Tom Szaky, CEO of Trenton-based TerraCycle, is so determined to eliminate global waste in an inevitable circular economy, that he wrote a book about it. The Future of Packaging: From Linear to Circular Paperback will be released on February 5, 2019. The book paints a future of a circular economy that relies on responsible reuse and recycling to propel the world towards eradicating over consumption and waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 35 percent of the 240 million metric tons of waste generated in the United States alone gets recycled. This extraordinary collection shows how manufacturers can move from a one-way take-make-waste economy that is burying the world in waste to a circular, make-use-recycle economy. TerraCycle is working towards Eliminating the Idea of Waste by making the non-recyclable, recyclable. They do this by offering a range of free programs that are funded by conscientious consumer brands and manufacturers, as well as purchasable programs that are funded by eco-conscious consumers to bring circular re-purposing solutions to almost all forms of waste.  

 

Os responsáveis da Coca-Cola e da Pepsico juntamente com as gigantes Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, Danone, Mars Petcare, Mondeléz International e outras empresas da indústria alimentícia e de produtos para casa anunciaram a promessa de reduzir os resíduos plásticos até 2030.

Produzir menos lixo depende de nós, mas grandes marcas já estão de olho nessa preocupação. A Loop é uma iniciativa criada por algumas gigantes da indústria para nos ajudar a solucionar esse problema e acabar de vez com os descartáveis.

A Melitta é uma empresa especializada no desenvolvimento, produção e comercialização de produtos para o consumo e preparo de café, que prioriza o crescimento de forma contínua e sustentável.

It would make life a lot easier if clothes lasted forever, but unfortunately, that's not the case. After a lot of wear and tear and washing and drying, most clothing items start to get worn out, dirty, and just generally old-looking - not exactly something you want to keep wearing if you don't have to. When it's time to get rid of clothing, though, you really don't want to throw it in a garbage bag as waste. Old clothing can, and should, be recycled and re-used, even if it's not looking in its best. If the clothes are really beat up, you probably can't donate them - most thrift shops won't take them, and giving ripped up, filthy items to a charity isn't advisable — so what should you do with them? You can still recycle clothes and shoes that aren't in good condition, it just might take a little extra work, but it's worth it, we swear. The Council for Textile Recycling says that the United States generates an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles a year in the form of clothing, shoes, accessories and more, which comes out to about 82 pounds per person. 85 percent of that will end up in municipal landfills, which can add up to about 21 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste. Do you really want to contribute to that? Hopefully not, but unfortunately, the amount of clothing we toss in the garbage is only increasing. In 2009, the Council estimated that we would generate more than 35 billion pounds of textile waste in 2019. What makes these numbers even worse is that almost all clothes and shoes are recyclable, even though only about 15 percent of textiles produced every year are recycled. Don't contribute to the wrong side of this! Learning how to recycle your clothing and shoes, even if they're not in great condition, is an important contribution to our environment. Here are a few options on how to do so:

So, you’ve decided to go plastic-free. The only problem is, you’ve spent these many years accumulated plastic products, single-use or otherwise. Your bathroom is full of plastic shampoo bottles, the fridge has tons of food in plastic containers, who knows what other plastic products are lurking in the living room, your work desk, and otherwise? Maybe you’re wondering: What the heck should you do with all the plastic you already have?

This is where Terracycle comes in! Terracycle is a privately-owned U.S. recycling business that accepts tons of hard-to-recycle materials. More than 80,000,000 people use Terracycle and together, users have recycled 4,104,054,370 items that otherwise would have went to the landfill.

Terracycle recycles nearly everything; from coffee capsules and pens to gloves and makeup containers, Terracycle collects from individuals and companies alike, diverting tons of pounds of unrecyclable, non-biodegradable waste from landfills.

Registering for Terracycle is completely free. After registering, browse through the website to find the right recycling program for you. There are tons! Just to name a few, there is a fabric care recycling program, which collects products and packaging like #5 PP plastic laundry bottle caps, #2 HDPE rigid plastic laundry bottles, and paperboard laundry care packaging.

That’s only one example; Terracycle has so many recycling programs: a free drink pouch recycling program on Walmart.com, an Eos recycling program, a red Solo cup recycling program, and more. Other programs include Febreze bottles, Flonase, energy bar wrappers, Tom’s of Maine natural care products (like the toothpaste at Trader Joe’s!), and Barilla pasta.

After signing up for the individual recycling programs that make the most sense for your household and the waste you create, Terracycle will email you a prepaid shipping label. (Alternatively, for some recycling programs, Terracycle will provide a drop-off location, but most are send-away.) Adhere the prepaid shipping label to a box full of the products you’d like to recycle, then ship it out. Terracycle will reward you in a points system and eventually, you’ll get rid of all that plastic!

During the holiday season, Terracycle offered a Holiday Bonus Bucks program in conjunction with Feed America. Frequent Terracycle recyclers were able to give back to charity the more points accrued. Just 50 Terracycle points provides a meal for an American family facing hunger. Alternatively, if you have a different charity you’d like to donate to, instead of Feeding America, you were able to specify which one you’d like to contribute to.

Reader Angie sends in this question: I have lots of toys (mostly plastic) that cannot be donated or passed down. They either broken or missing parts. How do I recycle them? Can I just put them in the recycling bin? What about children’s books that are either ripped, missing covers, or stained. Can I put them in the recycling bin as well? One more question: What is a good way to store books for a long time to be passed down? Many parents struggle with these questions Angie so thank you for asking!

Toy disposal

Before we look at recycling, there are other ways to keep toys out of the waste stream. Many people take toys and parts of toys and create new toys and various types of art. Check out:

• Reuse Recycle Toys (Pinterest)
• Broken Toy Art (Pinterest)
• 10 Simple ways to repurpose an old toy (Apartment Therapy)
• 25 Playful and Quirky Ways to Repurpose Kids’ Toys (DIY & Crafts)

I’m not suggesting that you become an artist in your spare time but consider listing the pile of broken toys on Craigslist or Freecycle and see if a creative-type person or artistic group wants them. One of the more complicated parts about recycling is that every municipality has a different recycling program. The best thing to do is to visit your city’s website and find the information about recycling. Cities may have more recycling options if you are able to drop off at their depot. Earth911 does a great job of explaining the mystery of why toys are so difficult to recycle. Another option for recycling toys is to contact TerraCycle and purchase a Zero Waste Toy Box. TerraCycle will ship you an empty box, you fill it with broken toys then ship the box back using the pre-paid shipping label. TerraCycle will separate the toy’s components and ensure they get into the correct recycling stream. The Zero Waste Boxes are expensive ($95 USD for the small toys box) so you may want to collaborate with other parents in your neighbourhood, community centre, school, or house of worship. After all, saving the planet is a good cause.

Book disposal

Most untreated paper can be recycled. Many books — especially children’s books cannot because they have been treated with wax, glues, or plastic coating. Investigate your municipality’s recycling website to see what the options are for recycling books. Earth911 explains the mysteries of book recycling and has some great suggestions for used books including books in “less than prime” condition. TerraCycle also has a Zero Waste Book Box which might be an option for your school or local library.

Book preservation

Reading with children is a great way to form a lasting bond. I kept many of our children’s favourite books including the entire Franklin the Turtle series. To tell the truth, I think I kept them more for me than for my kids. Should I be blessed with grandchildren someday, I would love to share these books with them. In addition to our best tips on how to store treasured books, I would suggest to do a gentle cleaning of children’s books. Use an old, clean and soft toothbrush to remove any caked-on food or playdough. If the books have been on a shelf for a while, vacuum the edges with a soft brush using the lowest suction setting. Blot any greasy spots with an absorbent cloth. Ensure books are dry before storing. Thanks for your great question Angie. We hope that this post gives you the information you’re looking for. Do you have a question relating to organizing, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject as “Ask Unclutterer.”

Algumas das maiores empresas do mundo, incluindo Unilever, Nestlé e PepsiCo, estão lançando embalagens reutilizáveis para determinados produtos, na tentativa de eliminar gradualmente os plásticos de uso único – e para melhorar sua própria reputação de poluidores.

Weavers Way Environment Committee invites community groups from the surrounding area in Mt. Airy, Germantown, East Falls, West Oak Lane, Roxborough, Ambler, and Chestnut Hill to submit proposals for grants. Grant funds are awarded each year for clearly identifiable public purposes resulting in a tangible environmental improvement for the community.  Most grants are awarded for public purposes that benefit the environment through education and/or gardening projects. Funds may be used for such projects as planting trees and herbaceous plants, garden equipment, and enhancement of parks.  Some environmentally based educational programs have also been funded through this program. Preference will be given to those who demonstrate efforts to address climate change. Grant amounts range from $100 to $500, depending upon the available funds and the number of qualified applicants. The Environment Committee hosts Electronic Recycling twice a year and runs the TerraCycle recycling program for the Coop in order to raise funds for these grants. Since those events are our sole source of income, the Committee is grateful  to those in the community who have contributed. Application and guidelines are available from the Environment Committee box on the second floor of the Weavers Way Co-op, 559 Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy as well as at the Chestnut Hill  and Ambler stores. They also may be  downloaded and printed from the Weavers Way website at http://weaversway.coop (scroll down the home page for the link). Applications must be received by Monday, March 4, 2019. Anyone requesting a grant will learn within a month of the deadline if they have been selected. Grantees are then obliged to submit a report with receipts describing exactly how the money was spent on November 1, 2019.