Deanna Giulietti is an actress and activist. While much of her TikTok is devoted to pop culture, Giulietti strayed from her usual format to share an intriguing mascara hack. No, it’s not one that will get you longer or fuller lashes, it’s a lot bigger in scope than that — it helps animals in oil spills.   “If you have an old mascara that you’re going to throw away. Don’t throw it away,” she explains. “Instead wash it with some Dawn, put it in a Ziplock bag and mail it to Wildlife Refuge.” Giulietti is referring to Appalachian Wildlife Refuge’s Wands for Wildlife program.   “They use these wands to scrape away oil and mites and infections from wildlife. C’mon, we’re saving the animals!” she says.   To mitigate an influx of wand donations, the refuge only accepts them twice a year. Luckily, six months to a year is about how long a mascara usually lasts anyway. You can send your spoolie brushes in October and April every year to the address below:   Appalachian Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 1211, Skyland, N.C. 28776   Quite unsurprisingly, Giulietti’s informative tip received 1.6 million views. Mascara-lovers were excited by the idea.   “This is a PSA we all need printed in big bold letters on the bottle,” one TikTok user said.   “Wouldn’t it be cool if mascara brands would advertise this or even include instructions and address labels?” another wrote.   “I do this but they only take them at certain times of the year. So stockpile!” one person suggested.   If you’re dying to get rid of those mascara wands ASAP, however, you can recycle them and other cosmetic packaging with TerraCycle.

Volunteers from the Keeping Fallbrook Litter Free group, which is part of the nonprofit Fallbrook Beautification Alliance, regularly go out in the community to clean up.   Earlier this summer, the group joined other socially-distanced volunteers as part of the 18th annual I Love A Clean San Diego’s Creek to Bay cleanup.   The Fallbrook effort was one of hundreds across San Diego County, which helped prevent tons of litter from getting into local creeks, bays and the ocean.   The Keeping Fallbrook Litter Free group of nearly 30 volunteers collected 714 pounds of trash, 702 pounds of recycling, including more than 1,000 cigarette butts which were separated to be recycled by Fallbrook Beautification Alliance’s recycling partner TerraCycle.   Visit fallbrookbeautification.org.

The Venetian Resort is expanding Sands’ ECO360 recycling efforts as the first Las Vegas-based property, and one of the first in the nation, to develop an innovative program to recycle surgical face masks, which are being used by guests and Team Members as part of the resort’s Venetian Clean initiatives. As part of this pilot project, in partnership with TerraCycle, the discarded masks are collected on-site at The Venetian Resort and sent to a recycling facility where they are separated, shredded and densified into a crumb-like raw material. This material will be used to make repurposed products such as composite lumber for shipping pallets, railroad ties and composite decking. “Our responsibility to the planet is one of our company’s core values,” stated George Markantonis, president and COO of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. “Our Sands ECO360 global sustainability initiative was designed to help minimize our environmental impact, and it reflects our vision as a leader in sustainable resort operations. We continue our journey to a more sustainable future as we seek innovative environmental solutions.” “At TerraCycle, our mission has always been to eliminate waste, recycle the unrecyclable and use our innovative business solutions to minimize human impact on the planet,” said TerraCycle Founder and CEO Tom Szaky. “It’s through partnerships like the one we enjoy with The Venetian Resort that allows us to fulfill our objective and help preserve the environment for future generations.”

Me: “I’m writing an article about pumps.” Husband: “Bike pumps?” Me: “No.” Husband: “Breast pumps?” Me: “No.” Husband: “Gas pumps?” Me: “No.” Husband: “Like the high heels?” Me: “No!” (I grabbed a hand soap bottle from our bathroom to make my point.) Out of all the types of pumps, the liquid dispenser pump is by far the most common in our home. I did a quick count, and there are 17 in our kitchen and bathroom, that’s far more than the number of high-heel shoes I have. It goes to show that pumps are everywhere, even if they don’t really register with most people.   You may be wondering why someone would be spending time thinking about pumps—enough time, in fact, to dedicate an entire article to them. Pumps, ingenious mechanisms for controlled actuation of liquid formulas, are so functional and ubiquitous in personal care products that they’ve become interwoven with our lives. But, if you’re a packaging designer or beauty entrepreneur focused on sustainability, the pumps’ pervasiveness means they’re a huge problem to tackle.

THE PROBLEM WITH PUMPS

  The issue isn’t so much the pump itself, but the way they’re used in consumer packaged goods. Pumps are wonderful and complex devices. A standard pump utilizes at least two to four different types of plastic, plus stainless steel, and sometimes glass and rubber. Each part of a pump is tiny and carefully crafted to do its job.   Why so many different materials? Because each part has been optimized for its unique purpose. Certain parts require a plastic with low reactability to liquid formulas to avoid stoking compatibility issues. Certain parts require a plastic that can slide against other parts with little friction. Certain parts require a plastic that can easily be pigmented to generate colors brands desire.   Don’t get me wrong—pumps do a fabulous job of dispensing the exact amount of liquid needed. The big issue with pumps is that, in most cases, they’re only used for a very short period of time before they’re tossed into the trash or recycling bin.

PUMP RECYCLING PREDICAMENTS 

  Remember the plethora of materials in pumps? Even if each individual material is recyclable, a pump would need to be dutifully disassembled and each material sorted by type to facilitate recycling. Unfortunately, since the pieces are small, they aren’t economically viable to recycle at a municipal sorting facility. As a result, the vast majority of pumps are destined for landfills.   TerraCycle, the self-proclaimed global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials, handles the minority of pumps that are recycled. Brands can pay TerraCycle to operate take-back programs that collect empty packages for recycling. Because brands pay for these services, there’s an economic incentive for the complicated process of disassembly and material sorting. TerraCycle’s process for recycling pumps involves shredding the pump and, then, separating out the stainless steel, plastic, glass and rubber to place into distinct recycling streams.   I spoke to a representative from Loop about how it deals with pumps. Part of TerraCycle, Loop is a circular retail platform selling household products in durable packages that customers use and return to be sanitized, refilled and resold. I was disappointed to hear that Loop doesn’t reuse pumps, probably because it’s too difficult to fully sterilize the interior cavities. The pumps are sent to TerraCycle for recycling. Perhaps in the future, Loop will design a reusable, cleanable alternative or allow consumers to purchase products with or without pumps to provide them the option of reusing a pump from a previous purchase.

PUMP ALTERNATIVES

  The next logical question is: Can we simply phase out pumps? After all, there are lots of other types of packages that hold liquids, including jars, tubes, squeeze bottles and droppers. And there are ways to formulate products in solid formats that don’t necessitate the amount of packaging liquid products necessitate. Those ideas are worthwhile and will work in several scenarios.   However, there are instances when a pump is truly the only option. For example, some skincare products with active ingredients use special airless containers to help prevent formulas from coming into contact with the outside environment and stave off bacteria. Another example is liquid products that are meant to be sprayed. A sprayers and atomizers are versions of pumps, and have the mixed materials and tiny parts associated with other personal care pumps.

THE REINVENTION OF PUMPS 

  Another approach to the pump problem is to redesign the pump for recyclability. Ren Clean Skincare is the first personal care brand to try. The brand developed a spring-free, all-plastic pump. The pump is an exciting innovation and step in the right direction. The catch is Ren’s pump contains a variety of types of plastic and recycling it remains tricky.   Brazilian packaging manufacturer Wista Airless Systems is behind a mono-material pump designed out of polyethylene or PE and has a PE spring. The tubes or bottles attached to the pumps are also constructed from PE, making the entire package 100% PE and truly mono-material. Wista offers recyclable sugarcane-based PE, too, which lessens environmental impacts by not being petroleum-based. INNBeauty Project uses a CTK Cosmetics mono-material pump in its Slushy Serum Moisturizer Cream. In an Instagram post, the clean beauty brand asserts it’s the first fully curb-side recyclable pump on the market. The pump is made from polypropylene or PP.   The next hurdle is ensuring recyclable packages actually are recycled. Brands with mono-material pumps must educate consumers to deposit packages into the right bins when they’re finished with their products. Then, the robots and people sorting items at material recovery facilities, where curbside recycling is taken before being sorted, baled and sold, have to know which pumps and packages are mono-material.   Currently, most material sorting at facilities is done visually, so a mono-material pump would get pulled off the recycling line and sent into the landfill stream since it looks like any other pump. To create identifiable recyclable pumps, a universal symbol to indicate mono-materiality should be displayed on packages. I also hope that recycling infrastructure continues to improve and innovate to introduce new ways of plastic sorting.  

PUMP REUSE 

  Since there isn’t a great solution for recycling pumps yet, the best short-term solution is to change how we use them. The idea of throwing away a pump every time you complete your shampoo or body lotion is bananas. The fine pieces of pump machinery have the capacity to be used over and over again. Ask the brands you love to sell bottles with and without pumps included, so you have the option to reuse them. Or request brands offer refill pouches or stations to refill bottles. Try shopping for personal care items at a package-free shop. Refill the bottles in your home whenever possible instead of buying new bottles.   Eco-conscious people and companies are addressing the implications of the enormous flood of personal care plastic waste. Fortunately, they seem to agree on two things: 1). Brands have a responsibility to be thoughtful about the types of packages they put into the world. 2). Consumers should reexamine the manner in which they buy, use and discard packages, and support brands that are doing better for the earth. Together, we can find a new path for pumps.   Lauren Golik is the art director at Bartlett Brands, an award-winning boutique branding agency in San Francisco. She leverages brand strategy to create holistic visual brand narratives incorporating identity, packaging, photography, video and marketing campaigns for clients ranging from cosmetics to consumables. Prior to Bartlett Brands, Golik worked in graphic design at Kendo Brands and Bare Escentuals. 

Resíduos específicos, com a logística reversa implantada em Londrina (clique sobre o nome do resíduo): - Lâmpadas fluorescentes - Medicamentos - Pilhas e baterias portáteis (ao acessar a página, selecione o Estado e procure o Município) As Lojas Multicoisas também recebem pilhas e baterias portáteis. - Esponjas Scotch-Brite (ao acessar a página, procure o mapa e encontre o ponto no Município) - Produtos da marca HP (ao acessar a página, informe seu CEP e encontre os pontos no Município) - Meias (ao acessar a página, informe seu Estado e cidade e encontre os pontos no Município) - Instrumentos de escrita - Brinquedos - Cápsulas de café: Marca Melitta,  Marcas LOR e Pilão - Embalagens vazias da marca O Boticário

Na sociedade contemporânea, adversidades são enfrentadas quanto ao adequado gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos, resultado do uso desenfreado, inconsciente e/ou inconsequente do meio ambiente ao longo dos séculos.

Did you know cigarette butts are not fully biodegradable? But there’s a solution: TerraCycle, the company that strives to find a way to recycle everything, offers a free Cigarette Waste Recycling Program. Just sign up with TerraCycle, collect the waste, and ship it to them for recycling.   When tossed on the street, the beach, or wherever they fall, cigarette butts take 18 months to 10 years to break down. Discarded butts leach chemicals and heavy metals, the same things that kill smokers, into the environment. They often wash down the street gutters, polluting our waterways and harming fish and other wildlife. Recycling cigarette butts is an important way to clean up after ourselves. It is good for the neighborhood or beach, and good for the planet.   Are you a smoker, or do you live or work with smokers? Or perhaps you’re one of our heroes who pick up cigarette butts from the beaches, parks, or neighborhood streets. Whatever your relationship with cigarettes, TerraCycle’s program is good news for those concerned with the waste they create.   What TerraCycle Accepts   The TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Recycling Program accepts extinguished cigarettes, cigarette filters, loose tobacco pouches, outer plastic packaging, inner foil packaging, rolling paper, and ash. To ensure proper recycling, don’t send any other waste with these materials. If you have paperboard packaging, recycle it through your local recycling program.   The service is free but you must provide your own containers. If you are a business or just want a convenient solution for packaging and shipping cigarette waste, TerraCycle also offers a variety of cigarette Zero Waste containers that include pre-paid shipping labels.   Do you have a business or community location where you’d like to collect butts? You can purchase fire-safe aluminum cigarette waste receptacles to install in high-traffic areas.        

Tips for Successful Recycling

  Make sure cigarettes are fully extinguished before you collect them.   Store the waste in a re-sealable plastic bag, disposable plastic container, plastic shopping bag, or garbage bag.   When ready to ship, secure the containers to seal in the odor and ash. Take the time to package carefully because it suppresses the odor for you and the people who handle it in transit.   Download a shipping label from TerraCycle, place your full containers in a sturdy box, and ship it to TerraCycle.  

How Are Cigarettes Recycled?

  With funding from Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the cigarette waste that you collect gets recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets. Check out this infographic from TerraCycle that explains the process.   Learn more about the Cigarette Waste Recycling Program, or explore other free TerraCycle Recycling Programs.

Existem alguns materiais que podem receber um novo destino, sabia? Sim, além da possibilidade de reciclar, você pode encaminhar para algum projeto que vai reutilizar.