As of this week, consumers can feel better about where their baby food packaging is going—if they follow through with the new recycling initiative in place. Gerber and international recycling company, TerraCycle, have partnered to recycle Gerber baby food packaging, and the steps are really easy.   Parents can simply sign up on the Gerber Recycling Program at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gerber and mail in packaging that is not municipally recyclable using a prepaid shipping label. Once TerraCycle receives the returned packaging, it is cleaned, melted into hard plastic and remolded to make new recycled products.   The program works toward a shared goal between Gerber and TerraCycle to reduce waste and recover hard-to-recycle products. Not only is the program easy and free for the consumer, but for every pound of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle through the Gerber Recycling Program, collectors can earn $1 to donate to a nonprofit, school, or charitable organization of their choice.   “Through this free recycling program, Gerber is offering parents an easy way to divert waste from landfills by providing a responsible way to dispose of certain hard-to-recycle baby food packaging,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “By collecting and recycling these items, families can demonstrate their respect for the environment not only through the products that they choose for their children, but also with how they dispose of the packaging.”   According to the press release on the partnership, Gerber and TerraCycle both feel an obligation to help improve the world. The partnership hopes to achieve 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025.   “We’re thrilled to partner with TerraCycle as part of our broader sustainable packaging efforts,” said Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka. “We know every parent’s top priority is to ensure a healthy, happy future for their baby. Our commitment to sustainability is rooted in giving parents a hand in making their baby’s future that much brighter.”   This is not the only way Gerber has worked to improve babies’ lives along with the state of the environment. Gerber has upheld some of the baby food industry’s strongest agricultural standards through its Clean Field Farming™ practices, and it states that it is committed to reducing energy use, water use and carbon emissions in its factories.

The Earth911 team sits down to talk about how dumps differ from landfills, how incinerators work, and the limits of landfill expansion. Join Evelyn Fileding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for this week’s But first, we explore natural ways to remove stains, including grease, blood, and wine in recent infographic from Tommy John that we published. Do you know how to dispose of plastic bags responsibly? In one of our most popular postings of the last month, Patti Roth explained how disposable plastic bags have become a greater challenge to recycle and, unfortunately, now mostly end up in landfills. Here’s an important tip: don’t put your recyclables into plastic bags; instead, take plastic and cans out of the bag when you put them in the bin to prevent them from going into the garbage.   Where does your garbage go?  We walk through Gemma Alexander’s excellent articles about where we send our garbage in the United States, how dumps differ from landfills, how landfills work, and how incinerators have become a more important part of U.S. waste disposal. The construction of a landfill is a complicated long-term commitment to manage it for three decades after it closes — yet, even that leaves tons of waste in the environment for centuries. Our recent article includes an illustration that explains how Incinerators are now a source of power generation, but produce toxic fly ash that can be reused to make concrete. The solution is to produce less garbage by buying less and recycling more. With a solid understanding of the ins and outs of where your garbage goes, you can make informed decisions about which recycling and waste options you want to use.   As always, we answer your Earthling questions about recycling disposable contact lenses with Terracycle, aluminum cat food cans, and acrylic paint.   Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

There are a lot of ways to take good care of your skin.   You can keep it simple with a two-step cleanse-and-moisturize or experiment with double cleansing, layering serums and creams, K-beauty, masks, scrubs, and high-quality SPF (Yes — you should use this all year round). But, shouldn’t the products you use be as kind to animals as they are to your skin? Whether your skincare routine is a simple wash in the morning at night or a double-cleanse followed by layering serums and creams, there are now plant-based options for every step. But, what is plant-based skincare?   What Is Plant-Based?   You may have noticed an influx of skincare brands calling out “green,” “natural,” or “plant-based” ingredients. It can be confusing — but, plant-based typically means that a product or brand features plant-derived ingredients. This can mean a serum uses squalane — a lightweight moisturizer that helps balance oil production — made from sugarcane or olive oil instead of shark’s liver Plant-based glycerin is made from vegetable oil, instead of fatty animal oil.   But here’s where it gets tricky: Skincare made with plant-based ingredients isn’t always vegan. There are no labeling laws governing “plant-based” skincare must be free from animal-derived ingredients, so you might see a brand advertising its ingredients as “plant-based,” while also featuring ingredients like honey. Plant-based, vegan skincare is free from honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen (although a vegan version may be widely commercially available in the coming years), keratin, and non-vegan squalane and glycerin. Cruelty-free and vegan labels are becoming the new norm, but cosmetic animal testing is still prominent. Humane Society International (HSI), a nonprofit animal rights organization, estimates that anywhere between 100,000-200,000 animals die for cosmetics tests every year. They are rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice. Tests include skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are dropped in the eyes or rubbed onto exposed skin, oral force-feeding to monitor potential health hazards, and lethal dose tests. According to HSI, “tests can cause considerable pain and distress including blindness, swollen eyes, sore bleeding skin, internal bleeding and organ damage, birth defects, convulsions, and death. Pain relief is not provided and at the end of a test the animals are killed, normally by asphyxiation, neck-breaking or decapitation.”   In 2018, The Body Shop and anti-animal testing organization Cruelty Free International, delivered a petition calling for a global ban on cosmetic animal testing. It was signed by 8.3 million people.   So, why do cosmetics companies still test on animals? HSI notes that companies tend to conduct tests when introducing new ingredients that don’t have existing safety data, which needs to be generated to satisfy regulators before a product can be introduced to the market. But are animal tests absolutely necessary? According to HSI, there are a number of non-animal testing methods that are just as effective in determining safety and efficacy if not more so.   Companies can also use ingredients already proven safe. But, there are a few roadblocks. There aren’t non-animal tests for every single test area required for new ingredients. And, regulators tend to be conservative, sticking to the mentality of “this is the way it’s always been done.” New tests are being introduced — more than 40 alternatives have been developed, according to HSI — and nearly 40 countries have banned cosmetic animal testing. Even China, which is notorious for its cosmetic animal testing requirements, is working with regulators and nonprofits to eliminate mandatory tests.

Companies Embrace Plant-Based Ingredients

  As cosmetic animal testing becomes increasingly obsolete, brands are turning to fully vegan formulas and blending botanicals with biochemistry to create products that are food for your skin and good for animals. Here are 19 brands to try.

1. PLANT Apothecary

  PLANT Apothecary was founded in 2012 by Holly McWhorter and Bjarke Ballisager, a husband-and-wife duo who sought to create gentle, environmentally-friendly skincare products that could be used by the whole family.   It is on a mission to combine healthy, organic, eco-friendly, and vegan ingredients with clean, straightforward packaging. Its products are unisex, USDA organic, and free from synthetic ingredients like petroleum, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and silicones. The brand follows principles of herbalism and aromatherapy to create effective, gentle products suitable for all skin types.   WASH YOUR FACE is a gentle, fragrance-free organic aloe cleanser that won’t dry out your skin. It’s fragrance-free and lightly-sudsing, perfect for doubling as a shaving cream. It features aloe, a skin-soothing moisturizer with anti-inflammatory properties that helps protect the skin from UV damage and lemongrass, which has antioxidant properties and is used to relieve anxiety in aromatherapy. PLANT Apothecary is unisex and vegan.

1. PLANT Apothecary

  PLANT Apothecary was founded in 2012 by Holly McWhorter and Bjarke Ballisager, a husband-and-wife duo who sought to create gentle, environmentally-friendly skincare products that could be used by the whole family.   It is on a mission to combine healthy, organic, eco-friendly, and vegan ingredients with clean, straightforward packaging. Its products are unisex, USDA organic, and free from synthetic ingredients like petroleum, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and silicones. The brand follows principles of herbalism and aromatherapy to create effective, gentle products suitable for all skin types.   WASH YOUR FACE is a gentle, fragrance-free organic aloe cleanser that won’t dry out your skin. It’s fragrance-free and lightly-sudsing, perfect for doubling as a shaving cream. It features aloe, a skin-soothing moisturizer with anti-inflammatory properties that helps protect the skin from UV damage and lemongrass, which has antioxidant properties and is used to relieve anxiety in aromatherapy. Plant Apothecary is gentle and effective.   The CALM DOWN body wash is a concentrated body wash with an eco-friendly, low-water formula — so a little goes a long way. The gel has a honey-like texture made with only eight ingredients, including soaps made from organic coconut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil. It’s enriched with ginger and lavender essential oils, specifically chosen to help ease a stressed-out mind at the end of the day. Ginger promotes concentration and is known to help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Lavender also doubles as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, making it an effective fighter against acne, swelling, and redness.   Find PLANT Apothecary’s products online through their website or on Ulta.com. Every ingredient has a purpose at Herbivore Botanicals.

2. Herbivore Botanicals

Vegan skincare brand Herbivore Botanicals makes products that are safe and effective. Brand founders Julia Wills and Alexander Kummerow believe in only including ingredients that have a purpose — so, there are never any fillers. Formulas are all made from scratch using the finest raw materials from the earth and finished products are tested only on humans. The company makes a wide variety of products, including exfoliating serums, facial oils, toners, moisturizers, masks, and bath salts.   Check it out here. Meow Meow Tweet wants to do right by the planet.  

3. Meow Meow Tweet

Small-batch vegan skincare brand Meow Meow Tweet makes skin and body care products using natural, organic ingredients. The brand believes in crafting formulas as if they were recipes, carefully selecting ingredients to create effective products. It also works to have a lower ecological footprint. Meow Meow Tweet offers bulk refill bottles for several products, which can be returned to the company when finished to be sterilized and reused. It will also Terracycle hard-to-recycle plastic parts in its packaging.   Check it out here. Youth to the People is gender-neutral.  

4. Youth To The People

Los Angeles-based vegan brand Youth to the People makes skin products for all skin types and genders. It pairs nutrient-dense superfoods with clinical actives, ranging from kale and green tea to AHA and glycolic acid. Products are free from dimethicone, mineral oil, parabens, PEG, phthalates, silicones, artificial colors, and sulfates. You can even visit the R&D lab in the Arts District to see how products are made. Everything is packaged in recyclable glass bottles.   Check it out here. Odacite uses wild-grown botanicals.  

5. Odacite

Made in Van Nuys, California, Odacite is cruelty-free, vegan, and committed to using effective and pure ingredients. Founder Valierie Grandury was inspired to create the brand after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She began making custom-blend products for herself and clients. Word spread fast, leading her to officially launch the company. Odacite formulates its products with organic potent botanicals that are wild-crafted or grown without chemicals. Products are free from parabens, fillers, preservatives, PEG, and synthetic perfumes and dyes.   Check it out here. Look no further for budget-friendly skincare than E.L.F.  

6. E.L.F.

E.L.F. makes cruelty-free, vegan, and budget-friendly skincare products. The majority cost less than $15 and are suitable for a wide variety of skin types, from acne-prone to oily and dry.   Check it out here. COSRX targets the root cause of skincare troubles.  

7. COSRX

Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly K-beauty brand COSRX gets its name from a combination of “cosmetics” and “rx.” Its product range has gained an international following for its no-nonsense approach to skincare, using effective active ingredients that target the root cause of a multitude of skin concerns ranging from dry skin to clogged pores and sun protection. All vegan products are clearly marked on the website. Bestsellers include the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, the One Step Original Clear Pad, and the Hydrogel Very Simple Pack.   Check it out here.

8. Osea

Based in Malibu, Osea specializes in organic, luxury vegan skincare that harnesses the power of the sea. The company uses organic seaweed infused with steam-distilled and cold-pressed essential oils to create formulas that fight fine lines and blemishes. All products are free from parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals. Founder Jenefer Palmer, dedicated to animal rights and the environment, is committed to producing only vegan products.   Check it out here. Isle of Paradise moisturizes and builds a summer glow.  

9. Isle Of Paradise

UK-based brand Isle of Paradise makes cruelty-free, vegan self-tanner products that do more than just help maintain a summer glow all year round. Its Self-Tanning Drops are made with organic tanning actives, plus moisturizing avocado, chia seed, and coconut oils. It’s free from parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, and phthalates.   Check it out here.

10. Korres

Greek cosmetics brand Korres is strictly against animal testing — all tests are conducted in the company’s own lab using new technological innovations, like in vitro (using synthetic skin cells) or human volunteers. The brand clearly labels all vegan products under the “Formula Facts” section of each product page. Korres carefully research every ingredient for clinical efficacy and sustainability, using medical herbs, native Greek flora, food, and natural actives. Its plant also employs more than environmental management programs throughout production, packaging, and storage. Popular products include the Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil, the AHAs & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask, and the Foaming Cream Cleanser.   Check it out here. Acure products address a wide variety of skincare concerns.  

11. Acure

Acure’s motto is “100% Vegan, 0% Pretentious.” The brand was developed by hair and skincare enthusiasts who aim to make products that are safe, effective, and accessible — the majority of products cost under $20. Acure has a number of skincare lines to address different concerns, ranging from acne to dry and damaged.   Check it out here. Biossance is known for its sugar cane-based squalane.  

12. Biossance

Plant-based skincare brand Biossance uses innovative biotechnology to create its formulas, drawing from both science and sustainability. It’s best-known for its vegan squalane, derived from renewable, ethically-sourced sugarcane, that’s suitable for all skin types. The company also supports missions for social good. It was founded by a team of Berkeley scientists who developed that created an accessible cure for malaria. To this day, the company donates a portion of profits to Zagaya, a nonprofit that works to eradicate malaria. Its production processes cause no deforestation and products are packaged in Sugarcane and Forest Stewardship Council-certified boxes.   Check it out here. Thank You Farmer features skin-soothing ingredients..  

13. Thank You Farmer

Thank You Farmer is a natural K-beauty brand that creates natural, soothing products for sensitive skin. The company prioritizes effective, safe ingredients for its ranges, which include acne, anti-aging, firming, brightening, and sun protection. The company’s products are available on K-beauty retailer SOKO Glam, which clearly labels vegan products. Best sellers include the Back To Iceland Cleansing Water and the Back To Pure Daily Foaming Gel Cleanser.   Check it out here. The Ordinary sells high-quality skincare ingredients for a budget price.  

14. The Ordinary

The Ordinary is a budget-friendly, vegan skincare brand from DECIEM, an umbrella brand that focuses on creating advanced functional beauty products. The company earned a strong cult following by selling luxury skincare ingredients at wholesale prices. Its serums, moisturizers, oils, and treatments range from just over $6 to just below $15. The website makes it easy to pick what’s right for your skin by breaking down concerns and offering suggested regimens.   Check it out here. Atrue embraces the power of tea.  

15. Atrue

Atrue is a cruelty-free Korean skincare brand. Its signature ingredient is black tea. The company sources its tea from Compagnie Coloniale, France’s oldest tea brand. packed with antioxidants, Black tea provides a number of benefits for skin. Atrue also uses green tea, which is known to soothe skin and help fight inflammation. Bestsellers include the award-winning Real Black Tea True Active Essence, the Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-wrinkle Essence, and the Real Black Tea True Active Mask.   Check it out here. Sunday Riley’s Good Genes serum is a cult hit.  

16. Sunday Riley

Cruelty-free luxury skincare brand Sunday Riley blends advanced, clinically proven ingredients with botanicals to create small-batch, clean beauty products. It’s mostly vegan, free from synthetic fragrance, mineral oils, and sulfates, opting for flower and plant extracts and gentle cleansers instead. Good Genes, C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C and Turmeric Face Oil, and the U.F.O. Ultra Clarifying Acne Treatment Face Oil.   Check it out here. Farmacy partners with organic farms.  

17. Farmacy

Cruelty-free, “farm-to-face” brand Farmacy uses science to unlock the benefits of ingredients found in nature. The company has partnered with organic farms around the world to source potent, natural ingredients and create effective skincare. Its Green Clean Meltaway Cleansing Balm has a strong fanbase. All products are free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances. A handful of products use beeswax and honey.   Check it out Clean beauty brand Drunk Elephant is free from the “Suspicious 6.”  

18. Drunk Elephant

Drunk Elephant is a cruelty-free skincare brand committed to making “clean” products. The company selects only ingredients that either “directly benefit the skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of our formulations.” It never uses what it labels the “Suspicious 6” — essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes, and SLS (sodium laureth sulfate). Try the Protini Polypeptide Cream, the T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, or the Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser.   Check it out here. Klairs is ideal for sensitive skin.  

19. Klairs

Cruelty-free and mostly-vegan Korean brand Klairs believes in making products that are simple, but enough to deliver results. Since 2010, the company has been researching different raw materials and ingredients that work best for sensitive skin. It also takes its time — “no matter how long” — in introducing new products, all offered at a mid-range price. The brand is working toward making its entire range vegan. Try the Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop, the Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil, or the Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish.  

Did you know that if we properly recycled 28% of our waste stream in Colorado, the effect would be equivalent to removing about 485,000 cars from the road annually? That’s according to the Colorado Public Interest Research Group’s State of Recycling report. While recycling can be confusing, it’s one of the most practical, impactful and useful solutions to tackling our climate crisis.   Recycling is all about markets, so the recyclability of a material depends on its market value and how and what it can be re-manufactured into. Those markets dictate what you can put in your curbside recycling, our community drop sites and bins at work. That means recycling, just like product values, can change and fluctuate.   More and more companies are creating closed loops for their products by using their own recyclable materials to make new products, becoming a part of the solution rather than contributing to our recycling challenges. Companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are making developments so their bottles are not only recyclable but made from recycled material as well.   In general, it is much less resource-intensive to make a product from recycled materials than to use “virgin” materials. For example, the Aluminum Association’s research states that making an aluminum can from recycled aluminum uses about 90% less energy than making a can from scratch. Furthermore, any aluminum can you purchase is likely to have already been recycled: 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.   There are lots of other markets and stakeholders at play beyond our local recycling collection too. For example, some hard-to-recycle materials that we can’t put in our curbside bins can be processed through companies like TerraCycle. Regardless of how deep you dive into recycling markets, it is important to be mindful of the impact you can make by purchasing thoughtfully and recycling right.   Here are some tips to get started.   1.    Plastic bags and other plastic films can be recycled at the Avon Walmart among other locations. Learn more at PlasticFilmRecycling.org.   2.    For a list of hard-to-recycle products that you can ship for free through TerraCycle, visit TerraCycle.com/en-US/brigades#.   3.    Be careful of common recycling mistakes. Not all plastics are recyclable. Plastic bags, plastic utensils and paper plates with a plastic film/coasting cannot be recycled in curbside bins or community drop sites. Avoid purchasing these items whenever possible, and opt instead for materials that can be diverted from landfills.   4.    Reducing waste is even better than recycling or composting. Use reusable cups, plates, bowls, bags and utensils whenever possible. While many events in the Eagle Valley require vendors to provide consumers with compostable products, using reusable items has even less of an impact on the environment.   5. If you’re ever unsure if a material is recyclable locally, check on the Eagle County Waste Wizard app. You can search products, learn what goes where based on your hauler and recycle right.   Jake Watroba was a summer sustainability intern at Walking Mountains Science Center. For more information, contact Nina Waysdorf at ninaw@walkingmountains.org.

Volunteers from the group Sherbrooke en transition (SET) headed to the CHUS Fleurimont yesterday as part of the initiative, Operaation Zero Butts.  

The Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC), Milwaukee, has entered into a joint research project with Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, to advance battery innovation and ensure that the batteries of tomorrow are designed for maximum recyclability, the coalition reports in a news release.   Argonne National Laboratory, operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center focused on solving domestic energy and environmental challenges through innovative science and technology solutions. RBC, a leader in innovation and collaboration in responsible battery management, is a coalition of battery manufacturers and recyclers, car and vehicle makers, fleet owners, service providers and aftermarket retailers with a common interest in the responsible management of batteries.   The RBC-funded partnership is the first industry-sponsored project with the Argonne-led ReCell Center, a lithium-ion battery research and development initiative launched by DOE in early 2019 that also includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, RBC reports in a news release on the partnership.   “By modeling the full life cycle of a battery in advance, a manufacturer has the opportunity to compare and contrast different battery chemistries ‘in the lab,’ which reduces risks and production costs, and allows for the design of batteries that are environmentally responsible, from initial materials selection through end-of-life,” says RBC's Executive Director Steve Christensen. “Between the globally renowned scientists and top of the line facilities available at Argonne, we are confident that our investment will lead to tangible, real-world solutions benefiting industry and consumers.”   “As batteries play an ever-larger role in meeting society’s daily energy needs, in applications ranging from electric vehicles to powering homes to industrial-scale energy storage, evaluating and understanding life-cycle impacts is increasingly important,” says Jeff Spangenberger, director of the ReCell Center, who leads the research team at Argonne. “Using Argonne’s closed-loop recycling model, known as EverBatt, we will be able to generate critical information to help battery manufacturers design batteries with recycling in mind. Understanding the life cycle of a technology, such as advanced batteries, also supports the development of a circular economy, where all the components of a product are recovered and recycled at end of life.”   Developing a circular economy approach is especially important for advanced battery technologies, which currently rely on metals that are in limited supply or produced in unstable regions. Over the next 20 years, the projected global spent battery volume from electric vehicles alone will increase to more than seven million metric tons annually, with more than two million metric tons produced in the United States alone.   Without a breakthrough design and improved processes for recycling, RBC reports that there will be limited recovery of battery materials through recycling. “By understanding the full life cycle, batteries can be designed to help meet our energy needs, while also maximizing recyclability, which helps conserve limited resources and ensures good product stewardship,” Spangenberger says.   The RBC-Argonne project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. RBC will work closely with Argonne to provide real-world manufacturing process input and help fill in any data gaps that may exist. Recycling best practices will be made available to battery manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers and recyclers following a real-world manufacturing process analysis.   RBC and its members are committed to the responsible reuse, recycling and management of energy storage or batteries used in the transportation, industrial or stationary sectors, inspiring the next generation of energy storage technologies.   RBC members include Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Clarios, Club Car, FedEx, Ford, Honda, LafargeHolcim, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Renova Energy, TerraCycle and Walmart.

Recognizing the significant energy, environmental, and economic benefits of battery recycling, the Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) has entered into a joint research project with Argonne National Laboratory to further advance battery innovation and ensure that the batteries of tomorrow are designed for maximum recyclability.   Argonne National Laboratory, operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is a world-class multidisciplinary science and engineering research center focused on solving domestic energy and environmental challenges through innovative science and technology solutions. RBC, a leader in innovation and collaboration in responsible battery management, is a coalition of battery manufacturers and recyclers, car and vehicle makers, fleet owners, service providers, and after-market retailers with a common interest in the responsible management of batteries.   The RBC-funded partnership is the first industry-sponsored project with the Argonne-led ReCell Center, a lithium-ion battery research and development initiative launched by DOE in early 2019 that also includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.   “By modeling the full lifecycle of a battery in advance, a manufacturer has the opportunity to compare and contrast different battery chemistries ‘in the lab,’ which reduces risks and production costs, and allows for the design of batteries that are environmentally responsible, from initial materials selection through end-of-life,” said RBC Executive Director Steve Christensen. “Between the globally renowned scientists and top of the line facilities available at Argonne, we are confident that our investment will lead to tangible, real-world solutions benefiting industry and consumers.”   “As batteries play an ever-larger role in meeting society’s daily energy needs, in applications ranging from electric vehicles to powering homes to industrial-scale energy storage, evaluating and understanding lifecycle impacts is increasingly important,” said Jeff Spangenberger, Director of the ReCell Center, who leads the research team at Argonne.   “Using Argonne’s closed-loop recycling model, known as EverBatt, we will be able to generate critical information to help battery manufacturers design batteries with recycling in mind,” Spangenberger said. “Understanding the lifecycle of a technology, such as advanced batteries, also supports the development of a circular economy, where all the components of a product are recovered and recycled at end of life.”   Developing a circular economy approach is especially important for advanced battery technologies, which currently rely on metals that are in limited supply or produced in unstable regions. Over the next 20 years, the projected global spent battery volume from electric vehicles alone will increase to more than seven million metric tons annually, with more than two million metric tons produced in the United States alone.   Absent a breakthrough design and improved processes for recycling, we will continue to see limited recovery of valuable battery materials through recycling. “By understanding the full lifecycle, batteries can be designed to help meet our energy needs, while also maximizing recyclability, which helps conserve limited resources and ensures good product stewardship,” Spangenberger said.   The RBC-Argonne project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. RBC will work closely with Argonne to provide real-world manufacturing process input and help fill in any data gaps that may exist. Recycling best practices will be made available to battery manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and recyclers following a real-world manufacturing process analysis.   RBC and its members are committed to the responsible reuse, recycling, and management of energy storage or batteries used in the transportation, industrial or stationary sectors, inspiring the next generation of energy storage technologies. RBC members include:  

• Advance Auto Parts
• AutoZone
• Clarios
• Club Car
• Fed-Ex
• Ford
• Honda
• Lafarge Holcim
• O’Reilly Auto Parts
• Renova Energy
• Terracycle
• Wal-Mart

 

For more information, visit www.responsiblebatterycoalition.org.

Here, leaders at the forefront of the industry explain why brands are more successful when they improve upon the food system as a whole. Working at the farmers market during college, Patrick Mateer was excited by what he saw: consumers and farmers connecting over eager demand for fresh and local food. But he was concerned, too, about the excess that was coming back from the market unsold with no other clear outlet, and about the problem of aligning the daily output of the farm with the weekly opportunity of the market. Attempting to solve these problems for farmers, and meet consumer demand for local, Mateer created Seal the Seasons, a frozen fruit brand hitting the market with an unprecedented model. “We wanted to replicate that same local feel in the grocery store by introducing lines of locally sourced, locally frozen, and locally sold products,” says the company’s COO Alex Piasecki. That means contracting with local farmers, freezing the goods locally and distributing only to markets in the region—all within about a 300-mile radius. On the shelf, the frozen, bagged fruit Seal the Seasons brings to market, is nothing new. The innovation demonstrated is in the way it serves farmers, communities, consumers and retailers behind the product. And this may be the next wave of innovation in the natural products space. “It’s not always about engineering something new,” Piasecki says, “because we can always engineer something new. It’s all about understanding the story and who you’re supporting with your dollars, more so than what you’re buying.” In many ways, this view is the core and founding ethos of the natural and organic products industry, and the influence the industry exerts throughout the U.S. food system is undeniable. But even as innovation and competition in this now $219 billion industry reaches a fever pitch, many experts witness an ironic stagnation in meaningful change. Does the market need more flavor choices in popcorn or more format choices for matcha? Maybe. But what the world urgently needs is innovations that work to regenerate the systems—ecological, financial, cultural and climatic—so threatened by rampant consumption. “We brought this just amazing innovation to the food industry,” Robyn O’Brien says about the natural products industry, “and we’ve reinvented these toxic products, brought them back into this wholesome, nutritious product.” The author, speaker and vice president of impact investing firm rePlant Capital has been tracking the industry throughout her career. “But then we just got stuck, and we kind of kept trying to reinvent ourselves on that wheel. And it just became a wheel that, instead of moving us forward, started spinning in place.” Too much of the industry today, O’Brien believes, is focused on the end-user product. “But if you think about everything it takes to get there, we need innovation at every level, from distribution to packaging, to transportation.” Seal the Seasons may not hit every level, but it is pioneering something meaningfully different in distribution. The company has now replicated its model in six growing regions across the country, working with nearly 60 farmers and selling frozen fruit in 3,000 grocery stores, proving that a local focus doesn’t inhibit a company’s national growth potential. There are clear ecological benefits to its model (Piasecki says each two pounds of fruit eliminates one pound of greenhouse gases when compared to average frozen food), but the motivation for the brand is really in the people it serves: the farmers struggling in a global market, the retailers attempting to satisfy demand for local, and the consumers seeking that local product—whether to support the farmer they met at the farmers market or just to buy American. It’s only going to become more important, Piasecki predicts, as consumers increasingly care “not only what their food is, but where it’s coming from, what it’s treated with, who’s growing it, are they paid a fair wage?” Quality matters, too, and he believes Seal the Seasons delivers on this. But he distinguishes between brand promise and product promise, which is just a matter of quality standards. “Consumers want that product to be great,” he says about the interaction of those promises. “They want that product to be sold to them at a value they think is fair, and they want that product to be produced in a way that is fair to everyone.”

Taking a step back

TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky distinguishes between two different types of innovation. Even when trying to solve big problems, innovators often employ what he calls “twist innovation,” wherein tweaks are made to existing product concepts to make incremental improvements. What inspires Szaky, is what he calls “step back” innovation. By stepping back to look at the problem being solved, Szaky says, innovations can stimulate monumental leaps into the future. “Uber’s a good example, right? It’s not a better cab or a better price, it’s thinking about the concept of mobility within what resources are on the road today,” he says. “Or taking an arbitrary example of oral hygiene, I take a step back and first understand why it is the problem of oral hygiene even exists, what are the causes?” That, he says, is when innovators start thinking about not just the object, but the way the consumer receives it and interactes with it. Once the source problem is understood, he says, “you may land on an answer that doesn’t look like a toothbrush at all.” That would be a unique market advantage compared to a toothbrush “incrementally twisted” to feature new bristles or a better handle. “And I think that’s where you’re going to get the biggest opportunity to succeed, especially as an entrepreneur or a smaller company.”

Package deal

TerraCycle exists to eliminate the very idea of waste through collection and remanufacture programs. This intersects with the food and household goods industry on packaging. After all, even as islands of single-use plastics continue to pollute the oceans, “packaged” remains the middle name of the CPG world. (Indeed, TerraCycle’s programs include working with P&G to package the world’s top-selling shampoo, Head & Shoulders, in recycled ocean plastic.) For TerraCycle’s most ambitious program to date, the team applied a step back approach to packaging, asking why packaging exists and how those needs can be met without giving in to single-use materials. This step back also included a look back. “In the past, garbage didn’t exist,” Szaky says. “Things were reusable, things were beautiful, things were more durable, things were higher quality.” All major positives, he says, especially when compared to the disposable, low-quality packages we use today that don’t often deliver a particularly good consumer experience beyond the most basic function. The exploration resulted in Loop, a bold plan to create packaging that is both durable and appealing to consumers and can be returned, cleaned and reused—not recycled—at the same value level again and again, and to build it with the biggest players in household goods: P&G, Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Clorox and Unilever. This required “thinking beyond the three-dimensional design of the product and the two-dimensional artwork that adorns it,” Szaky says, and tackling the system behind it. Each of these brands, and others, are participating to create what Szaky calls an ecosystem, and thereby a critical mass of offerings consumers can interact with—something he believes is required to create the momentum necessary for Loop to be successful. Presently the programs are handled by mail, but eventually will involve major retailers selling goods and collecting empties. In other words, not settling for a new twist on packaging has the potential to be, Szaky says, “a monumental reinvention of the very concept of that idea in a very futuristic way.” The program is off to a good start. Since its launch early this year—with a few hundred products in a handful of cities—Project Loop has engaged over 10,000 consumers. “The world is falling deeply out of love with packaging,” Szaky says. “Seeing the negative, losing the delight on the positives, it’s an existential crisis for packaging at the moment, which is the perfect time to open and question all the foundations around it.” Any potential success is a product of timing, Szaky says. “If you go back to the 1970s and 1980s, people were so in love with [packaging], you couldn’t foundationally have those discussions, because people didn’t see the problems. They had the love but not the negative.” Now, he says, everything is open to change. “It’s a massive ask of these brands,” Szaky says, “to ask them to reinvent everything: how they account for physical product itself, how it’s filled, the entire economic backbone to it, so on and so forth. But now with this particular time where we are, those conversations are on the table. Enthusiastically.”

Now’s the time

Innovation, of course, is always a question of timing. Changes in the collective consciousness make way for new opportunities to solve more fundamental problems. Are sufficient numbers of consumers eager enough to embrace the motivation behind the innovation? Are we ready to reassess some of the fundamental assumptions of capitalism? “In a way, it’s the same problem Wall Street has, where it’s just this insatiable drive to consistently be on your earnings model, quarter after quarter after quarter,” says O’Brien. “And when you get into that mindset of demanded, extracted growth, we pay a price.” O’Brien would like the industry to go deeper, like Seal the Seasons and TerraCycle have. “The invitation is to really think of the entire supply chain, the entire sourcing process, and think about ways we can do this in a smarter, more holistic way,” she says. “That’s the higher calling. I mean, that’s really what we’ve been called to do in the industry, is to innovate on the food system, not just the food product.”

It is easier than you think and can be an important part of your office culture. Thinking about going zero waste at work? Whether your office is focused on sustainable design or you just want to reduce your garbage output, going zero-waste can be an important—and beneficial—part of your office culture. Diverting all or most waste into reuse or recycling may sound challenging, of course, but there’s a pretty easy roadmap to getting there. “The word ‘zero’ can be daunting,” says Tiffany Threadgould, global vice president at waste management company TerraCycle, which offers a broad, national recycling program. Begin where you are, she advises, and look for the low-hanging fruit. “Our office is a great example of one that’s evolved over time,” she says. To get started, conduct an audit to determine what waste materials your office is generating most. Is it fabric samples? Junk mail? Chip bags? The audit doesn’t need to be formal, but it should include observing the contents of garbage cans, amount of paper on desks, and single-use items in break rooms. To go zero-waste, it’s crucial to heed the three Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle, and in that order. Once you’ve identified your biggest culprits, figure out how to cut back. For many offices, lunch is a problem area. Replace disposable drink- and flatware with reusables. Terracycle’s Loop program offers snacks, cleaning products, and more in reusable packaging that can be returned and refilled. And increasingly, subscription compost services will pick up your organic matter, too. Pre-cycling—the concept of considering how much waste a product will create before you even buy it—is also essential. How recyclable or reusable is a particular office supply? Do you really need it? “It’s about being cognizant of what you’re buying and what you’re using,” says Threadgould. Where it comes to paper, for example, by some accounts the average American office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper annually. Reduce that by sharing documents digitally. When printing is necessary, a high-efficiency printer will use less ink and toner. Invest in quality, durable goods built to last, consider renting equipment you use only occasionally, and look for manufacturers—like office furnishings leaders Herman Miller and Humanscale—that meet high sustainable standards and offer take-back programs. And for materials that can’t be easily recycled regionally, check out Terracycle’s extensive recycling programs, many of which are free. At LPA, a sustainable architecture firm based in Southern California, the zero-waste program includes eliminating personal garbage cans at desks, which reduced bins in their 280-person office from 300 to 24. The goal was twofold: minimizing waste by changing behavior, but also increasing collaboration by getting workers up from their desks. The move saves on maintenance costs, too. The program is also a talking point with clients, many of whom feel inspired to go zero-waste, too. “It’s a great PR opportunity for us,” says Rick D’Amato, the design director and principal who steered the effort. “But the minute you start talking about the bottom line, that really gets their attention.” For any zero-waste program to succeed, educating employees is critical, and chances are good you’ll meet a little resistance. It helps to clearly spell out benefits to staff, says D’Amato, who admits he’s had to nudge a few co-workers into compliance. “Stick to your guns, though,” he says. “If everyone is on board, change happens much more quickly.”

Graças à democratização dos meios digitais, a internet deixou de ser uma ferramenta voltada para o público mais jovem e ganhou a confiança da maioria. Os avanços tecnológicos e a mudança de perfil e comportamento dos consumidores trouxeram novas perspectivas a 5àsec, rede de lavanderias originária da França, que investe no conceito de omnichannel ou multicanal, como é conhecido aqui no Brasil. Estamos falando sobre a integração dos meios de venda, neste caso entre as 448 lojas físicas e o canal de e-commerce. Além de proporcionar benefícios e praticidade aos consumidores, a maior rede de lavanderias do mundo também busca aumentar as vendas nos pontos de operação. Sobre este novo momento da empresa, conversei com o diretor de Marketing da 5àsec, Rafael Palucci: “Temos o objetivo de transformar cada vez mais o e-commerce em uma frente de destaque nos nossos resultados”.