Kickstart: Faster, higher, stronger ... and lighter at the Olympics

A highlight of every Olympic Games is the arrival of the torch in the opening ceremonies. When the 2022 Winter Games begin later this week, that torch will be a little easier to carry.

The torch has been produced using carbon-fiber composites for both the shell and a fuel tank. A team of companies, including Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co., worked on creating a piece that can stand up to wind and extreme cold temperatures while also being easy to carry in the abbreviated relay that will focus on cities hosting the games. (Organizers scrapped a more traditional relay because of COVID-19.)

The companies used a specialized 3D knitting process to get a final product that swirls upward and laser etching of more than 1,200 snowflakes and other decorative elements.

China's CCTV has a video about the project. The opening ceremony begins at 6:30 a.m. Eastern time Feb. 4 in the U.S.

Composites also are at work on a high-profile project in Eastern Europe.

Hofheim, Germany-based Fibrolux GmbH provided 16 kilometers worth of pultruded fiberglass for a pedestrian and cycling pathway for the Marshal Jozef Pilsudski Bridge that connects with the World Heritage Site of Toruń, Poland, and its old town region.

The bridge was originally built in 1909 in Germany and installed in Poland in 1934.

The bridge did not have specific lanes for walkers and cyclists, so the project adds composite walkways on each side. The century-old bridge was not able to structurally support the weight of steel and concrete walkways, so the glass-fiber composite provides a low-maintenance, cost-effective option.

Fibrolux created a custom die for the bridge. Sections were cut to length at the bridge site, coated with anti-slip protection, then lifted into position with a small crane.

The walkway was completed in December.

Packaging companies have been doing a lot of work to improve the carbon footprint of their products by making packages that are easier to recycle, compostable and lighter.

But what happens if your consumer brand customer decides to drop the packaging altogether? That's an option in my town at some businesses where you pick a reusable container along with your food of choice.

In the latest print issue of Sustainable Plastics, Mick Clark, managing director of WePack Ltd., writes that the No. 1 trend to watch in sustainable packaging in 2022 is zero-waste packaging. The popular cosmetics brand Lush has gained notice because its customers can bring in their own refillable containers at its shops.

"Those with physical stores may be able to implement a bring-your-own-container initiative for certain products, but for those who operate online, packaging-free solutions are far tricker to cater to," he writes.

Download the digital edition of SP for Clark's five other top trends to watch.