Trash talk. For a Granite Gear Grounds Keeper, it happens regularly. This team of 30 Grounds Keepers, alongside Granite Gear’s local Two Harbors Team, is on a serious mission to clean up the planet. This year, Granite Gear expanded its program to include the cleaning up of waterways and lakes in addition to trails and parks. Alongside sponsors Klean Kanteen, Backpacker’s Bistro, Recover Brand, Altra Running, and Kula Cloth, Granite Gear supported 30 passionate hikers and paddlers who committed to cleaning up our wild places in 2019. The 3rd class of Grounds Keepers removed over 4,680 pounds of trash from our country’s trails, parks and waterways. Since 2017, Grounds Keepers members have removed over 9,670 pounds (and counting) of trash from our public lands. A large portion of the trash picked up has been micro trash like bottle caps and wrappers.   “Being a part of the Granite Gear Grounds Keepers 2019 has impacted my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” says Perry Cohen, Founder of Venture Out Project. “From the most simple things like giving me a reason to get outside and hit the trails on rainy days when I might prefer to lounge about inside, to noticing just how much micro trash there is – especially near trailheads, to seeing just how much toilet paper is left in our natural spaces. But perhaps the thing that impacted me most about being a Grounds Keeper was the way that it helped me see that natural spaces are so much more than just trails on big mountains. I learned to find trails within cities and neighborhoods. I learned just how much green is in a park. And I met so many people who, though they didn’t consider themselves outdoorsy, would go outside each and every day for a walk in a green space.”   Perry continues, “I met people along the trail who’d ask what I was doing, who’d offer to help pick up trash, or take a photo of me. I found that by stopping on a trail to pick up a stray wrapper or bag of dog poop, I made the trash visible to others. I noticed they would stop and pick up micro trash. It seemed as though seeing someone else caring for the trails made people take pause and think about their own impact, even if it was only for a second.”   A sincere thank you goes out to the inspirational 2019 Grounds Keepers team who worked tirelessly to clean up our wild spaces and to promote the “leave it better” mission: Gabriella Allen, Tim Barton, Jason Batson, Marissa Bluestein, Austin Breen, Ethan Brown, Perry Cohen of Venture Out Project, Tyler Davidson, Kate Emmons, Alexa Everson, Britany Freeman of 11 Essential, Patrick Ganpath, Christina Hickman, Josh Johnson, Michelle Martin, Katie Martinez, Chris Mejia, Lance Ness, Aaron Oschea of Midwest Color Camp, Zach Rohe, Deirdre Rosenberg, Sunshine State Seekers Chelsey Warren and Chris Stevens, Jen Theisen, Patrick Thoits, Agnes Vianzon of Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, Quang Vo, Doug Walters, Alex Wehrle, Thea Wingert. To our Two Harbors Team: Julie Hukriede, Derrick & Cheryl Passe, Rachel Batt, Heidi Dean, Carrie Coan, Alyssa Hastings, Erin Mecklin, Eli Hastings. #GroundsKeeper4Life   The application for the 2020 program is currently live and will close on November 15th. In 2020, Granite Gear introduces the Grounds Keepers “Legacy Team” including ten previous year’s rockstars, alongside twenty new team members. Sponsors include Klean Kanteen, Food for the Sole, Recover Brand, UCO, TerraCycle and Kula Cloth. New for 2020, Grounds Keepers will be encouraged to recycle their collected waste streams via TerraCycle’s services. TerraCycle supports the Grounds Keeper passions, goals and mission fully and looks forward to being a resource for Leave No Trace practices.   Visit www.thegroundskeepers.org to learn more about the program and follow along at #TheGroundsKeepers and the Grounds Keepers Instagram. Granite Gear (@GraniteGear) and all brand partners share stories from Grounds Keepers often. For more information on the Grounds Keepers program or sponsors, please email Julie Bacon at jbacon@granitegear.com.  

Cigarettes are the world’s most littered item and pollute the oceans with toxic microplastic. Philip Morris International, the world’s biggest tobacco firm, says even with biodegradable filters, butt-flicking is not okay. Though few people would ever say this publicly, it could be argued that, by killing 7 million people a year, tobacco companies are doing the world a favour by keeping human population growth in check.   But tobacco does more harm—or good, if you’re a hardened misanthrope with a disregard for human suffering—than merely killing people.   Smoking pollutes the air with all manner of toxins, farmers fells millions of trees to grow tobacco, dropped cigarettes start forest fires, and tobacco companies emit millions of tonnes of carbon in the curing process, guzzle millions of gallons of fresh water to process their products, and use child labour.   As if that wasn’t a big enough environmental and societal footprint, tobacco companies are now adding to the world’s electronic waste crisis by pivoting towards “heat-not-burn” products like e-cigarettes that are supposedly less likely to kill their users than lighting up a Marlboro.     But an often overlooked impact of the tobacco industry is that, of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes manufactured and smoked by 1.1 billion people annually, two-thirds of their butts are dropped irresponsibly, ultimately ending up in the sea.   Cigarette butts, which are made of non-biodegradable plastic fibres, are the most common form of marine litter, and have been reigning ocean pollution champions for more than three decades, according to beach clean up data from Ocean Conservancy, a non-governmental organisation. They are, by far, the most littered item on the planet.   Yet it is the makers of plastic bags, drink bottles and drinking straws that shoulder most of the blame for the plight of the oceans.   And while a cigarette butt is less likely to choke a turtle or starve a whale than a plastic bag, there have been calls from activists in the United States to ban cigarette filters because of the environmental damage they cause.   Researchers have found remnants of cigarette butts, which contain synthetic fibres and a smorgasboard of toxic chemicals used to treat cigarettes, in the guts of 70 per cent of seabirds and 30 per cent of sea turtles.   Cigarette butts take anywhere between 18 months to 10 years to break down in the environment, depending on the conditions, and 12 billion butts are discarded around the world every day.   Marija Sommer, spokesperson for New York-headquarted Philip Morris International, said to tackle the problem requires the three e’s—empowerment, by providing smokers with places to responsibly dispose of cigarette butts; education, making people aware of the damaging consequences of butt-flicking; and enforcement, fines and other ways of punishing litterers. She added that the role of tobacco companies in contributing to the final ‘e’ was obviously limited.   Philip Morris deployed 3,300 staff to pick up cigarette butts in parks, streets and beaches for World Cleanup Day. Image: PMI   Sommer said that Philip Morris, the world’s largest  tobacco firm that makes about US$30 billion a year from selling cigarette brands such as Marlboro and Chesterfield, has been stepping up its efforts to combat littering by getting involved in clean-up operations such as World Cleanup Day, and awareness-raising campaigns.   “We need to tell people [smokers] that it’s not okay to litter. We also need to raise awareness that [butts] contain plastic. Filters are made from bioplastic [known as cellulose acetate], but still, they can take years to degrade,” she told Eco-Business.   So why don’t tobacco companies, armed with vast resources to pool into research and development, make biodegradable filters? Sommer said a biodegrable cigarette has yet to be invented, that can be handled and extinguished easily and has “the right taste”.   “If it [a biodegradable filter] altered the taste of your favourite cigarette, you might stop buying it,” she said.   And even if the industry developed a biodegradable filter, it would be extremely important not to send the wrong message to smokers that it’s okay to litter, she added.  

Butt tax?

  Doug Woodring, founder and managing director of Hong Kong-based marine plastic solutions group Ocean Recovery Alliance, said that what tobacco companies are doing now to combat cigarette butt pollution is not nearly enough.   Woodring argued that it’s much easier for people to casually flick a cigarette butt than drop a plastic bottle or drinking straw. “Education [to stop butt-flicking]? Good luck with that,” he said. To tackle the problem effectively, serious legislation is required, said Woodring. He proposes a butt tax—not to be confused with anti-obesity legislation—where an additional tax is placed on cigarettes that goes towards a fund for cleanup efforts, or a system where smokers are given rebates for disposing of smoked cigarettes at public collection points.   “Without an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law [that makes tobacco companies responsible for post-consumer tobacco waste], or some kind of tax on cigarette butts, not much is going to happen [to reduce butt littering],” he said.   Sommer said that Philip Morris supports policy measures that effectively reduce cigarette littering, including EPR laws for tobacco companies, as cigarette butts could be considered single-use plastic. But she added that such laws “need to make economic and environmental sense”.   “We are often asked why were are not recycling cigarette butts. This is because they are contaminated with toxicants, and washing butts to make them clean enough for recycling does not yet make sense from an economic or environmental perspective at a larger scale.”   Woodring pointed out that recycled butts can be used to make new products. New Jersey-based firm TerraCycle has used cigarette butts to make park benches and shipping pallets. Though the recycling process is expensive, TerraCycle receives funding from tobacco companies to make the system work.   Though EPR laws for tobacco companies do not yet exist, as they do for other companies that make plastic and electronic products, soon they will, Woodring said.   “Everywhere, when you increase the tax on cigarettes, you see a decrease in smoking. If you introduce a system that holds tobacco companies to account for their environmental damage, you’ll see a decrease in their environmental impact,” Woodring said.”   The world is moving towards EPR systems for all issues, and tobacco companies that make major changes to reduce their environmental impact now could buy themselves time before regulators legislate, Woodring added.   One country that has leant on tobacco firms to help combat cigarette butt pollution is France. If firms did not take voluntary action to address the problem they would face legislation, France’s environment ministry warned. British American Tobacco responding by saying it would work with the government to educate smokers and distribute pocket ashtrays, but rejected the idea of a butt tax. Imperial Brands said it encouraged smokers to dispose of butts responsibly, and had no plans to re-engineer its filters to make them less polluting.   In June, the European Union issued a directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, a law that will apply an EPR to the tobacco industry. Companies will have until 2024 to comply.   Sommer said that Philip Morris is “not waiting for regulations” and is already taking action to tackle cigarette filter pollution, and is also well aware of the impact of the heat-not-burn electronic products the company says it wants to replace cigarettes to bring about its mission for “a smoke-free future”.   “We have set up recycling and takeback centres that cover the majority of our [heat-not-burn] devices. This is something we’re doing regardless of the regulations,” she said, adding that the industry needs to work with governments and non-governmental organisations for any measures to be effective.   Electronic devices such as e-cigarettes are much less likely to be littered than regular cigarettes, Sommer added.   Last week, Philip Morris announced a plan to make all of its factories carbon-neutral by 2030.   Though reducing the harm its products do to its customers by encouraging a switch to heat-not-burn products is the company’s main sustainability priority, the firm’s 136-page 2018 sustainability report highlights emissions reduction, biodiversity, deforestation, water, fair working conditions and child labour as other strategic priorities.

In the Western world, people have generally got the message about recycling. Over the last 10-20 years, we’ve stopped throwing everything into landfill and have begun to take more responsibility for tossing recyclable materials into separate bins. In fact, in some parts of the world, people now have nearly half a dozen different bins to recycle everything from plastic packaging to paper to food to glass bottles.   THE FORCE OF INNOVATION  But…is recycling really worth the effort?   The sad reality is that over half of the items we put into the recycling bin aren’t even recycled at all. In the USA, only around 9% of all plastic is recycled, and what is given a second life is likely to have a huge CO2 footprint, as it’s probably shipped to a developing country for sorting and processing. In fact, we pass off such a huge quantity of trash labelled as ‘recyclable’ to other countries that they are starting to refuse it – China and the Philippines being the two most current examples.   Businesses in particular are reluctant to recycle because unlike households, they’re often charged for baling cardboard and other waste, and whilst costs are high now, these are expected to increase in the future. That’s discouraging, because businesses generally create more rubbish than the average household. Oh, and be careful you throw out the right kind of plastic into your bin, as even a small amount of the wrong type can cause an entire batch of recycled plastic to become contaminated.   So, does that mean we – households and businesses alike – should stop recycling altogether? Or is there a better way? Is Recycling Really Worth The Effort? If you think your bottles, packaging and tins just go into some magic recycling machine that makes them into other materials, well, you’re wrong. Here’s what generally happens when you recycle say, a plastic bottle: 1. Materials are collected from household bins. These are usually mixed plastic, paper, and aluminium that need to be separated by companies (and it’s not cheap to do so!). Around half of all materials received by the recycling company are not actually recyclable due to being the wrong type of material or too dirty, and will be incinerated or thrown into landfill. 2. When the plastics have been separated from metals and papers, they’re then sorted into type of plastic and sometimes, colour. 3. The plastics are run through a shredding machine. Afterwards, the shreds are washed, dried and melted. 4. The melted plastic is transformed by a large machine into flakes, which can then be spun into a very fine ‘thread’ like cotton candy. 5. These threads are used by industry to make a wide variety of products, from clothing and carpets to packaging and new bottles.   The saddest part of this is that even when used materials are perfectly and easily recycled, they tend to be made into ‘lesser’ products. A plastic bottle, for example, may be processed into unrecyclable packaging materials that end up in landfill. So, recycling often only delays the inevitable pollution by say, one disposable product’s lifetime. Greenwashing Is Rampant The problem with today’s current recycling programs is that they just don’t work. As mentioned above, half of all rubbish tossed into ‘recycling’ bins isn’t actually recycled, but it does give the consumer the sense of satisfaction that it’s ‘ok’ to buy stuff in plastic packaging because it can be recycled – though often, this is not the case. The best example? Coffee shops like Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Dunkin’ Donuts etc all have recycling bins in store for their coffee cups. They ask customers to throw out organic waste in one bin, coffee cups and plastics in another, and paper in another. But guess what? Apart from Tetrapaks, one of the most un-recyclable items we use every day are takeaway cups. Why? Because they’re lined with a fine film of plastic that’s impossible to separate from the paper cup- and which doesn’t biodegrade.   And if that’s not bad enough, consider this: a whopping 6.5 million trees are cut down each year, just to make takeaway cups. Think of how many entire forests that is! If you love coffee and tea on the go, please always bring your own refillable cup (and that goes for water, too – take your own thermos with you!)   After all, is recycling really worth the effort when you can eliminate the need for disposable products in the first place? Better Solutions A better solution is obviously to cut out plastic altogether from the product’s lifecycle. Plastic only became popular in consumer markets around one generation ago, and we did just fine without it before. But since younger generations are more accustomed to using this material, we should be using only biodegradable plastics made from plant based materials. These do exist, and they are fairly cheap to make. The problem is that the plastics industry is tightly connected to the petroleum industry, which is still very powerful. Alternatively, the responsibility for recycling plastic could be placed where it properly belongs: in the hands of the manufacturers. If they are forced to pay for the disposal of their own products, you can bet that they’ll quickly switch to the cheapest option, which is often reuse. For example, glass bottles were once the only option for purchasing soft drinks, and because the manufacturer could re-use them, deposits were left. So, if you bought a Coke for £1, you’d also have to pay a 10 cent deposit fee, which would be refunded when you returned the bottle to the shop. The bottle would then be collected by Coke to refill. This is called a closed loop recycling system, and it’s older than you think. The same system was used by milk delivery trucks to refill milk bottles when the stuff was sold in glass. It’s only recently that drinks have been packaged in Tetrapaks (which are 100% non-recyclable) and plastic bottles. A closed-loop recycling process, on the other hand, ensures we get the maximum amount of use out of any material, reducing the amount that ends up in landfill. Tech – And Creativity – Can Help Within 20 years, I predict that there will be a closed-loop recyclability index (CLR) displayed on every product, indicating both the sustainability of the manufacturing process and the cash value of the packaging once recycled using an appliance like ReCircle. Just like ingredient labelling on food, the CLR will influence what we as consumers decide to buy.   As with plastic alternatives, technological innovations can further help to reduce waste. For example, the ReCircle appliance uses sensors to identify and segment different types of plastic, glass and metal. The appliance then washes and grinds the recyclable materials for storage in its base. These pure materials are then picked up by recycling companies, and the best part? The recycler is reimbursed for the weight of recycled materials.   Appliances like this encourage all of us to recycle by offering monetary incentives, and since they only provide pure, recyclable base materials, they are a key step towards achieving 100% closed-loop recycling and helping to empower households to make purchasing decisions which take into account a product’s lifecycle assessment – after all, if you could buy product A which isn’t recyclable, or product B for the same price – but you’d be helping the planet and getting a bit of extra cash when you use the ReCircle app…well, the choice is a no-brainer.   Creative entrepreneurs have come up with other technological ideas that can reduce waste. Loop, for example, gives new life to everyday items from foods to plastic combs by transforming them into reusable packaging, which is delivered in a specialized reusable shipping tote. When finished with the product, the packaging is cleaned, collected, refilled and reused – creating a revolutionary, closed-loop shopping system.   The Future Is Sustainable So, is recycling really worth the effort? The answer is yes – kind of. Metals and paper are much more easily recycled than plastic, and for that reason, I believe the latter should be completely phased out of most consumer products. After all, it’s plastic, not paper or tins, that has cause an island of waste three times the size of France floating in our oceans! The worst part of plastic recycling schemes in general is that the public doesn’t think twice about consuming stuff packaged in plastic – the attitude is ‘oh well, I can just recycle it.” But as I explained above, plastic is a problem. Period. Fortunately, people are becoming more aware of the problems with recycling, and are demanding change from their governments. For example, in January 2019, UK Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to eliminate the UK’s plastic waste by 2042, and many countries, including Mexico, England, Burma, India and Rwanda have banned free plastic bags in stores. But how do we ensure such promises aren’t yet another greenwash? After all, the UK already said they were banning free plastic bags, but those are still readily available in any supermarket – the 3 cent charge doesn’t really deter anyone from using them. Still, my vision of the future is a positive one. More innovative technological solutions and plastic alternatives are being created all the time, and it seems Generation Z is particularly enthusiastic about ending plastic – after all, it is their future.    

While many individuals may be rightfully concerned with what’s inside their beauty products, it is equally important to consider the packaging surrounding those products. Consumers have made the push for all-natural, organic ingredients in cosmetics, but it’s time to examine the environmental impact of the product as a whole, too. The beauty industry has been widely criticized for its excessive use of packaging. The culture surrounding beauty products often revolves around the idea of luxury; whether it’s excess plastic wrappings, paper inserts, cardboard sleeves or just over-the-top use of materials for bottles and tubes, the beauty industry was founded on the idea of aesthetic surplus. Cosmetics, hair, and skincare products are responsible for enormous amounts of packaging waste, much of which is, unfortunately, not recyclable. As reported by Zero Waste, more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry. Even worse, it’s reported that only 9 percent of plastic packaging is actually recycled. Additionally, only 14 percent of Americans are recycling their bathroom bottles, while more than half of American households recycle kitchen items. Meanwhile, our oceans are becoming saturated with plastic waste.  Earth Day reports that by 2050 our oceans will have more plastics than fish, by weight. All industries need to re-evaluate their relationship with plastic waste, and the beauty industry is no exception. While some plastic use is inevitable, it’s important to be aware about its impact and to have a plan in place to reuse and recycle as much as possible.    Several beauty companies have already made efforts to prioritize sustainability in packaging. My startup Beautiac uses 100 percent fully recyclable packaging for its makeup brush subscription service. We’ve also joined TerraCycle’s zero waste program, which turns our old disposable products into community beautification projects like park benches, planters, and picnic tables. LOLI is another beauty startup using sustainable packaging, from its food-grade, glass yogurt jars (that can be reused for food storage) to certified compostable labels, bags, and boxes. Sustainability is not just for startups though; corporate giant Unilever is also working towards eco-friendly packaging. By 2025, Unilever is committed to using 100 percent recyclable plastic packaging across its entire line of products, including cosmetics. These brands among others are beginning the revolution when it comes to eco-friendly packaging.   Consumers can send a message to larger beauty brands by giving their patronage to companies that embody sustainability, which is why it’s so important to incorporate environmental awareness as a part of your brand from the ground up. Purchasing power can be a huge asset in the movement for environmentally-friendly beauty packaging. According to one study, most consumers are willing to switch brands and/or try new packaging to decrease their waste. I believe that when armed with the proper knowledge, customers will act sustainably when it comes to both the outside packaging of a product and the product itself. If companies in the beauty industry can educate their customers, with honesty, about the importance of sustainability in cosmetics, a shift will occur. It’s up to us to help the industry reverse the idea that “luxury” in beauty equates to excess. Less truly is more when it comes to beauty product packaging.

Thema Optical and Once Upon a Farm latest to partner with hard-to-recycle materials specialist

  By Keith Barker   October 22, 2019       Thema Optical, an Italian manufacturer of high-end and custom-made eyewear, with a U.S. factory in Miami, has announced a new recycling program in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle.   Thema manufacturers made-to-measure, unique eyewear through its patented 3D Acetate Technology. During production, some acetate waste is leftover in the manufacturing process. With the help of TerraCycle, Thema will recycle the excess acetate so that it can be processed into sheets and used to make new acetate products. "Thema is a global company that respects the importance of sustainability and the major role each of us plays as stewards of our Earth," ," said Giulia Valmassoi, chief executive officer of Thema Optical's North America branch. "Partnering with TerraCycle has made it possible to implement this new recycling program in our facility." "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 CEO Tom Szaky. "It's through partnerships like the one we enjoy with Thema that allow us to fulfill our objective and help preserve the environment for future generations." For more information about Thema Optical, visit www.iGreenEyewear.com or call 786-803-8881.   Also recently, TerraCycle has expanded their partnership with Once Upon a Farm, a nutrition brand that makes organic, cold-pressed baby food, smoothies and applesauce, to offer consumers a free, easy way to recycle packaging from their entire product line.   "Sustainability is an ongoing journey for Once Upon a Farm and we are always striving to do better and leave a better planet for the next generation," said Ari Raz, President and Co-Founder of Once Upon a Farm. "While our ultimate goal is a recyclable pouch, our partnership with TerraCycle gives consumers an easy, free option to recycle our packaging." Participation in the Once Upon a Farm Recycling Program is easy. Simply sign up on the TerraCycle program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-... and mail in the packaging using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. Additionally, for every pound of waste shipped to TerraCycle, collectors can earn $1 to donate to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. "Thanks to companies like Once Upon a Farm, families can offer their children the high-quality, real food nutrition they need, while being rewarded for doing the right thing," said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. "Through the expansion of their recycling program, consumers have an opportunity to divert even more packaging from landfills and while making a positive impact on the environment for future generations." The Once Upon a Farm Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization.

From U.S. Trails, Parks and Waterways JULIE BACON 15 HOURS AGO   Two Harbors, MN — October 22, 2019 — Trash talk. For a Granite Gear Grounds Keeper, it happens regularly. This team of 30 Grounds Keepers, alongside Granite Gear’s local Two Harbors Team, is on a serious mission to clean up the planet. This year, Granite Gear expanded its program to include the cleaning up of waterways and lakes in addition to trails and parks. Alongside sponsors Klean Kanteen, Backpacker’s Bistro, Recover Brand, Altra Running, and Kula Cloth, Granite Gear supported 30 passionate hikers and paddlers who committed to cleaning up our wild places in 2019. The 3rd class of Grounds Keepers removed over 4,680 pounds of trash from our country’s trails, parks and waterways. Since 2017, Grounds Keepers members have removed over 9,670 pounds (and counting) of trash from our public lands. A large portion of the trash picked up has been micro trash like bottle caps and wrappers.     “Being a part of the Granite Gear Grounds Keepers 2019 has impacted my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” says Perry Cohen, Founder of Venture Out Project. “From the most simple things like giving me a reason to get outside and hit the trails on rainy days when I might prefer to lounge about inside, to noticing just how much micro trash there is - especially near trailheads, to seeing just how much toilet paper is left in our natural spaces. But perhaps the thing that impacted me most about being a Grounds Keeper was the way that it helped me see that natural spaces are so much more than just trails on big mountains. I learned to find trails within cities and neighborhoods. I learned just how much green is in a park. And I met so many people who, though they didn’t consider themselves outdoorsy, would go outside each and every day for a walk in a green space.”   Perry continues, “I met people along the trail who’d ask what I was doing, who’d offer to help pick up trash, or take a photo of me. I found that by stopping on a trail to pick up a stray wrapper or bag of dog poop, I made the trash visible to others. I noticed they would stop and pick up micro trash. It seemed as though seeing someone else caring for the trails made people take pause and think about their own impact, even if it was only for a second.”     A sincere thank you goes out to the inspirational 2019 Grounds Keepers team who worked tirelessly to clean up our wild spaces and to promote the “leave it better” mission: Gabriella Allen, Tim Barton, Jason Batson, Marissa Bluestein, Austin Breen, Ethan Brown, Perry Cohen of Venture Out Project, Tyler Davidson, Kate Emmons, Alexa Everson, Britany Freeman of 11 Essential, Patrick Ganpath, Christina Hickman, Josh Johnson, Michelle Martin, Katie Martinez, Chris Mejia, Lance Ness, Aaron Oschea of Midwest Color Camp, Zach Rohe, Deirdre Rosenberg, Sunshine State Seekers Chelsey Warren and Chris Stevens, Jen Theisen, Patrick Thoits, Agnes Vianzon of Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, Quang Vo, Doug Walters, Alex Wehrle, Thea Wingert. To our Two Harbors Team: Julie Hukriede, Derrick & Cheryl Passe, Rachel Batt, Heidi Dean, Carrie Coan, Alyssa Hastings, Erin Mecklin, Eli Hastings. # GroundsKeeper4Life   The application for the 2020 program is currently live and will close on November 15th. In 2020, Granite Gear introduces the Grounds Keepers “Legacy Team” including ten previous year’s rockstars, alongside twenty new team members. Sponsors include Klean Kanteen, Food for the Sole, Recover Brand, UCO, TerraCycle and Kula Cloth. New for 2020, Grounds Keepers will be encouraged to recycle their collected waste streams via TerraCycle's services. TerraCycle supports the Grounds Keeper passions, goals and mission fully and looks forward to being a resource for Leave No Trace practices.   Visit www.thegroundskeepers.org to learn more about the program and follow along at #TheGroundsKeepers and the Grounds Keepers Instagram. Granite Gear (@GraniteGear) and all brand partners share stories from Grounds Keepers often. For more information on the Grounds Keepers program or sponsors, please email Julie Bacon at jbacon@granitegear.com.

Unilever's Dove brand will use only 100% recycled plastic bottles in North America and Europe by the end of 2019 -- “where technically feasible,” it says -- and will package single packs of Dove in plastic-free material around the world starting next year. “Development is also underway to replace the plastic outer wrap of beauty bar multipacks with a zero-plastic material,” Unilever reports. More radically, earlier this year, Unilever disclosed that Dove, Degree and Axe will begin testing new stick deodorant containers made of stainless steel designed to be reused and refilled up to 100 times. Calculating that a consumer would use one stick a month, that container could last more than eight years. Dove also reiterated its plans for this development on Monday. But for now -- or at least the near future -- the move to recycled plastic for containers will apply for Dove and its branch brands, Dove Men+Care and Baby Dove. “Dove continues to search for solutions where recycled plastic is not currently technically feasible, including for caps and pumps,” it says. A Nielsen report says 73% of millennials will pay more for a product made from sustainable material, and now many packages boldly boast their environmental qualifications for consumers to see. Many major brands are working on similar initiatives, but Dove says it’s ahead of the pack. “By taking these steps, Dove will be the biggest brand in the world that has moved to 100% recycled packaging," says Richard Slater, Unilever chief research and development officer, in a statement. “This should send a clear signal to the global recycling industry that there is a huge consumer demand for recycled packaging. We will continue to innovate across our brands to change the way we use plastic for good.” Earlier this month, Unilever committed itself to cutting its use of virgin plastic by half -- that's more than 100,000 tons -- by 2025, and to helping to collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells. It claims those goals make it the “first major global consumer goods company to commit to an absolute plastics reduction across its portfolio.” For the recyclable deodorant sticks, Unilever is working with a Trenton, New Jersey company named Terra Cycle whose Loop system is not only being tested on several Unilever products worldwide but also by products from Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Nestle and other major brands. Under the arrangement that Unilever announced earlier, consumers would order goods from the Loop website and have them delivered conventionally. But customers will pay a deposit. When they are done, they can bring it to a retailer for a refill, or return it for a refund. The containers are cleaned and reused. ' Loop is also testing a delivery plan for a wide variety of consumer goods. Unilever has said it wants all of its plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. It believes it is making good progress, and says the company’’s packaging volume is now at the same level it was in 2010, despite “the business growing significantly.”

It’s no secret….my toddler is the pickiest eater. Like, legit – she hardly eats anything. She’s not quite 2 yet (she’ll be 2 in December) but baby girl is so set in her ways already and definitely hitting those terrible twos ahead of time #sendhelp.   Because she’s so picky, on a daily basis I try to find a healthy balance between giving her foods that she actually enjoys while still making sure that they’re nutritious and as organic as possible.   When it comes to snacks, it’s no different. As a stay at home mom, I feel like my little one is asking for snacks ALL DAY LONG (anyone else in the same boat?), so I love having healthy toddler snacks available for her at all times.   That’s why I’m loving these NEW Nature’s Heart products we recently tried from our local Publix!   PSA!!! —-> Publix is offering a deal! SAVE $.75 off ANY TWO (2) Nature’s Heart® Organic Baby Food Items! For this offer you will need to download the coupon from 10/7-12/31! This coupon expires 1/30/20. Download that coupon and get to saving, yay!!       Not only are they super convenient, but Nature’s Heart is made with organic ingredients, and while they’re packed with nutrition, they’re still really tasty. How do I know? Because my picky toddler begs me for them lol.   Mom hack- keep these Nature’s Heart pouches in your diaper bag at all times. They’re perfect for on the go snack time.       Anyway, I love being able to give Riley food that she enjoys while still knowing that it’s good for her. All ingredients in these Nature’s Heart products are USDA Organic certified and there are no added sugars or artificial flavors.   Now don’t get me wrong, Riley still eats her fair share of processed foods (girl loves herself some cheese doodles), but when I can find healthy foods and snacks that she actually likes, I try to make sure they’re as clean as possible.       Something else that’s great about these pouches? Riley can sip on them WHILE she plays! Ain’t nobody got time for a sit down kind of snack time lol. I’ll usually give her the jars during breakfast, but for snack time, it’s usually the pouches.   She’s always on the go, always playing with her toys, so I love that I can open up one of these pouches and she can keep doing her thing while getting the nutrition that she needs.   Oh and fun fact – beginning November, these pouches will be 100% recyclable through TerraCycle. Love that!   As far as easy toddler snacks go, here are a few other things Riley enjoys when I have a little more time to prepare them for her:   TODDLER SNACK IDEAS  

• Bananas
• Berries (all kinds)
• Watermelon
• Raisins
• Crackers and almond butter
• Crackers and peanut butter
• Honey oat cereal
• Apple slices
• Veggie sticks
• Apple sauce
• Snap pea crisps
• Sweet peas (depending on her mood)
• Smoothies (she likes them nice and tangy)

  So whether your little one is a calm unicorn of a toddler or a crazy little human like mine who won’t stop and sit down for snack time, I highly highly recommend these Nature’s Heart products.           What do you think? Think your little ones will like these? I’m pretty sure if Riley eats them, yours will too! Any other easy toddler snack ideas you wanna share? Let me know down below because this mama can use all the help she can get!

Cigarettes are the world’s most littered item and pollute the oceans with toxic microplastic. Philip Morris, the world’s biggest multinational tobacco firm, tells Eco-Business that it supports policies to curb butt pollution, but warns that biodegradable filters might encourage littering.

An advertisement for green group Sea Shepherd highlights the ecosystem damage of cigarette butt pollution to mark World Oceans Day. A single cigarette can pollute 500 litres of water, the ad warns. Image: Sea Shepherd Though few people would ever say this publicly, it could be argued that, by killing 7 million people a year, tobacco companies are doing the world a favour by keeping human population growth in check. But tobacco does more harm—or good, if you’re a hardened misanthrope with a disregard for human suffering—than merely killing people. Smoking pollutes the air with all manner of toxins, farmers fells millions of trees to grow tobacco, dropped cigarettes start forest fires, and tobacco companies emit millions of tonnes of carbon in the curing process, guzzle millions of gallons of fresh water to process their products, and use child labour.   As if that wasn’t a big enough environmental and societal footprint, tobacco companies are now adding to the world’s electronic waste crisis by pivoting towards “heat-not-burn” products like e-cigarettes that are supposedly less likely to kill their users than lighting up a Marlboro. Taxes on cigarettes have been designed for governments to make revenue and to discourage people from smoking, not for tobacco companies to reduce their environmental impact.   Doug Woodring, founder and managing director, Ocean Recovery Alliance   But an often overlooked impact of the tobacco industry is that, of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes manufactured and smoked by 1.1 billion people annually, two-thirds of their butts are dropped irresponsibly, ultimately ending up in the sea. Cigarette butts, which are made of non-biodegradable plastic fibres, are the most common form of marine litter, and have been reigning ocean pollution champions for more than three decades, according to beach clean up data from Ocean Conservancy, a non-governmental organisation. They are, by far, the most littered item on the planet. Yet it is the makers of plastic bags, drink bottles and drinking straws that shoulder most of the blame for the plight of the oceans. And while a cigarette butt is less likely to choke a turtle or starve a whale than a plastic bag, there have been calls from activists in the United States to ban cigarette filters because of the environmental damage they cause. Researchers have found remnants of cigarette butts, which contain synthetic fibres and a smorgasboard of toxic chemicals used to treat cigarettes, in the guts of 70 per cent of seabirds and 30 per cent of sea turtles. Cigarette butts take anywhere between 18 months to 10 years to break down in the environment, depending on the conditions, and 12 billion butts are discarded around the world every day. Laurence Ruffieux, director of operations, sustainability for New York-headquarted Philip Morris International, said to tackle the problem requires the three e’s—empowerment, by providing smokers with places to responsibly dispose of cigarette butts; education, making people aware of the damaging consequences of butt-flicking; and enforcement, fines and other ways of punishing litterers. She added that the role of tobacco companies in contributing to the final ‘e’ was obviously limited. Ruffieux said that Philip Morris, the world’s largest multinational tobacco firm that makes about US$30 billion a year from selling cigarette brands such as Marlboro and Chesterfield, has been stepping up its efforts to combat littering by getting involved in clean-up operations such as World Cleanup Day, and awareness-raising campaigns. “We need to tell people [smokers] that it’s not okay to litter. We also need to raise awareness that [butts] contain plastic. Filters are made from bioplastic [known as cellulose acetate], but still, they can take years to degrade,” she told Eco-Business.

Even if we create a biodegradable filter, it sends the message that it’s okay to litter. Laurence Ruffieux, director of operations, sustainability, Philip Morris International

So why don’t tobacco companies, armed with vast resources to pool into research and development, make biodegradable filters? Ruffieux said a biodegrable cigarette has yet to be invented, that can be handled and extinguished easily and has “the right taste”. “If it [a biodegradable filter] altered the taste of your favourite cigarette, you might stop buying it,” she said. And even if the industry developed a biodegradable filter, it would send the message to smokers that it’s okay to litter, she added.

Butt tax?

Doug Woodring, founder and managing director of Hong Kong-based marine plastic solutions group Ocean Recovery Alliance, said that what tobacco companies are doing now to combat cigarette butt pollution is not nearly enough. Woodring argued that it’s much easier for people to casually flick a cigarette butt than drop a plastic bottle or drinking straw. “Education [to stop butt-flicking]? Good luck with that,” he said. To tackle the problem effectively, serious legislation is required, said Woodring. He proposes a butt tax—not to be confused with anti-obesity legislation—where an additional tax is placed on cigarettes that goes towards a fund for cleanup efforts, or a system where smokers are given rebates for disposing of smoked cigarettes at public collection points. “Without an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law [that makes tobacco companies responsible for post-consumer tobacco waste], or some kind of tax on cigarette butts, not much is going to happen [to reduce butt littering],” he said. Ruffieux said that Philip Morris supports policy measures to reduce cigarette littering, including EPR laws for tobacco companies, as cigarette butts could be considered single-use plastic. But she added that such laws “need to make economic and environmental sense”. “We are often asked why were are not recycling cigarette butts. This is because they are contaminated with toxicants, and washing butts to make them clean enough for recycling does not yet make sense from an economic or environmental perspective.” Woodring pointed out that recycled butts can be used to make new products. New Jersey-based firm Terracycle has used cigarette butts to make park benches and shipping pallets. Though the recycling process is expensive, Terracycle receives funding from tobacco companies to make the system work. Though EPR laws for tobacco companies do not yet exist, as they do for other companies that make plastic and electronic products, soon they will, Woodring said. “Everywhere, when you increase the tax on cigarettes, you see a decrease in smoking. If you introduce a system that holds tobacco companies to account for their environmental damage, you’ll see a decrease in their environmental impact,” Woodring said.” The world is moving towards EPR systems for all issues, and tobacco companies that make major changes to reduce their environmental impact now could buy themselves time before regulators legislate, Woodring added. One country that has leant on tobacco firms to help combat cigarette butt pollution is France. If firms did not take voluntary action to address the problem they would face legislation, France’s environment ministry warned. British American Tobacco responding by saying it would work with the government to educate smokers and distribute pocket ashtrays, but rejected the idea of a butt tax. Imperial Brands said it encouraged smokers to dispose of butts responsibly, and had no plans to re-engineer its filters to make them less polluting. In June, the European Union issued a directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, a law that will apply an EPR to the tobacco industry. Companies will have until 2024 to comply. Ruffieux said that Philip Morris is “not waiting for regulations” and is already taking action to tackle cigarette filter pollution, and is also well aware of the impact of the heat-not-burn electronic products the company says it wants to replace cigarettes to bring about its mission for “a smoke-free future”. “We have set up recycling and takeback centres that cover the majority of our [heat-not-burn] devices. This is something we’re doing regardless of the regulations,” she said, adding that the industry needs to work with governments and non-governmental organisations for any measures to be effective. Electronic devices such as e-cigarettes are much less likely to be littered than regular cigarettes, Ruffieux added. Last week, Philip Morris announced a plan to make all of its factories carbon-neutral by 2030.   Though reducing the harm its products do to its customers by encouraging a switch to heat-not-burn products is the company’s main sustainability priority, according to Ruffieux, the firm’s 136-page 2018 sustainability report highlights emissions reduction, biodiversity, deforestation, water, fair working conditions and child labour as other strategic priorities.

It’s appalling how much we waste in this country.   Americans throw away 262 tons of trash each year, and over half of all this goes to a landfill.   Some of the trash that doesn’t end up in a landfill finds its way into our beautiful blue oceans, playing a part in killing off aquatic species in record numbers.   Some people want to combat ecological devastation by attempting to get their waste output as close to zero as possible.   Some even set a lofty goal of fitting all the waste they produce in one year in a single mason jar.   Do you think you could do that?   If you fully commit to the principles in this article, you’ll be able to.   This will save you TONS of money.  

The Beginning of a Worldwide Movement

  The mother of the zero-waste movement is Bea Johnson, who started the Zero Waste Home blog in 2008.   It chronicles her family’s efforts over the years to reduce their waste stream so that today, it’s a mere trickle.   Johnson estimates she reduced her household costs by 40% by embracing a zero-waste lifestyle.   Before she captured the collective imagination of millions, only geeky policy wonks inside the government were using the term “zero waste.”   But thanks to her efforts over the years, everyone now knows what it means.   She went on to pen a best-selling book on the subject and is an in-demand speaker who’s inspired millions to take the plunge to zero-waste living.   But she can’t take all the credit for people around the globe rising up against the constant tide of waste that threatens to engulf us all.   Cataclysmic events like the 2008 financial crisis helped people to see that corporate greed is a rapacious evil that pushes people into lives of out-of-control consumption.   And, natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy have caused people to realize that we’re doomed if we don’t start taking drastic action to combat climate change.  

The Five “Rs”

  To become a devotee of the zero-waste philosophy, engrave its five simple commandments on every neuron in your brain: REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, and ROT.  

1. Refuse

  Refuse anything you’re offered that you don’t really need.   This way, you won’t contribute to the growing mountain of waste we humans are generating at a prodigious rate.   This includes things like refusing free pens at a bank, plastic straws at a takeout joint, or a bobblehead given out at a minor league park.   It might be incredibly difficult to pass up the seductive allure of all that free stuff, but in the end, you’ll pay for it.   That’s because free isn’t really free.   That shoddily made key chain a bank gave you to tempt you to open up an account with them was manufactured in a pollution-spewing factory.   Plus, the cost of promotional materials is passed along to all their customers.   That includes YOU if you fall for their gimmick and become one of their customers.   By refusing to accept these doodads, you’re striking a subversive blow for frugal warriors everywhere who also happen to deeply care about our planet.   With this one action, you’re telling companies you won’t sell your soul for a bunch of cheap crap.   Tell them to take the money they would have spent and donate it to environmental causes.  

2. Reduce

  There are several excellent ways to put this rule into effect.   First, reduce the number of things you buy to the bare minimum.   To help you accomplish, ruthlessly ask yourself this question every time you’re about to buy something: “DO I REALLY NEED THIS?”   You’ll be flabbergasted by the amount of money you can save if you get into this simple habit.   Second, take care of the things you already own so they last longer.   This way, you reduce the frequency with which you have to purchase replacement items.  

3. Reuse

  If you can’t refuse or reduce it, reuse it.   This is the time to summon forth insane amounts of creativity from deep within you and find ways to reuse everything.   Start out simple—like repairing a hole in your jeans.   If you don’t know how to do it, it’s easy to learn how.   Just go on YouTube and search for one of the many tutorials they have here.   This simple fix will add years to the life of your garment.   If your garment wears out to the point where it’s no longer worth fixing, cut it up into squares and use it to wipe up spills instead of using paper towels.   This one little hack will save you $182 a year and help save entire forests from the hungry blade.   That’s because half a million acres of trees are senselessly sacrificed each year to satisfy our insane desire for disposal products.   Besides, the plastic packaging the paper towels come in has to be tossed out, which is needless waste.   When the rags wear down to the point you can’t clean with them, compost them.   By doing this, they’ll be transformed into fertile soil for next year’s garden.   You can also use squares from old clothing to blow your nose instead of buying facial tissues.   The key to mastering this principle is every time you’re about to thoughtlessly toss something into the trash, come up with 101 ways to reuse it instead.  

4. Recycle

  There comes a point in the lifecycle of every object where it reaches the end of its useful life.   By this time, you won’t be able to use the previous four “Rs” to redeem it.   Because it’s time for the next stage in its cradle-to-cradle journey: the recycling bin.   If the object in question isn’t the kind that people typically recycle, check out the TerraCycle website.   Here, you’ll find a way to recycle virtually everything.   According to their website, TerraCycle “is a social enterprise on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste.”   Imagine that—a world where waste as a concept ceases to exist!   This is the kind of world I definitely want to live in.   They offer a range of national, easy-to-use platforms that makes recycling even items thought to be nonrecyclable a breeze.   They also have Loop, a sustainable shopping experience moving the world away from single-use packaging.   To locate the nearest recycling center to you, check out the Earth911 database.   And if it’s an old appliance you want to recycle, bring it to Habitat for Humanity’s Restore.  

Why Recycling Isn’t the Answer for Everything

  Some people question why recycling isn’t higher up on the “Four R” hierarchy.   After all, recycling is supposed to be a good thing.   Just make sure the right recyclable goes into the right bin, and we can make sure old waste gets turned into new products, right?   Unfortunately, it’s not that easy because almost 25% of the items a person puts out to be recycled still find their way into landfills.   Consumers often aren’t clear what can be recycled and what cannot.   They frequently throw things into a bin believing it should be repurposed, without really knowing whether it can be.   This is known as aspirational recycling, and it’s a HUGE problem.   Many items can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables, causing the whole load to be disposed of.   One way to contaminate a load is by throwing food receptacles into a bin without washing them out first.   Filthy food containers cannot be recycled, so they’ll either contaminate the entire load, or they’ll be snatched out of the waste stream.   Then, they’ll end up in a landfill, sad and forlorn that they couldn’t reach the end of their recycling journey.   Another reason recycling isn’t a cure-all for our trash woes is we used to send our trash to China.   However, in January 2018, China banned the import of many types of plastic and paper.   So, recyclers and waste management companies ended up with tons of recyclable material on their hands with no place to send it.   With China no longer in the picture, it’s often more cost-effective to send this trash to a landfill than to recycle it.  

5. Rot

  To put the fifth commandment into action, you’ll have to learn how to become a master at composting.   Composting is when you put dead plant material into a pile.   And then, through the fantastic aerobic action of fungi, bacteria, and other cool organisms, the material is magically transformed into fertile loam.   Composting creates high-quality dirt that’s way better than anything you can buy at a garden supply store.   Composting plays an integral part in the zero-waste picture because things don’t really decompose in landfills.   This is because they have nonporous linings that prevent material from leaching into the groundwater.   This keeps everything far from soil and air, which can’t team up with microorganisms to carry out the natural alchemy of transforming disgusting waste into fertile soil.   If you want to recycle your food scraps, try kitchen vermicomposting.   Or, find a local nursery that’ll accept your food scraps.   You could also offer them to a community garden.  

Follow the Order

  These commandments must be applied in a linear order.   First, adamantly REFUSE to buy something, no matter how other people might tempt you to do so.   If this is an abject impossibility, then REDUCE what you’re about to purchase.   If there’s no way for you to buy less of something, make sure you REUSE it when you’re done using it.   If you’ve racked your brain and can’t figure out how to reuse it, then RECYCLE it.   If there’s no way to do that, let it ROT.   See how that works?  

What Products to Buy

  One of the very best ways to live a zero-waste lifestyle is to buy in bulk.   Bring your own cotton drawstring bags, so you don’t have to use theirs.   You save money, and you only buy what you need.   Oils, vinegar, and pet food are just a few of the products that can be bought in bulk.   And when you’re buying items you can’t buy in bulk, look for options that have as little packaging as possible.   With less packaging, you’re bound to save money, because packaging typically cost between one and 10 percent of the total product cost.   For example, if you’re buying soap, buy locally made products with compostable labels or no packaging at all.  

Buy Local Produce

  Big-box grocery stores ship in their veggies from all over the world, resulting in a HUGE carbon footprint.   Lots of produce you buy at chain grocery stores travel 1500 or more miles to get to your plate.   But when you buy locally, your food doesn’t have to travel that far, and you drastically reduce your food miles.   This is the distance your food travels from where it’s grown to where it’s ultimately purchased.   Buy locally, and your food doesn’t have to take a circuitous trip over the ocean or mountains just to get to your plate.   This reduces the carbon footprint of what you eat, and therefore, its negative environmental impact because it cuts down on fuel consumption and with it, air pollution.   Another reason to buy locally is that large retailers have a significant waste problem that farm-to-table producers don’t have.   When you buy from chain supermarkets, you end up paying for all this waste in higher food prices.   Many local producers pride themselves on having produce that is pesticide and hormone-free as well as organic.   So, not only will it be infinitely more delicious than what you can find at big retailers, it’ll be healthier for you as well.   The benefits don’t stop there, because not using pesticides improves air quality and crop quality.   And by supporting local farmers, you help keep them in business.   Plus, big developers won’t get their grubby hands on the land, turning it into condos and such.