Ecoponto já chegou a reciclar cerca de 139 quilos de materiais somente no primeiro semestre de 2019

NEW YORK (AP) — How bad is your disposable razor for the environment? The question is gaining attention among consumers amid a growing global campaign against plastic waste, with cities and countries introducing bans on single-use plastic bags and straws.   Don’t worry, there’s no talk of banning your razor, which isn’t exactly single use. Still, billions of plastic razors and refill blade cartridges get tossed in landfills each year. Municipal recycling programs in the U.S. will not accept them because they are sharp objects made of mixed materials.   What can be done? Well, there are no perfectly convenient options, aside from foregoing shaving altogether. For those concerned about an eco-friendlier shave, here are some things to know.   THE FATE OF DISPOSABLE RAZORS   The Environmental Protection Agency once estimated that 2 billion razors and refill blades get tossed out in the U.S. each year. That figure is widely cited by recycling advocates and startups marketing eco-friendly razors. Gillette, the world’s leading razor brand, also cites the number on a website detailing a new recycling program for razors launched earlier this year.   But the figure appears to date back to an EPA campaign from the late 1980s against a national “garbage crisis.” A 1990 “Environmental Consumer’s Handbook” on the EPA’s website says the U.S. produces “2 billion throwaway razors and blades” each year. The EPA now says it does not track the impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure.   It’s likely even higher. Last year, more than $1.2 billion in disposable razors were sold in the U.S, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Prices vary widely but many disposables are less than $1 each.   HOW TO RECYCLE YOUR RAZORS   There are few options for recycling razors. The French company BIC started a razor recycling program in France a few years ago that didn’t last.   Now, Gillette is trying out a similar idea in the U.S. in partnership with TerraCycle, an organization that specializes in hard-to-recycle waste. All brands of razors are accepted.   The easiest option is mailing the razors to TerraCycle, but the shipping costs are on you. At no cost, you can deliver razors to drop-off centers on TerraCycle’s interactive map. But with only 200 locations so far, the option is not practical for many. (There’s only one site so far in California, and six in Florida.) Stephanie Moses, an account director for TerraCycle, said the program is growing quickly, and the map will be updated to show 350 locations by mid-August.   THE COMEBACK OF THE DOUBLE-EDGED SAFETY RAZORS   Remember the old-school safety razor your grandfather used? It’s making a comeback. Trendy direct-to-consumer brands have reintroduced them to younger generations, most prominently Bevel, the grooming lined aimed at black men, and Oui Shave, one of the few safety razor brands aimed at women.   Safety razors are built to last, usually made of materials like steel or chrome. The only waste is the steel blades, and some municipalities recycle them. Oui founder Karen Young said she’s developing a map for her site to show which ones. Newcomer brand Leaf Shave allows customers to mail back their blades in a custom-made tin box for recycling.   The tricky thing is that safety razors come with a higher upfront cost, ranging anywhere from $15 to more than $200 depending on the brand. However, the refill blades are cheap, as low as 20 cents each, compared to $2 for the average modern cartridge.   You can familiarize yourself with established brands through long-time retailers like GroomingLounge.com and The Art of Shaving. Michael Gilman, founder of GroomingLounge.com, said safety razors are a small but fast-growing part of his business, with blade sales tripling in the past year. Beginners should go for the lower-priced razors and look for closed-comb design and weighted handles, he said.   If you are looking to try one out, however, most of the newer digital brands offer 30-day returns, regardless of whether the razor is used.   ARE THERE OTHER ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS?   Safety razors are not made for rushed morning routines. And frequent fliers be warned: you can’t throw the blades into your carry-on luggage. The Transportation Safety Administration wrote a blog post about it after finding that “they’re making a comeback thanks to the close shave they provide and the extremely affordable price of the replacement blades.”   If it’s not for you, at least switching to a cartridge with a reusable handle reduces the waste. Already, that is the more popular option among U.S. men, according to Euromonitor figures, though women in the U.S. still spend more money on fully disposable plastic razors.

A glorious day marked the beginning of National Farmers Market Week last Saturday. Farmers' colorful displays of produce looked so delicious that shoppers could not resist making plenty of purchases. Farmers were doing a brisk business, with folks stocking up on Jersey tomatoes, corn and red and yellow watermelons.   During this special week, we reflect upon the value that the Brigantine Farmers Market brings to our community: the environmental benefits, the fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, eggs, plants and flowers, juice and aloha bowls. In addition, shoppers love the jewelry, soap, pillows, pottery, art, dog treats, candles, skin care and other gifts available for purchase. And the crowds love the coffee, pastries, doughnuts, cannolis, crepes, jams, honey, pretzels, popcorn, clothing, water ice, nut spreads, soups, sandwiches, cheeses, pastas and more.   The full service market serves as a hub for the community to meet and socialize and to enjoy our beautiful island.   The Trivia Contest was all about foodies. One of the most difficult questions was, “What is the food that is most ordered?” Many people responded, “pizza,” but the answer is “fried chicken.” Congratulations to Linda Lakind, who won a $25 TD gift card.   An important goal of the Green Team and Farmers Market is health and wellness. To that end, consumers are encouraged to take advantage of all of the information provided by fitness experts, dietitians and certified therapists, and then purchase nutritious foods full of vitamins and protein.   Children were having fun with the fitness track, creating their own games from the available hula hoops, hurdle sticks and soccer net.   The Green Team is a leader in environmental initiatives and is partnering with TerraCycle this summer. Please continue to collect red Solo cups and bring them to the market Aug. 24 to be boxed, sent to TerraCycle and recycled.   Marisela Zumba Chic brought her fun energy, and the contagious rhythms had shoppers joining in.   Jeana Beana was at the Demo tent. Her modus operandi is "cooking without rules and just for fun."   "Watching her at the Farmers Market was a pleasure as she rekindled friendships with former vendors. Her 8-year old son, Ryan, was a great assistant, and it was obvious that he enjoys cooking with his mother," Danielle Smith reported.   Jeana prepared two mocktails (nonalcoholic cocktails), blueberry and peach, in which one mashes either fruit. Add sugar water (equal parts sugar and water, boil and refrigerate), a sprig of rosemary or basil, and fresh lime juice. Shake this along with ice and ice water in a shaker and serve with club soda. Option, rim glass with sugar.   Jeana also made grilled panzanella, which can be prepared by grilling Gulf shrimp or tuna that has been cut into small pieces and marinated in olive oil, one tablespoon of garlic honey, lemon juice and chopped onion or shallots. This may be used in the salad to bring out unique flavors or as a dressing.   The salad was described as being "sensational" and was made of halved cherry tomatoes, zucchini, shrimp or tuna, ⅔ cup oil, ⅓ cup vinegar, lemon or lime juice, and grilled bread.   Suzanne Peterson displayed her lovely paintings at Art in the Park, donating a portion of her sales to charity.   Alex and Zakia of NEXTEK were at the Chamber tent expounding on the benefits of solar education.   Susan Coan and Ken Mosca from Atlantic City Electric were explaining the project to strengthen the electric power infrastructure on the island against future storms.   For the young noncash shopper, soup vendor Ladle of Luv accepts VENMO, a digital wallet that allows one to make and share payments.   Ashley at Carolina Artisan introduced items from her new jewelry line of "lustrous fresh water pearls and semiprecious stones knotted on beige nylon cord and finished with a sterling hand-cast clasp."   On Saturday, Aug. 10, we celebrate "Love Your Library." We are so fortunate to have the quality library that we have on our island! So come and check it out as Sue Marx from the Atlantic County Library Foundation will staff the Spotlight on Community. The library sells used books at a great price weekly at the Farmers Market, as well as on the bottom floor of the library. The library will sponsor face-painting as the children’s activity — always a delight.   If you are participating in the Perfect Peach Pie Contest, bring your pie to the Demo tent between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and sign up by emailing brigantinefarmersmarket@gmail.com.   Kim Schenk and Insurance Agencies Inc will be the Spotlight on Business.   Looking forward to Johnny Vibe and the Foot Petals, who will entertain in the park.   Artist Stephanie Silverman is proud to be the featured Artist in the Park. Her paintings range in style, media and subject matter. Each piece explores her endless interaction of color and light. Each work of art is an attempt to capture fleeting moments in time and the expressive qualities of the subject. Her award-winning artwork has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums throughout the country.   There will be a Disaster Relief collection for school supplies. Items such as backpacks, lunch bags, binders, pens, pencil cases, crayons, rulers, scissors, etc. may be brought to Information. This will help 100 children on the island from pre-school through high school.   Come and celebrate National Farmers Market Week tomorrow! Follow us @BrigantineFarmersMarket.  

Recent restrictions on recycling have left many diligent Oregonian recyclers confused and dismayed about what they can and can’t recycle.   China was a major market for Oregon recyclables, especially the type of plastic that isn’t allowed in weekly recycling bins. Examples include car seats, small plastic containers (less than 6 ounces), and the plastic bags wrapped around your newspaper.   But don’t fret, intrepid Oregonian recycler. Even if you can't put them in your curbside bins, you can still recycle all those items (as of this writing), as well as materials you may not realize are recyclable, such as plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam.   As a bonus, you can recycle many of these items for free in the Portland area, and some dropoff locations are as close as your neighborhood retailer.   Read on to learn where you can recycle specific materials, along with some tips on how to make the journey easier. Polystyrene (including Styrofoam)   As counter-intuitive as it seems, you can recycle polystyrene. Tigard-based Agilyx will recycle different types of polystyrene, including Styrofoam take-out containers and the polystyrene blocks that cushion products inside cardboard boxes.   How: Agilyx is one of the few “chemical recycling” plants in the U.S. that breaks down polystyrene into liquid form.   Tip: Agilyx won’t accept starch peanuts, polyethylene foam, or polypropylene foam. Read their Frequently Asked Questions list on their website to learn more about their recycling process.   Bonus tip: There’s a dog park next to the plant.   Where: 13240 S.W. Wall St., Tigard; agilyx.com or 503-217-3160. Plastic film (such as produce and newspaper plastic bags)   Plastic film is ubiquitous, but some plants can still recycle this material into other materials, such as the composite wood used in backyard decks.   How: Many retailers have specially marked boxes where you can drop off plastic bags. Participating retailers include Safeway, Target, Walmart and the Garden Home Marketplace (formerly Lamb's Thriftway) in Southwest Portland.   Tip: You can’t recycle chip bags, candy bar wrappers or compostable bags. Additionally, plastic film recycling rules can be arbitrary. Some retailers (like Garden Home Marketplace) can’t accept “colored plastic” bags, such as bread bags, because their recycler won’t take them. So call your retailer’s customer service number if you’re unsure what is accepted.   Where: Various retailers; go to plasticfilmrecycling.org to search by zip code for a dropoff location.  Carpet and carpet pad (residential only)   Once you could drop off carpet and carpet pads at carpet stores or at centers like Far West Recycling. Commercial businesses have more choices for carpet recycling, but homeowners have few options.   How: Environmentally Conscious Recycling accepts small amounts of carpet and carpet pads. At its 350,000-square-foot facility, your vehicle is weighed, you let the booth attendant know what you are hauling, and then you are directed to an area where another employee will confirm whether your load is acceptable. There is a $25 minimum fee for up to 200 pounds; the cost is 5.5 cents per pound for anything above that weight ($110 per ton).   Tip: If possible, bring a heavy-duty vehicle to navigate the steep inclines. Some paths in the facility are unpaved, so check the weather forecast before you go if you want to avoid excessively muddy conditions.   Where: 12409 N.E. San Rafael St., Portland; ecrrecycling.com or 503-253-0867. Car seats   Car seats are another casualty of China’s “hard plastics” ban. But at least one retailer accommodates parents interested in recycling their kids’ car seats.   How: Target has week-long “car seat trade-in” promotions where you can recycle your car seat (you don’t have to remove the fabric), as well as car seat bases. Target partners with Waste Management to recycle the car seats.   Tip: The next car seat trade-in is planned for September. Go to target.com to check for updates.   Where: Selected Target locations; check target.com. Plastic bottle caps and #5 plastic containers   The numbers on the bottom of recyclable products identify what the recyclable is made of. For example, #5 plastics are polypropylene, such as soda bottle caps, yogurt lids and prescription medicine bottles.   How: Preserve is one company that seeks to “close the loop” for polypropylene by creating new products out of old ones. You can also recycle #5 plastics with TerraCycle, but you will need to pay for a box that is delivered to your home.   Tip: You don’t need to make sure bottle caps are stamped with the number 5; Preserve will accept any bottle caps or container lids. You can see Preserve’s entire list of accepted materials at preserve.eco.   Where: You can mail your #5 plastics to Preserve or order a TerraCycle box (terracycle.com). Some Whole Foods Market locations are partners with Preserve’s Gimme 5 program, but you’ll need to call individual stores to confirm their participation.  

One of Southington’s elementary schools has been crowned “runner-up” in the TerraCycle recycling challenge out of 62 total teams. Derynoski Elementary School will receive a playground made out of recycled materials that is valued at approximately $25,000.   “Our PTO is very happy to take these first steps to revitalize the play area at Derynoski,” said PTO member Jill Battaglia. “The current playscape is 25-plus years old, and has needed several repairs, so having some new equipment that more kids can play on will be wonderful.”   TerraCycle recycles traditionally “non-recyclable” products such as coffee capsules, pens, or plastic gloves. In the TerraCycle recycling challenge, sponsored by Colgate and ShopRite, schools across the region compete to collect as much oral care waste as possible and send it in to TerraCycle. Items, including toothbrushes, toothbrush packaging, toothpaste tubes and caps, toothpaste packaging, floss containers and floss picks were collected for the challenge. Items could be from any brand.   To create the new playscape, TerraCycle collects all of the donated oral waste products, then separates the tubes and brushes by composition, shredding and melting them into hard plastic that can be remodeled to make new recycled products.   To be successful in this year’s contest, Derynoski Elementary School called on the community to support their efforts by helping with donations of products and by daily voting.   “The community support of this project was incredible, and our school community really appreciates everyone who helped with voting and collecting oral-care waste,” said Battaglia.   During the 2017-18 school year, there were 539 students at Derynoski School. Two sections of classes go out to recess at once, so roughly 180 students are outside at the same time.   While the PTO awaits specific details, they remain hopeful to install the new playscape sometime in the fall.   “We will once again be looking for volunteers to help with installation,” said Battaglia. “We are looking at an area separate from the current playscape, so it gives more play options to the large amount of students playing outside at recess at one time.”   Superintendent of Schools Tim Connellan said the event is a testament to the PTO that showed how much support parents provide schools across the district.   “This was a team effort spearheaded by the Derynoski PTO, but there were contributions from many members of our community, other schools and PTOs in town and staff members,” said Connellan. “In addition to the science and environmental aspects of the project to which our children were exposed, it demonstrated a sense of community and provided a positive example of how people can live and work together for a common goal.”   Derynoski now joins both Flanders and Kelley Elementary Schools in the ranks of contest winners. All three schools have now participated in and won the TerraCycle recycling challenge.   To learn more, visit www.TerraCycle.com.

Though French beauty company L’Occitane Group dates its sustainability efforts back to 1976 when founder Olivier Baussan started the namesake brand, the firm’s more recent efforts speak to a shift in modern consumer values.   “Our take has evolved as the ways we all consume has changed and the way we create waste has changed,” said Ashley Arbuckle, L’Occitane Group vp of marketing and wholesale. “The things we were doing in 1976 are not enough anymore.”   Baussan may have conceived L’Occitane to support local farmers and traditional farming methods, but today its sustainability exercises extend to biodiversity and most significantly to a reduction of plastic. In February, L’Occitane Group announced its plans to become fully sustainable by 2025 by working with sustainable plastic provider Loop Industries. Prior to this announcement, only 30% of L’Occitane’s products were made with recycled plastic and it was exclusive to darker-colored product, like its Aromachologie hair-care collection — not its hero body lotion lines. L’Occitane’s in-store recycling capabilities extended to just 30% of its 1,500-plus stores worldwide.   “In the beauty industry, plastic is considered the gold standard. It is one of the materials that’s easiest to work with and it is affordable, but it’s a problem,” said Arbuckle.   According to market research firm Euromonitor International, global consumer demand for plastics exceeded 2.2 trillion units in 2018, and the beauty industry specifically accounted for nearly 153 billion units of that larger pie. What’s even more telling is that 40% of those products were packaged with single-use plastic, meaning that it was unable to be recycled and ultimately ended up in a landfill. While beauty giants like L’Occitane, L’Oréal Group and Unilever are responding to the environmental problem with vigor, the questions around sustainable alternatives remains.   “I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and everyone has always agreed that garbage is a problem, but in the past 24 months, that’s moved from a problem to a crisis,” said Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, who works with all of the aforementioned conglomerates on recycling efforts, as well as Procter & Gamble and Estée Lauder Companies. Within beauty, the company has projects with 51 partners. He credits that seismic shift in behavior among both consumers and brands to the popularity of David Attenborough’s visceral nature documentary “Blue Water II.” Szaky estimates that big corporations’ recycling investments typically range in the seven figures.   Companies are responding because they see the opportunity to more deeply connect with beauty customers, he said, and recent sustainable moves can also be credited as a prevention tactic, considering Canada, for one, announced in June that it is banning single-use plastic items by 2021. Even compostable efforts, such as those favored by L’Oréal’s Seed Phytonutrients, can be viewed as problematic, because compostable packaging is better suited for developing countries where the only alternative option is simply to litter — U.K.-based retailer  Tesco even outlawed compostable products by the end of 2019, because composters view that packaging as a contaminant.   In January, Unilever announced that nine of its brands, including Love Beauty and Planet and REN Clean Skincare, would trial new reusable packaging made from aluminum and glass, while Dove would test a new refillable deodorant stick via TerraCycle’s Loop system. This comes after Unilever’s own commitment, which it announced in 2017, that its plastic packaging would be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.   “We’ve made an incredible commitment as a company, but the beauty industry is a terrible offender because there are a lot of modern conveniences to using plastic. We have to make loud standards to change existing behavior and challenge that dichotomy of putting so much out there,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, evp and COO of beauty and personal care at Unilever North America.   Interestingly, though, bigger and smaller companies, alike, like to shout their sustainable practices from the rooftops, especially around seasonal touch points such as Earth Day, World Ocean’s Day and Zero Waste Week, but Eggleston Bracey said efforts cannot be episodic.   “There’s a tension that exists between doing and saying, and both of those things are important, but the watch-out is saying without doing. We are willing to engage in trial-and-error at Unilever, because sustainability is our business model. It’s not a marketing model, and it is our desire to lead,” she said.   However, Szaky encouraged consumers and brands to read between the lines. “A lot of these beauty companies have made lofty commitments to be fully recyclable by 2025 through the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and we are part of that foundation ourselves, but if you read the details of those press releases, they are claiming that their packaging will be ‘technically ‘ recyclable, and they’re not making any claims around practicality,” said Szaky. “Technical means the process exists, but practical means you can put it in a blue bin in Chicago or New York or anywhere, and it will be recycled. Technical recycling doesn’t take into account the profitable needs of garbage companies. Garbage companies are only going to recycle what they can make money on.”   Certainly the after-use, garbage ramifications of a product are an unsexy proposition for brands and an industry preoccupied with image. But that’s not to say companies’ practices, whether its nascent brand Circumference or Kiehl’s actions, are for naught. “We are trying to do things that make a difference and not just slap a logo on a bottle,” said Arbuckle, who noted that L’Occitane Group has existing challenges in providing recyclable options in Hawaii because of shipping costs, and that is just one hurdle it faces in becoming a fully fledged sustainable business.   Though skeptics would argue that so much talk industry-wide can be misleading, Szaky said the economics have to work for the larger landscape to change. That only comes through investment in smaller-tier programs.   “Whether it’s L’Occitane, MAC or Kiehl’s — and we run the recycling programs in all of their boutiques — those companies are paying the actual cost of collecting and processing minus the value of the product, so that recycling and those recyclable practices are becoming commonplace,” he said. “It may not work at scale with blue bins all across the world, but this gives us a solution in an imperfect world. That will ultimately affect customers’ choice of what to buy, and, no matter what, that’s feasible by 2025.”

You just heard the latest terrifying news about microplastics. You vow to make this the week you actually pack your lunch in Mason jars and avoid single-use plastics. Reusable straw in hand, you're ready for anything—until, inevitably, something comes up that leaves you tossing a plastic wrapper in defeat. We've all been there. In a world where plastic is quite literally everywhere, reducing the amount of waste in your life is a challenge in every sense of the word. So we asked six decidedly eco-friendly women how they deal with inevitable snags in the road. The take-away? Eating plastic-free is a huge challenge—but it's about progress, not perfection.   Image by Martí Sans / Stocksy

Opt for unpackaged food when you can (without depriving yourself).

  One challenge I've had in trying to avoid single-use plastic is that some produce items I love, like grapes and berries, are nearly impossible to find not packaged in plastic. So it's just something I try to be conscious about. If it's peak raspberry season and I'm craving them, I'll buy them and then maybe find another use for the clamshell. But if there's something else that sounds just as good that doesn't come packaged in plastic, I might go for that instead. I never want to feel like I'm depriving myself by living a low-waste lifestyle—for me it's just about making decisions from a mindful place.   —Maia Welbel  

Keep with it—and don't get discouraged if plastic inevitably comes up.

  The biggest challenge in switching to a low-waste lifestyle was the extra effort and thought it required. Leaving the house meant I had to be prepared with my water bottle, coffee mug, napkin, silverware, and grocery bag. However, once I got used to it, it became easier. That all changed once I had my daughter because my thought and effort went to her. The few low-waste practices we are able to maintain with a baby? Buying cloth diapers and wipes. We are slowly getting back into being more mindful about our plastic usage, which is what it takes!   —Hannah Baror-Padilla

Lead by example.

  Having a low-waste lifestyle in 2019 isn't easy. Not even remotely! Our society is designed for ease, which means items are usually fast, cheap, and disposable. I believe that as a community we can generate new social norms that will put pressure on corporations creating the majority of pollution/carbon emissions. By challenging our daily consumption habits, bringing reusables, and being a leader in our family/community, we can help inspire others to do the same. This is how together we can create a new normal!   —Meg Haywood Sullivan

Use TerraCycle whenever you do end up with plastic lying around.

  My whole family is on board with low-waste living and is environmentally conscious. However, I'm definitely the strictest. I don't want to be the plastic police and constantly make those people I love the most feel bad. To remedy the plastic that inevitably creeps into our lives, I make as much food and as many snacks at home as possible, and I purchase a TerraCycle Plastic Packaging Zero Waste Box. TerraCycle is dedicated to recycling the unrecyclable. We fill the box with all the plastic we accumulate and send it to them, knowing that we're at least dealing with the plastic in a responsible way.   —Abby Cannon, J.D., R.D.   Image by Maria Ilves /  

Keep a zero-waste tool kit on hand.

  Going plastic-free, to me, is a journey. One of my biggest hurdles was not having to resort to plastic when I was on the go. I found myself wanting an iced coffee, needing to use the plastic forks when grabbing a salad, or being stuck with only plastic-wrapped snack options. So now I always leave home prepared with a snack in a glass jar or Stasher bag and with my zero waste tool kit: a travel coffee mug, bamboo silverware, a tote bag, a cotton produce bag, and a water bottle. Carrying these items has helped me to reduce my plastic usage drastically!   —Sara Weinreb

Rethink your grocery store routine.

  Since switching to a low-waste lifestyle, I'd say the biggest challenge has been avoiding food packaging. I try to stick to more whole foods. I also try to shop in bulk grocery stores (or stores that have bulk sections within them) to get as many of the things I need without packaging. It's also kinda fun scooping out your food and is a great way to get kids involved in the process if you have them. (I don't have kids just yet, but I've seen many parent-kid duos at the bulk section having honest, fun conversations about why they're getting their food from the bins instead of buying something that's prepackaged.)   —Shannon Kenny

When you do find ingredients that don't come in plastic, buy in bulk and freeze 'em!

  One of the biggest challenges I've encountered since switching to a low waste lifestyle has been choosing to do without some of my favorite foods that typically come packaged in plastic. For example, I love strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but they typically come packaged in plastic clamshells at the grocery store. So now I mainly purchase all of my berries in season at the market with my own bags and containers, and freeze as much as possible until they come in season again the following year. The awesome benefit resulting from this change is that I'm supporting local farmers and buying berries in season, so there's less transportation and packaging.   —Tara McKenna   Always keep some simple, unpackaged snacks on hand.   I'm a disorganized person and don't always properly plan ahead to bring home-packed snacks with me when I may be out for an extended period of time. But something that's really helped me is putting bulk-bought nuts and snacks in separate small containers at home on the weekends, so when I'm in a rush to head out the door, I can just easily grab a few of the containers to take with me spontaneously.   —Kaméa Chayne   Image by Tino Renato / Stocksy Tote it up.   I believe plastic bags should be completely banned globally, so organic cotton tote bags are my absolute go-to carrier of choice. Unlike in the past, there are finally so many fabulous styles available, allowing one to make a true and important (eco)fashion statement!   —Marci Zaroff      

A sustentabilidade pode (e deve) fazer parte da nossa vida em todos os aspectos, principalmente em casa. A cozinha é um dos ambientes que mais permite aplicar essas práticas. Confira as nossas dicas!

Forget hops or birthday cake, we want coffee! And now GU has delivered, with a new Cold Brew Coffee flavor energy gel that bumps the caffeine per serving to 70mg. That’s about double a normal gel, and it’s part of the Roctane family, which means added amino acids. Each gel provides 1,425mg of BCAAs, taurine & beta alanine; 125mg sodium; and other electrolytes, with 100 calories of carbs from maltodextrin and fructose. GU has offered their Roctane Protein Recovery drink mix for years, but like so many others that have been on the market for a bit, they leaned toward a 3:1 or 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio. Now that more science is showing that the actual ratio doesn’t matter quite as much as originally thought, at least for most athletes that aren’t competing or training at peak levels daily, they’ve listened to those of us wanting more protein per serving. The new formula (on sale now, packaging looks the same) bumps up to 20g protein per serving, up from 10g. Retail is $45 for the 15-serving bulk bag, or $35 for a 10-pack of single serving bags. All GU packaging is recyclable through TerraCycle. Tailwind Nutrition has a new Cola flavor of their endurance fuel. It, too, adds caffeine, plus their electrolyte and carb mix that’s designed for longer distances when you need both hydration and fuel to power through the miles. As in, 50+ miles, without worrying about stomach upset.

Forget hops or birthday cake, we want coffee! And now GU has delivered, with a new Cold Brew Coffee flavor energy gel that bumps the caffeine per serving to 70mg. That’s about double a normal gel, and it’s part of the Roctane family, which means added amino acids. Each gel provides 1,425mg of BCAAs, taurine & beta alanine; 125mg sodium; and other electrolytes, with 100 calories of carbs from maltodextrin and fructose. GU has offered their Roctane Protein Recovery drink mix for years, but like so many others that have been on the market for a bit, they leaned toward a 3:1 or 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio. Now that more science is showing that the actual ratio doesn’t matter quite as much as originally thought, at least for most athletes that aren’t competing or training at peak levels daily, they’ve listened to those of us wanting more protein per serving. The new formula (on sale now, packaging looks the same) bumps up to 20g protein per serving, up from 10g. Retail is $45 for the 15-serving bulk bag, or $35 for a 10-pack of single serving bags. All GU packaging is recyclable through Terra Cycle.

Tailwind Nutrition Cola hydration fuel

Tailwind Nutrition has a new Cola flavor of their endurance fuel. It, too, adds caffeine, plus their electrolyte and carb mix that’s designed for longer distances when you need both hydration and fuel to power through the miles. As in, 50+ miles, without worrying about stomach upset.