners and manufacture lightweight corrugated pallets locally. The machine requires greater manual labor to operate than KraftPal's fully automated systems, but its faster engineering build cycle allows the company to produce more units and enable quicker in-country production start-ups.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Midea has sold more than 10 million air conditioners using R290 natural refrigerant since 2018, cutting an estimated 5.2 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, the company said at IFA 2026, an impact it compares to the carbon absorption of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest.

Midea marks 16 years as top global manufacturer of R290 air conditioners

The company has led global production of air conditioners using R290 refrigerant for 16 consecutive years, driving compressor safety and performance advances tied to the gas. R290 carries an extremely low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no PFAS content, and delivers roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than conventional refrigerants, according to Midea. A transparent unit on the IFA stand let visitors view the refrigerant system operating in real time.

Miami – September 15, 2026 -- Sawgrass LNG & Power has begun supplying liquefied natural gas to Walker's Cay in the northern Bahamas, replacing diesel as the fuel source for the island's power generation.

Sawgrass extends near decade-long Bahamas LNG footprint to iconic sportfishing island

The deal expands Sawgrass' presence across The Bahamas, where the company has supplied LNG to resorts, utilities and industrial customers for more than eight years. Sawgrass produces LNG at its Miami liquefaction facility and delivers it via ISO containers, a model that avoids the capital costs of fixed pipeline or terminal infrastructure. The company describes itself as the largest exporter of U.S. LNG via ISO container.

Everett – September 15, 2026 -- WaterTectonics has acquired the patents and intellectual property of Dynamic Water Technologies (DWT), becoming the exclusive Original Equipment Manufacturer of the Dynamic Scale Remover (DSR), an electrochemical cooling tower treatment technology.

WaterTectonics gains exclusive OEM rights to patented electrochemical scale-removal technology

The DSR system uses a patented electrochemical process to strip dissolved scale-forming minerals from cooling water before they accumulate on heat transfer surfaces. The process simultaneously generates oxidants from chlorides already present in the water, cutting the need for added biocides while allowing facilities to run at higher cycles of concentration.

Solon, Ohio – September 15, 2026 -- Locus Agriculture is scaling deployment of Unpac, its glycolipid-based soil conditioner, across row and specialty crop systems after third-party lab testing showed reduced soil density and improved water penetration in California agricultural soils.

USDA data shows compaction affects nearly one-quarter of surveyed cropland

A USDA Economic Research Service analysis found growers identified soil compaction as a resource concern on 22% of surveyed wheat, soybean, oat and cotton fields. Compacted soil restricts root development and limits crop access to available water and nutrients, according to Locus.

Singapore – September 12, 2026 -- The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has valorized 418,529 tonnes of plastic waste and reduced unmanaged plastic waste by 378,147 tonnes since 2019, according to its 2025 progress report, Strategy in Action, released to mark the first year of its 2030 Strategy implementation.

In 2025 alone, the nonprofit cut unmanaged plastic waste by 138,162 tonnes and valorized 165,317 tonnes. Since inception, it has mobilized $641 million in funding commitments from third parties and impact investors, engaged 559 organizations in 2025 to fund and execute projects, and reached more than 1.5 million people through education and behavior-change initiatives.

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – September 13, 2026 -- RTI International has secured $5.5 million in combined federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for two projects converting common minerals and used cardboard into high-value industrial materials.

DOE funds dual technology tracks at expanded pilot facility

Both projects will run at the RTI Pilot Xcelerator, a pilot-scale testing platform on RTI's campus. The institute is set to open a $14 million facility expansion on Sept. 10, doubling its infrastructure for testing energy and industrial process innovations before they reach commercial scale.