Smurfit Kappa joins Two Sides sustainability group

More than 75% of consumers say that environmentally sound packaging has an influence on the beverage brand they buy, according to Tetrapak’s Environment Research 2015 . The global survey of some 6,000 consumers across 12 different countries revealed a growing appetite among consumers for products that tick the right environmental boxes. When asked about recent purchasing habits, two-thirds said they have bought environmental products, even when they cost more, while around the same proportion have avoided specific brands or items due to environmental concerns.

UPS announced it plans to deploy 50 plug-in electric delivery trucks that will be comparable in acquisition cost to conventional-fueled trucks without any subsidies – an industry first that is breaking a key barrier to large scale fleet adoption. The company is collaborating with Workhorse Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WKHS) to design the vehicles from the ground up, with zero tailpipe emissions. “Electric vehicle technology is rapidly improving with battery, charging and smart grid advances that allow us to specify our delivery vehicles to eliminate emissions, noise and dependence on diesel and gasoline,” said Carlton Rose, President, Global Fleet Maintenance and Engineering for UPS. “With our scale and real-world duty cycles, these new electric trucks will be a quantum leap forward for the purpose-built UPS® delivery fleet. The all electric trucks will deliver by day and re-charge overnight. We are uniquely positioned to work with our partners, communities and customers to transform freight transportation.” Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM has recently joined the EU’s Clean Hydrogen Alliance and become member of the Roundtable on Clean Hydrogen for industrial users. UPM has also joined the newly established Finnish Hydrogen Cluster. UPM is well-positioned for the hydrogen economy and wants to be proactive in the developments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clean hydrogen is emerging as one of the key enablers for the European Union goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. “Clean hydrogen provides several interesting opportunities for UPM. We have an in-house access to renewable and CO2-free electricity, water resources, biogenic CO2 and hands-on experience with hydrogen in our advanced biofuels production in Lappeenranta. Our specific knowhow and resources will enable UPM to develop possible new business opportunities in the emerging hydrogen economy”, states Jyrki Ovaska, Executive Vice President, UPM Technology. Ovaska represents UPM in the EU’s Roundtable on Clean Hydrogen for industrial users.