The complete archive of analysis, briefings and research across all areas, most recent first.
-
Was packaging invented in the twentieth century? Ask a Roman glassblower
Standardised volumes, inert food-contact surfaces, branded containers and a recycling trade: all present in the Roman world. How glassblowing turned a luxury material into everyday packaging, and what…
-
Lignin: the polymer built without a blueprint
Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth and the matrix that allows trees to stand upright. Unusually among biological macromolecules, it is assembled without a genetic…
-
Bio-based, biodegradable, compostable: three terms that are not interchangeable
Bio-based describes where a material comes from. Biodegradable describes what can happen to it. Compostable describes what has been verified to happen, under defined conditions. An explanation of…
-
Material identification codes: what they mean, what they do not, and how the PPWR changes them
Material identification codes such as PET 1, PAP 21 and ALU 41 state what packaging is made from: not whether it is recyclable. An explanation of the system…
Browse by area: Sustainability & Circularity · Policy & Regulation · Research & Publications