Ahh, summer. With warmer temperatures come evening barbecues (or the smell of your neighbour's), bike rides along the seawall, Saturday strolls after brunch and, naturally, trips to the beach. In fact, sand and surf rate high on any list of good things about Vancouver living, so arm yourself for an epic summer at the beach with this list of essentials. IN THE SWIM We may as well start with the item you either loathe (ugh, pasty skin, muffin top, need we go on?) or love (tanned bod, all those hot yoga classes) shopping for. Trends in swimwear have all but disappeared, so choose something - anything - that suits you, flatters you and, most importantly, that you like. A fringed number in lime green by L*Space (recently seen on Rihanna)? How fab. A vintage-inspired bandeau top in a more subdued maroon by Vitamin A? Yes, please. Homegrown label Aritzia (and, more specifically, its sporty lifestyle label, TNAction) has also launched its very own swim collection, while Anna Kosturova's crochet bikinis, which have won countless mentions in Sports Illustrated, are coveted yachtwear.

Comme vous le savez, depuis Avril 2011, l’association SEM’Jeunes a créé son équipe de collecte d’instruments d’écriture usagés TerraCycle et vous a sollicités pour recycler stylos à bille, feutres, porte-mines, correcteurs, colles, marqueurs, surligneurs…

If you visited households throughout Canada, chances are you’d find at least one pair of flip-flops (if not more) in each. Unfortunately, every pair of flip-flops Canadians throw out ends up as waste in landfills. That is changing thanks to a partnership between Old Navy and TerraCycle Canada that now makes flip-flops recyclable. The free Flip-Flop Brigade is sponsored by national retailer Old Navy and run by leading upcycler and recycler TerraCycle. Consumers can send their old flip-flops to TerraCycle and receive an exclusive coupon in return. TerraCycle will recycle the flip-flops into innovative products such as playgrounds, park benches and bike racks.

Private companies are launching programs that not only encourage people to pick up the butts but also recycle them. Contrary to what many smokers may think, cigarette filters are not biodegradable: They are made with a plastic that can leach their toxic chemicals into the environment. In July, TerraCycle will begin providing free UPS shipping labels — paid for by an unnamed American tobacco company — so people can mail in butts they've collected. TerraCycle will turn the butts into plastic pallets for industrial use. Today, Eco-Tech Displays is starting a company, Cigarette Butt Litter Dream Recycling, to transform butts into products such as jewelry, vases and guitar picks. It collects the butts from hundreds of ashtrays that it has placed outside bars and restaurants in New York City, New Jersey and Chicago.

(USA TODAY) - Recycling has moved far beyond paper and plastic to tackle the nation's top litter problem: cigarette butts. Private companies are launching programs that not only encourage people to pick up the butts but also recycle them. Contrary to what many smokers may think, cigarette filters are not biodegradable: They are made with a plastic that can leach their toxic chemicals into the environment. In July, TerraCycle will begin providing free UPS shipping labels - paid for by an unnamed American tobacco company - so people can mail in butts they've collected. TerraCycle will turn the butts into plastic pallets for industrial use. Today, Eco-Tech Displays is starting a company, Cigarette Butt Litter Dream Recycling, to transform butts into products such as jewelry, vases and guitar picks. It collects the butts from hundreds of ashtrays that it has placed outside bars and restaurants in New York City, New Jersey and Chicago.

There's a company that desperately wants your used butts. Starting in July, TerraCycle will provide free UPS shipping labels (postage paid by a shadowy, unnamed U.S. tobacco company) so people can mail in their cigarette remnants for recycling. Why care about the butts? Like the rest of the cancer stick, the end is toxic, made with a plastic that emits dangerous chemicals into the environment, and it doesn't biodegrade. The discarded butts will be turned into plastic pallets for industrial use. Just make sure your ciggies are thoroughly snuffed before mailing. We don't want the already-struggling Postal Service to go up in smoke.