The Organic Fruits and Vegetables Market Is Increasing — So Why Is the Rate of Growth Expected to Slow?
Organic farming may be on the rise, but — at the same time — farmers say they aren’t planning to expand their organic production. Why the disconnect? According to Dennis Fugate, Agriculture Industry Manager for our Agriculture and Specialty Pesticide practice, “Farmers, in general, feel that demand for organics may have leveled off.” Consistent with this statement, a USDA survey of organic growers indicated that only 29% of organic farmers expected to expand their production, with 8% stating that they would discontinue or decrease their production.”
ISO 16128’s Growing Impact on the Cosmetics Ingredients Industry
Going “natural” isn’t as simple as it used to be in the world of cosmetics: In the past, brands only needed to claim that their products were natural and perhaps promote their packaging as environmentally friendly. And, at the time, that was enough for consumers to literally buy into their claims.
The Next Recycling Frontier: Where Do Used Contact Lenses Go?
According to Contact Lens Spectrum, there were an estimated 2.5 billion daily-wear contact lenses, weighing approximately 44,000 pounds, entering United States wastewater in 2019. While this volume is low compared to waste generated from plastic bottles, contact lenses nevertheless have a negative impact on our water systems and oceans. Because lenses are denser than water and soft, they sink and break down into fine particles. In turn, they are consumed by aquatic creatures and ultimately end up in the human food chain. Most consumers are not aware of the impact of disposing of lenses in their sink.
Why Biden’s Plans for More Wind Turbines Won’t Increase Lube Demand
If Joe Biden’s ambitious wind-turbine goals are realized, “thar’ she blows” could be shouted throughout the land. After all, the President’s initiative seems to be quite the bonanza for lubricants demand in the wind energy sector. Alas, if only that were true.
The plan is to develop large-scale wind farms along nearly the entire coastline of the United States, with Biden pledging to build 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind in the United States by 2030. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has stated that her agency will formally begin the process of identifying federal waters to lease to wind developers by 2025.
How Autonomous Tractors Will Help OEM Genuine Oil Hit Paydirt
Unlike that old nursery rhyme, the farmer may actually no longer be in the dell. Between an aging population — today’s farmers are 60 years old on average — and unprecedented labor shortages, a growing number of farmers are climbing off their John Deeres and calling it a day. As crops lie unharvested and agricultural products from the U.S. become increasingly uncompetitive globally, hopes are turning to autonomous tractors.
These Skin-Saving Products Were Just Unveiled at Beauty Forum Munich
Beauty Forum Munich — touted as the largest autumn professional beauty fair in the DACH region — returned this year, to much fanfare. After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much had changed — including the fact that the more than 1,460 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors were wearing face masks.
“On the heels of an extremely difficult year, the event provided an especially wonderful opportunity for in-person interactions with industry players in the professional skin care and nail care segments,” says Marina Drobnjak, a senior analyst at Kline & Company. It also gave those players an opportunity to unveil their latest beauty devices. Continue reading
Six Cleaning Trends Turbocharged by the Pandemic
Seemingly overnight, the pandemic forced the professional cleaning industry to jump from “normal” clean to COVID clean, where hygiene and safety were of critical importance. As a result, several cutting-edge cleaning trends such as “smart” sensors and robots (think R2D2 with a mop) began to rise in popularity. Continue reading
Double Agents and Deceit: How Lubricant Counterfeiters Are Duping Consumers
When the world shifted to e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers of counterfeit lubricants similarly took to the electronic superhighway. Along the way, they began appreciating both the many “rest stops” — giants like Amazon and eBay are lined with scenic unregulated third-party vendors — and their ability to reach a wider clientele.Continue reading
Demand for Food-Grade Lubricants Could Explode in These Regions
Consumption of food-grade lubricants could hit new highs in China and India, according to research from our first-ever dive into the industry.
“Rapid growth in consumption of food-grade lubricants is expected to occur over the next five years,” says Sushmita Dutta, Project Manager of our Energy sector. “Increasing consumer awareness, strengthening supervision and enforcement of regulations by the governments in these countries, and the rise in the number of food and beverage processing plants in 2020 represent only a few of the factors driving growth in these two markets.”
Sustainability in Lubricants Industry Survey 2021
A Collaboration Between Lube Magazine and Kline & Company
Sustainability is a critical global initiative, currently representing one of the key business drivers within the energy sector. Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards are expected to have a profound impact on the operations and business practices of enterprises worldwide. To achieve their sustainability goals, companies across a wide range of industries will institute operational measures and decarbonization technologies.
