Day: 26 February 2026

Plantsea smashes crowdfunding target – bringing seaweed polymer closer to market

Stuart Mitchell

Seaweed-based biodegradable membrane innovator Plantsea has smashed its £50k crowdfunding target, raising £350k that will help advance production from lab-scale innovation to industrial manufacturing trials. Made from seaweed, Plantsea’s natural polymer film will dissolve in water or biodegrade in compost. Designed to equal the cost of PVOH in laundry and cleaning capsules, it can be heat-sealed or vacuum-formed, and manufactured in conventional processes with no adaptations. CEO Dr Rhiannon Rees welcomed the funding success, saying: “This is an incredible vote of confidence in our product. The capsule market is the…

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CIM advocates for stronger partnership with Government to unlock UK skills and productivity

Stuart Mitchell

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has joined forces with leading UK professional and membership bodies to call for a stronger, more strategic partnership between Government and the professional sector – helping to drive skills development, productivity, and public service reform. Representing more than one million professionalsThe coalition has written to Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills, urging closer collaboration with Government to boost economic growth and build a workforce fit for the future. Coordinated by Memcom, the alliance brings together senior leaders from across the professional landscape, including…

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62 regions selected to accelerate climate adaptation plans under EU flagship scheme

Stuart Mitchell

Sixty‑two climate‑vulnerable regions across Europe have been selected to strengthen their climate adaptation plans through Pathways2Resilience, a flagship initiative of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change coordinated by Climate KIC. With this new cohort, this EU initiative now supports 100 local and regional authorities – representing a combined population of more than 100 million citizens – in accelerating their climate adaptation and resilience. Adaptation strategies have so far received less attention than emission mitigation. However, with Europe warming twice as fast as other continents and increasing climate disasters…

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2026 shortlist revealed for CIM’s ‘The Pitch’ global student competition

Stuart Mitchell

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has unveiled the finalists for The Pitch 2026, CIM’s global student competition, with 13 undergraduate and 13 postgraduate teams earning a coveted place in this year’s live finals. Now in its fifteenth year, The Pitch, a competition that challenges participants to react to a real-life marketing brief, continues to push emerging marketing talent to think strategically. For the 2026 contest, CIM has joined forces with global brand IBM to provide students with the opportunity to gain a valuable, practical hands-on experience – sharpening their…

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New Plastics Treaty Chief Means Negotiators ‘Can Get Back to Work’

Stuart Mitchell

On February 7, UN member states elected Julio Cordano as the next Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution chair. He replaces Luis Vayas Valdivieso (Ecuador) and will officially start his role on February 7. His first order of business will be resuming the plastic treaty negotiations, which came to a halt last year. Nicholas Mallos, vice president of Ocean Conservancy’s Ending Ocean Plastics program, issued the following statement in response: “We are encouraged by the election of the newest UN plastics treaty chair, an essential step toward reviving the stalled…

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