Having 57 Refinery29 editors collectively test 392 products for our annual Beauty Innovator Awards means we can wholeheartedly recommend the 102 we've determined to be the best of the best this year.   Admittedly, it also means we — like many beauty editors who swipe, swatch, and spritz for a living — are responsible for a shocking amount of waste. The majority of the estimated 120 billion units of cosmetics packaging created per year will ultimately end up in the ocean or landfills — and, as professional guinea pigs, we go through more of it than anyone.   So this year, as the beauty industry came to terms with its plastic problem, so did we — starting with a new partnership with TerraCycle. The waste-management company, which specializes in recycling hard-to-process beauty packaging like mascara tubes and shampoo bottle caps, collected our empty products at the end of our awards testing cycle — plus all the tubes, tubs, and jars our staff have gone through since then.   But making our rigorous testing process more environmentally conscious was just the beginning. We also wanted to highlight the brands leading the charge with a new category: The Sustainability Shop. In it, you'll find brands who are innovating with better and more conscious manufacturing methods, cleaner ingredients, and earth-friendly packaging — without compromising on efficacy or style. And moving forward, we are committed to highlighting more sustainable brands throughout our beauty coverage.   We tapped Sophia Berrios, marketing and e-commerce manager for TerraCycle and Zero Waste, to weigh in on her favorite products from our brand-new eco-friendly category. Click ahead to learn why these products are taking home the gold and the green this year.   At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission. Check out the rest of the 2019 Beauty Innovator Award winners.  

In 2018 the City of Victoria installed 50 cigarette butt canisters around the city in an effort to keep the streets and storm drains cleaner, and locals have been following suit. So far, more than 100,000 cigarette butts, weighing in at over 100 kg, have been collected.   The cylindrical canisters hang off of poles and posts in high-traffic areas, with a clearly-marked cigarette emblem on the side. Some of the canisters, said Rory Tooke, manager of sustainability, need to be changed daily, while others only need to be changed weekly.   “Public feedback has been very positive, and we receive many requests to install more canisters,” Tooke said in an emailed statement. “We expect collection to increase as more smokers become aware, and as the City continues to expand the number of canisters.”   The collected butts are then shipped over to the Greater Toronto area for processing. TerraCycle specializes in processing difficult-to-recycle materials, and turns the cigarette butts into plastic pellets used to create a wide range of new products.   nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com

On November 8, 2019, Lift & Co. hosted their sixth annual awards to honour Canada’s top licensed producers, their products and their people.   “The Cannabis Council of Canada is proud to represent Canada’s licensed producers with a mission to promote high industry and product standards. Our members are among the most innovative companies in Canada, using state-of-the-art technology and research to develop the best products for Canadian consumers. We are proud to see many of our members receiving recognition at Lift & Co.’s sixth annual awards gala in Toronto.” said Megan McCrae, Chair of the Board.   The following Cannabis Council of Canada Members were recognized in the following categories:

• Top High-CBD Bottled Oil, CBD 25:1 Oil by Aphria
• Top Balanced Oil, Midnight Oil by Medreleaf
• Top High-THC Bottled Oil, Rossignol by Organigram
• Top Sativa-Dominant Pre-Roll by Good Supply (Aphria)
• Top Cannabis Spray, Sativa Oral Mist by Aurora Cannabis
• Top Cannabis Capsules, Argyle Softgels by Tweed (Canopy Growth Corp.)
• Top Hybrid Flower, Ruxton (Sour OG) by Broken Coast Cannabis (Aphria)
• Top Master Grower, Kevin Anderson, head grower at Broken Coast Cannabis (Aphria)
• Top Non-Profit/Charity/Community Initiative won by Tweed (Canopy Growth Corp.) x TerraCycle for their cannabis packaging recycling program
• Top Indica Flower, Pink Kush by San Rafael ’71 (Aurora)
• Top Sativa Flower, Tangerine Dream by San Rafael ’71 (Aurora)
• Brand of the Year won by 7ACRES (Supreme Cannabis Company)
• Innovation of the Year, Renew CBN Oil by Solei (Aphria)

  The Canadian Cannabis Awards (CCAs) are an annual event that recognizes excellence and innovation in Canada’s cannabis industry. The recipients of product awards are determined by Lift & Co. product reviews and public nominations or an industry judging panel.   The full list of recipients from the sixth Canadian Cannabis Awards can be found here.  

Bausch + Lomb has partnered with TerraCycle to donate custom training modules made from recycled contact lenses to the Guide Dog Foundation.   TerraCycle, which specializes in repurposing hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, will create benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp made from used contact lens materials collected through Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling Program, according to a press release.   The headquarters of the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown, New York, will receive the training modules, which will be used to train guide dogs for blind or visually impaired individuals.   “At Bausch + Lomb our mission is to help people see better to live better by delivering critical resources and advancements that help improve vision health,” Joe Gordon, U.S. president, Bausch + Lomb, said in the release. “We are proud to further build upon the ONE by ONE Recycling Program with TerraCycle in providing this donation to the Guide Dog Foundation — an initiative that not only supports the health of our environment, but also provides the precious gift of sight through the training they provide guide dogs for those who are blind or visually impaired.”   The ONE by ONE program encourages contact lens wearers to bring their used lenses and packaging to participating eye care professionals’ offices for recycling. More information can be found at www.bauschrecycles.com.  

Watermelon Music and The D’Addario Company would like to give out free strings for guitars, bass guitars, mandolins or ukuleles. Local musicians may simply bring in a stringed instrument from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, with at least two non-perishable food items, and the staff will install a brand new set of D’Addario strings and tune and polish the instrument (The limit is limit two instruments per household). All food received will be donated to Davis Community Meals, helping people in need during the holiday season. Any extra donations will be both accepted and appreciated.       For more information or to volunteer to help restring instruments, call Watermelon Music at 530-758-4010 or email themelonball@watermelonmusic.com.

The Fairfield Library will be “talking trash” on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m.   For those who wonder whether a household item can be recycled and how, here’s their chance to get an overview of local options as Marg Dwyer, an executive committee member of the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, will provide a status report and then explain Fairfield residents’ options for recycling locally thru Waste Management, Connelly Recycling, and Terra Cycle.   Recycling programs in the United States have undergone many changes, from pre-1992 curbside sorting, to offshore shipping, to China’s banned imports of foreign garbage. The industry has to reconsider its approach:   • Economics: When is recycling profitable? • Infrastructure: What technologies must be implemented? • Consumer packaging: What new regulations are proposed?

Global health and hygiene company RB, maker of popular consumer brands including Mucinex and Enfamil, has announced its partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle to offer consumers a simple and completely free way to recycle their consumer goods packaging.   The RB Health & Nutrition Recycling Program will accept packaging waste from all brands of vitamins and supplements, upper respiratory, sexual health & well-being, as well as infant formula & child nutrition, personal care and foot care.   The Healthy You, Healthy Planet™ partnership with TerraCycle to recycle all health and nutrition packaging is the next step in achieving RB’s global commitments to support a more sustainable future, which also includes reducing product packaging and eliminating waste through innovation.   Through the RB Health & Nutrition Recycling Programme, packaging waste from the following categories will be recycled:  

• Vitamins, minerals and supplements packaging (Ex: MegaRed & Airborne): blister packs, tubes, bottles, cans, boxes, caps and lids
• Sexual health and well-being packaging (Ex: K-Y & Durex): tubes, bottles, wrappers, cans, boxes, caps and lids
• Cough, cold, flu, sore throat, and nasal care packaging (Ex. Mucinex & Delsym): bottles, tubes, spray bottles, blister packs, caps and lids
• Infant formula and child nutrition packaging (Ex: Enfamil): tubs, bottles, wrappers, cans, boxes, cap, and lids
• Personal care and foot care packaging: tubes, bottles, caps, lids, and other plastic packaging

  From vitamin bottles and caps to infant formula tubs, TerraCycle will clean and melt the collected product packaging into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.   “At TerraCycle, our mission has always been to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and its recycling initiatives like the RB Health & Nutrition Recycling Programme that drive awareness of single use packaging epidemic. These programmes elicit positive change in the consumer and ultimately lead to the preservation of our environment for future generations to come,” said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO. “Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our objective to recycle the unrecyclable, while diverting waste from landfills and local communities. It’s partnerships like the one we enjoy with RB that truly make a difference and make it possible.”   The RB Health & Nutrition Recycling Programme is open to any interested individual, school, daycare, fitness facility, healthcare office, office, or community organization. To learn more about RB’s global commitment to support a more sustainable future visit www.rb.com/US. For more information on TerraCycle’s innovative recycling programmes, visit www.terracycle.com.

In the wake of climate change and the pollution crisis, Burt's Bee partnered with TerraCycle to launch a national recycling initiative titled the 'Recycle On Us' program. This program is completely free to consumers and allows them to recycle all Burt's Bees personal care, lip care, and beauty care packaging to TerraCycle to recycle. Once the packaging is collected, it's cleaned and melted and turned into new products. “Sustainability is one of Burt’s Bees’ core values,” explains Paula Alexander, Director of Sustainable Business and Innovation. “Burt’s Bees strives to formulate with natural ingredients and design our packaging with mindful materials, such as post-consumer recycled content, but we don’t stop there. Now, through our partnership with TerraCycle, we can not only minimize the material used to create our packaging but through nationwide recycling access, minimize or even eliminate used packaging entering the waste stream.” The Burt’s Bees Recycle On Us program is available to individuals, schools, offices, and community organizations.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is recognizing 10 recycling programs from a mix of businesses, schools, nonprofits and local governments with the 2019 Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards. In honor of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, the DNR is recognizing four entities for “overall operations of a recycling program,” four entities for “special projects and initiatives” and two entities for program “innovation.” “It is exciting to see communities and businesses find new ways to reduce waste and recycle,” DNR Waste and Materials Management Program Director Joe Van Rossum said. “We want to promote these efforts and share how we divert materials from landfills in Wisconsin.” The Overall Program Awards recognize efforts that are robust and continually improving while demonstrating a commitment to improving the overall recycling or diversion program.

• 7 Rivers Recycling in Onalaska developed methods to enable the recycling of old mattresses. 7RR deconstructs the mattresses primarily for the steel, foam and wood. The company smelts the steel for other steel products, makes the foam into carpet backings and grinds the wood into wood mulch for a variety of uses. The company estimates they will recycle more than 12,000 mattresses this year.
• The Purdy Elementary School Green Team in Fort Atkinson is made up of teachers and students in fourth and fifth grades. They are working hard to reduce waste from their school destined for the landfill. While caring for nearby Brietzke Educational Wetland, they recycle trash and compost organic materials. They are also working on ending the single-use plastic problem, recycling milk cartons and many other classroom initiatives.
• The city of New Richmond went through a comprehensive update of its residential recycling services, which the city had not revisited since 1996. In 2018, the city began roundtable discussions with recycling contractors and utilized an online and paper survey to solicit input from the community. The analysis led to a conversion to automated single-stream recycling. The city also works with TerraCycle to recycle cigarette filters in its downtown district.
• University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has a long history of waste reduction, recycling and sustainability. UWSP was the first UW campus to have recycling chutes in all residential buildings and offer composting in every academic building on campus. The school also vermicomposts--using worms to digest food waste and produce nutrient-rich castings, which are spread as a soil supplement on campus gardens. Other waste diversion initiatives include a student-run food pantry, elimination of plastic straws and the University Surplus reuse program.

Projects and Initiatives Awards recognize specific projects that increase materials recycled or diverted through a particular action or project.

• Aldo Leopold Elementary School in Madison created and maintains a waste reduction and recycling program in their cafeteria that focuses on easy waste reduction techniques to divert waste and promote sustainability. By merely educating students on how and why to recycle milk cartons and sort and stack the food trays, lunch waste volume has been reduced by about 75%.
• Alliant Energy developed a waste management and recycling program for its construction of the West Riverside Energy Center (WREC) near Beloit. The program manages tons of materials generated during construction at the 90-acre project site and includes an active training component and collaboration with local organizations. As of July 2019, their data shows that 87% of waste generated from the WREC project site has been diverted from the landfill.
• Digital Bridge, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit, collects and refurbishes business computers and redistributes the devices to low-income individuals and nonprofits. The company has redistributed over 1,000 computers. Digital Bridge is providing access to affordable technology as well as setting up computer labs for communities that need them.
• Edgar School District science teachers from the middle and high schools created a step-by-step plan to enhance their recycling program. Working with administration and maintenance, the number and sizes of recycling bins were evaluated and increased. Staff also focused on better placement of the recycling containers for easier access and proper use. The district put training in place and adopted a goal of an effective district-wide program that “reduces, reuses and recycles while minimizing the footprint our community leaves.”

According to the Green Restaurant Association, the average dining destination creates 100,000 pounds of garbage per year. Restaurateurs can divert 90% of that from the landfill with the proper recycling and composting program, the organization says, but Rhodora has taken the concept even further, completely eliminating all waste from its operations.   And to be clear, that means everything. No single-use plastics, no products or packaging that can’t be recycled, upcycled, or composted, and no trash in the kitchen, the dining room…or in the bathroom. Wines are natural and low-intervention, from small farms, and the menu – inspired by the conservas tapas bars of the Iberian Peninsula – is short and sweet, just tinned fish and seafood, pickles and charcuterie, cheeses and simple salads, with ice cream for dessert.   Rhodora is the work of the Oberon Group, a local restaurant group with a focus on community and sustainability, and though it’s the first zero-waste bar in Brooklyn, and likely the first in the US as a whole, it’s not the first in the world. The UK’s Silo, which opened in Brighton in 2014 and relocated to London just this fall, served as an inspiration, and the chef there helped the Rhodora team navigate through unfamiliar waters.   As Grub Street reports, they sought out cheeses sans wax rinds, breads that could be delivered by bike, and oysters that would come in a closed-loop delivery system – i.e., in packaging that goes back to the supplier to be reused. There’s a composter for food scraps, and as for that bathroom issue, there’s TerraCycle, a New Jersey recycling company that handles hazardous waste – one of their collection boxes has been installed in the facilities.  

To read the full story, visit https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/rhodora-brooklyn-waste-free-wine-bar.