Every year, more than 10 billion coffee pods wind up in North American landfills — enough, in fact, to circle the globe more than 10 times over.   That’s due, in large part, to the fact that while Keurig, Tassimo and other brands of single-cup coffee are becoming increasingly popular, most municipal and private recycling systems do not yet recycle the pods they come in — it’s simply too expensive a process to separate the compostable coffee grounds from their recyclable plastic containers.   From an environmental perspective that presents two problems, according to Eugene Ace, cofounder of a unique Toronto startup that’s come up with a solution to the coffee pod dilemma.   “Not only do discarded coffee pods see landfills clogged with plastic, but within the landfill, the coffee grounds trapped inside the pods are not exposed to air, so they end up producing methane — a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Ace, who cofounded GoJava, a GTA coffee delivery company that recycles its clients’ used coffee pods for free, with Evan Birrman in July 2015.   By partnering with TerraCycle Canada, a Fergus, Ont.-based specialty recycling company, Ace and Birrman have so far been able to divert more than 220,000 of the pods — that’s nearly five tons of coffee grounds and plastic — from local landfills in their first 16 months in business.   “We’re just at the very beginning of what we’re trying to do, but we’re really trying to find a mass-market way to collect these used pods and recycle them,” Ace said, noting that company’s current slate of customers includes more than 200 homes and 100 offices in Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Thornhill.   How GoJava works is this: customers simply place their coffee order for home or office at GoJava.ca, where Ace said they can find a full range of Keurig and Tassimo brands and ancillary products — often at better prices than the grocery store.   All orders of $40 or more are eligible for free next-day delivery courtesy of GoJava’s carbon-neutral delivery van, he added.   Upon delivery, first-time customers receive a special collection bin for their discarded coffee pods along with their coffee order, while repeat clients have their used pods picked up by GoJava for recycling at the same time their newest order is delivered.   “What we’ve tried to create here is a really simple-to-understand and easy-to-use service,” said Ace, a Davisville area resident. “We provide a good variety of products for a good value — including fast delivery and free recycling.”   Once Ace, Birrman and their two employees have transported their clients’ used coffee cartridges back to GoJava’s Scarborough warehouse, the pods are then sorted and aggregated into pallets and shipped off to Terracycle in Fergus.   There, the coffee grounds separated to be either composted or used as fertilizer, while the coffee pods are ground down and recycled into plastic lumber to be used for such products as flooring or park benches.   Lerners LLP is just one of many downtown Toronto offices that make use of GoJava’s coffee delivery and recycling program. The Adelaide Street law firm boasts more than 150 employees, many of whom make use of the office’s single-cup coffee systems, said Karen Hervias, Lerners’ administrative services co-ordinator.   “We go through quite a bit of coffee in a week,” she said, noting that they solicited GoJava’s services about six months ago as part of the firm’s overall waste diversion initiative.   To those ends, Hervias said Lerner also subscribes to GoJava’s Zero Waste Office program, which, for a fee, allows offices to recycle materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill — hard-to-recycle items such as paper coffee cups, foil packaging, electronics, batteries, ink cartridges and general office supplies.   “For us, it’s everything from staplers and calculators, to old laptops and binders,” said Nicole Sullivan, who helped spearhead Lerners’ zero-waste initiative alongside Hervias.   “One of the big things that drew us to (GoJava) was that we were collecting hundreds and hundreds of old binders ... We didn’t want them to end up in the landfill, but we couldn’t find a place where we could send them, either. Then the guys at GoJava mentioned that they teamed up with TerraCycle to deal with binders, so we got on board.”   Thus far, Sullivan said Lerners’ recycling partnership with GoJava has been a successful one she’d “absolutely” recommend to other offices.   “If we were to think of the legal field as an ocean ecosystem, our litigators and support staff would be the great whites of that ecosystem — they’re ferocious, they’re powerful, they get the job done,” she said.   “But, even they realize that, over time, their success depends on the health of the community, so adopting zero waste was just Lerners doing its part and leading by example.”

Ten environmentally conscious schools across the country will each earn $25,000 worth of new technology from Staples Canada as part of the retailer’s Superpower your School Contest. Schools are invited to enter the contest at Staples.ca/PowerEco and share their eco initiatives for a chance to win. The Superpower your School Contest starts December 1, 2016 and runs until January 31, 2017. “From growing their own food to banning plastic water bottles and even making their own organic lip balm, students and teachers across the country are innovating to make a difference on our environment,” said Mary Sagat, president of Staples Canada. “We call these students and teachers ‘ecovators’ and what better way to reward them than with access to the latest tech to enhance their education programs.” The contest, previously known as the Staples Canada Recycle for Education Computer Lab Contest, is now in its seventh year and has awarded 70 environmentally conscious schools the latest technology to empower students to learn and nurture their passion for the environment. The contest is held in collaboration with Earth Day Canada, a national charity that works directly with thousands of schools to provide environmental resources and support. “We’re thrilled to be working again with Staples Canada to inspire innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the creative initiatives taking place in schools across Canada,” said Deb Doncaster, president of Earth Day Canada. “We’re eager to help ensure the contest reaches as many schools as possible, and provide support throughout the judging process.” Staples Helps Schools Make a Difference Staples is committed to helping schools make a difference by offering several easy recycling programs: · Canada School Recycling Program: Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Staples Canada encourages schools across the country to participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit www.canadaschoolrecycling.ca batteries to reduce the amount of electronic waste in landfills. Drop off the batteries collected at any Staples store. · Writing Instruments: Staples stores nationwide have partnered with TerraCycle® to collect and recycle used writing instruments. Schools are encouraged to bring in used writing instruments to any Staples store and help provide a second life to these writing instruments by turning them into upcycled and recycled products such as park benches, waste bins and more.

Remember in school when you learned about the three “R’s? You know…reduce, reuse, recycle? (In case you forgot!)   Our kids are learning all about this too, but it’s changed. Recycling isn’t just putting your cans and bottles in the blue bin. Nope, you can recycle things now that we never dreamed of recycling when we were little, like bread bags and soft plastics.   But there are still things we can’t recycle. Things like pizza boxes, Styrofoam (sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t), juice boxes, milk boxes, coffee pods, batteries, art supplies, baby food pouches…you get my drift. So many of our every day products still end up in the trash, the landfill. And we used to want to be recycling heroes when we were younger! Remember? We all wanted to be a part of a big change. Why not now?   I FOUND A WAY.   There is a company called Terracycle. They are kick-ass revolutionaries who are making a difference in a big way.   I discovered them because my husband and I were given a coffee pod system. We LOVE coffee and my my husband really loves espresso. As much as I would love to have a proper espresso machine in my kitchen, the counter space just isn’t there. So this was a very thoughtful gift, and we love it. The only thing? The pods it uses are not recyclable AND they don’t sell a reusable pod (trust me, I looked).   Hmmm. I’m not going to lie, this did deter me from using it for a while, so I kept making pots of coffee because I felt bad throwing out pods EVERY SINGLE DAY. I mean, seriously. I was honestly surprised in this day and age, that a company would make a product that creates so much garbage AND that we couldn’t recycle it! For real, I was shocked.   AND THEN I FOUND TERRACYCLE ZERO WASTE BOXES.   They sent me a box where I happily chuck my used coffee pods and once the box is full, I mail it back to the company where they recycle all the parts. I feel amazing, and I don’t have to do any of the work. Win-win.   Yes, it costs. But is it worth it? I think so. Wouldn’t you rather pay a nominal fee than feel guilty every time you had a coffee? I drink a lot of coffee.   Terracycle sorts and shreds the pods, and here’s what happens to the separate parts:   Plastics are cleaned, pelletized, and turned into a variety of recycled materials, from plastic lumber to recycle bins. Metals are sent to be smelted /recycled. Coffee grinds are separated and sent to a composter who uses them on farmers fields.   How awesome is that???       In this day and age, this is the stuff that matters. And it really should. We can do something about it, and it doesn’t have to be difficult.       My Zero Waste box holds about 250 pods…I think it has about 50 in it, so we have a long way to go before we send it back.       I also love involving the kids in recycling, even if it’s something they’re not using right now. It’s important they know we care about the environment and that we’re doing something to protect it.       Oh-and if you think it begins and ends at coffee pods, you should check out their website! They have zero waste boxes for coffee capsules, drink pouches, hair nets, action figures, ink and toner, oral hygiene items, and so much more. It’s awesome!   Let me know if you end up getting one, I would love to hear about your experiences-and if you involve your kids!  

Admit it: Hiding in your home’s junk drawer is an ancient flip phone that composed your very first text. Deep in the bowels of your hall closet is your long-dormant, 2002-era PC clone. And down in your basement? You’ve likely stashed a clunky TV plus a DVD/VHS player (for that sweet VHS collection you’re also hoarding). This stuff is called e-waste, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in America. But only 25% of the estimated 2.37 million tons of electronics we’ve chucked so far was properly recycled—which is a dirty shame, because there are valuable materials (hello, gold!) in all those tiny circuits, as well as toxic elements like mercury that seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater.  All of which means that ethical homeowners should learn the right way to get rid of e-waste. Try these steps in lieu of just chucking your defunct gadgets in the garbage—then pat yourself on the back for doing your small part to clean up the world. Apple also has its own buy-back plan, which enables customers to return electrical products in decent condition either in store or online. The tech giant will then make sure that your old item is either recycled responsibly, or repurposed to make a new product. And for the real dinosaurs… Face it, you’re going to make precisely $0 selling your pager, 1990s fax machine, or home phone. TerraCycle’s Recycling Program offers a sustainable solution to this growing problem with an E-Waste Zero Waste Box Program. Simply buy a Zero Waste Box (the smallest, at 10 inches by 10 inches by 18 inches, costs $82), collect your outdated junk and ship it to TerraCycle for recycling. Apart from decluttering your digs, you can enjoy the satisfaction of having done at least a small good deed for the environment.

As we enter the holiday season, many of us will be visiting the local mall, Lansdowne Place, to do our holiday shopping. As one of the largest and busiest shopping centres in the area, you might be surprised to learn that Lansdowne Place is a community leader in energy efficiency. Lansdowne Place has been recognized locally and nationally for its commitment to sustainability. Mall managers have implemented a number of retrofit projects, some receiving funding from Peterborough Distribution Inc.’s (PDI) Save On Energy incentives.  Lansdowne Place is also committed to increasing waste diversion rates. The installation of a smart irrigation system helps the mall to save water, and an on-site food digester collects the coffee grounds from Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s, which are used to make nutrient-rich soil. Instead of being deposited into the garbage, the mall saves these coffee grounds for weekly pick up by Regional Organics, a recycler located east of Lindsay. Every year, Regional Organics transports 32 tonnes of grounds from the mall and uses this waste to make a soil mix. Even cigarette waste is redirected from a landfill. Cigarette butts are collected and shipped to the recycling company, Terracycle, where they are recycled into a variety of industrial products such as plastic pallets, while any remaining tobacco is composted.

A TV show mentions TerraCycle Canada's cigarette recycling program. The episode is about people highlighting innovative recycling initiatives from their region of Canada.

Les mégots sont ensuite envoyés à l'usine de recyclage Terracycle à Toronto. Les cendres, le papier et le tabac sont compostés et les filtres sont transformés en plastique pour en faire du mobilier comme, par exemple, des chaises.

Les mégots sont ensuite envoyés à l'usine de recyclage Terracycle à Toronto. Les cendres, le papier et le tabac sont compostés et les filtres sont transformés en plastique pour en faire du mobilier comme, par exemple, des chaises.

Les filtres de cigarettes ainsi ramassés sont envoyés à l’entreprise TerraCycle, pour en faire du plastique qui servira à fabriquer des palettes et du mobilier urbain. Ce projet est très vert, puisque c’est à bord de véhicules électriques ou à vélo que se fait la collecte des mégots.