"By reducing their carbon footprint in our communities, these workplaces are showing the community they care about the city's future."

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego is recognizing 10 local businesses and organizations that implemented or expanded waste reduction and recycling programs with an award for their efforts, it was announced Wednesday. From establishing a cigarette butt collection and recycling program, to creating a system to track solid waste tonnage to identifying diversion opportunities, the 2020 Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Award winners displayed "forward thinking" in their programs, city leaders said. "By reducing their carbon footprint in our communities, these workplaces are showing the community they care about the city's future," Environmental Services Interim Director Gene Matter said. "We applaud these businesses and organizations for leading the way to a greener environment and exhibiting a strong determination to make a difference for generations to come." According to Matter, these businesses and organizations are helping the city reach its Climate Action Plan goal of achieving "Zero Waste" by 2040. Zero Waste is a principle that focuses on waste prevention, recycling, composting and other technologies to extend the life of the Miramar Landfill. Award winners have also shown their waste reduction programs lead to greater efficiency and contribute to their bottom line. The list of winners, recognized for work completed in 2019, includes: Subscribe -- LJ Crafted Wines. Wine membership utilizes reusable bottles with swing tops that are returned and exchanged for a sanitized bottle where customers choose which wines they want, directly from the barrel. This avoids single-use bottles, foils, corks and cartons. -- San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Established a cigarette butt collection and recycling program. The butts are collected and shipped to TerraCycle which composts the cigarette paper and tobacco. The plastic filters are recycled and turned into outdoor benches and tables. A total of 17 pounds were collected in 2019. -- San Diego Mesa College. Composted 16.34 tons of pre-consumer food scraps from campus cafeterias and coffee shops for use in the on-campus garden. -- UC San Diego. All construction and demolition projects are required to divert 75% of debris from the landfill. -- San Diego State University. Implemented the SkySpark solid waste tracking system, an online, interactive waste dashboard that tracks tonnages specific to buildings on campus to help analyze and identify diversion opportunities. -- Jansen R&D. Efforts taken to become a paperless facility, such as a switch to digital signage to reduce the number of posters and flyers, and canceled subscriptions to scientific paper publications encouraging use of the centralized library with online journals. -- Hazard Center. Hosted annual Recycle/Spring Clean Up event for tenants to properly dispose of items that do not belong in the recycling container. -- San Diego Zoo. Recycles electricity via a one-megawatt energy battery that stores and discharges energy during peak hours to assist with park operations. -- Sharp Healthcare. Diverted 4.2 million pounds of material from the landfill. This included composting 500,000 pounds of food waste and reprocessing 106,000 pounds of surgical instruments. Expired, unusable medical equipment was donated to the nonprofit Ssubi is Hope. -- San Diego Food Bank. "Turbo Separator" takes unopened but damaged and inedible cans, boxes, and jars of food, and separates the food from the packaging for compost and recycling.

In addition to disposing of the brand’s packaging (tubes, bottles, trigger heads, complex closures and tinted glass) in an environmentally conscious way, for each shipment of amika packaging waste sent to TerraCycle, recyclers will earn points that can be donated to a nonprofit, school or charitable organization of their choice. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. If you want to learn more about the TerraCycle program, click HERE.  

Ten years ago, when I was a junior reporter in France, I was assigned to cover the then-burgeoning field of social entrepreneurship. I wrote stories for a radio show about a new kind of business people, whose goal wasn’t just to make money but also to improve society. Whenever I went to my editor with a new story idea, she would ask, “How is this company changing the world?” The founders of social businesses, from Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard to TerraCycle’s Tom Szacky, all had ambitions to make an impact. In meetings, Patagonia doesn’t ask, “How do we sell more sweaters?” but “How do we sell less to waste less fabric?” TerraCycle doesn’t obsess about its bottom line, but instead focuses on making recycling easier for everyone. In the normal economy, companies like Apple, Google, Amazon and Uber have altered the way we live. Just like social enterprises, these companies were founded by visionaries with a desire to change the world. But they still measure success according to hard metrics such as user acquisition and retention — and of course, by almighty sales. Undeniably, tech has helped people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a survey conducted by OpinionWay and JIN this past summer, we asked 1,000 U.S. consumers about their internet habits during the pandemic: 57 percent said they were using the internet more to follow the news, 52 percent to watch movies and TV series, 40 percent to communicate and 30 percent to shop. But our survey found that this digital transformation of American society comes with a slew of issues which, unless better taken into account by tech companies, will eventually create more defiance in society when we need the opposite: trust and collaboration. Tech adoption mirrors society’s race, gender and wealth gaps. Our survey found that people in the lowest income bracket were also the least likely to spend more time on the internet following the news (50 percent versus 65 percent for the highest income bracket) or communicating with others online (31 percent versus 47 percent). The research also found that 59 percent of men under 35 say they are more comfortable using the internet, compared to only 26 percent of women in the same age group. Social impact before profits? In our survey, we asked U.S. consumers to name a brand that has stood out for having done something especially well during the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon was named most often, by 6 percent of respondents, followed by a number of retailers such as Walmart and Target, and tech companies such as Zoom and Netflix. However, 27 percent of people surveyed weren’t able to name a brand at all. Consumers want more than merely product benefits from brands. In August 2019, 200 of America’s most influential CEOs gathered under the Business Roundtable banner to officially announce that the pursuit of profit was no longer the sole responsibility of their organizations. Annual reports now tend to focus on environmental and social impact before profitability, something that was unthinkable 10 years ago. As communications professionals, we know what will resonate with the public and what will not. We also have the power to sway brands to do the right thing. We can go beyond getting media coverage and help our clients become positive influences on the world. As communicators, let’s encourage clients to talk not just about how wonderful their products are, but also about how they are improving the world around them.

TOPICS:EasyPak ContainersPersonal Protective EquipmentRecyclingTerraCycle Regulated Waste   POSTED BY: RETROFIT MAGAZINE EDITOR NOVEMBER 18, 2020  

There is good news for fleets that care about safe disposal of PPE and the environment. With the Covid-19 threat ongoing, an estimated 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves are being produced every month. Although PPE has become indispensable to keep businesses and fleets operating, these items are not recyclable in typical bins and contribute to already crowded landfills. And that's in the best scenario, when they're actually disposed of properly. The problem is that this surge in production and protection has led to littered PPE covering job sites, streets, and literally flooding marine habitats. To address this separate unintended public health crisis as well as the threat PPE poses to the environment as plastic pollution, a company called TerraCycle Regulated Waste has created a recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turnkey solution for hazardous waste disposal, the company's PPE EasyPak Containers allow business owners and managers to recycle used gloves and masks onsite, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of littering the environment-at-large with plastic waste.

How to recycle PPE waste

TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers three types of containers:

• Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box– to recycle vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves;
• Disposable Masks EasyPak Box– to recycle surgical and industrial face masks; and
• Safety Equipment and Protective Gear EasyPak Box– to recycle ear plugs, gloves, safety glasses, masks, and even disposable garments.

When full, the boxes are returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted, and remolded to make new products. “TerraCycle Regulated Waste developed a solution for PPE waste that is as innovative as it is easy to use” said Kevin Flynn, global VP of TerraCycle operations and director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. “The EasyPak recycling program can help businesses maintain workplace safety while simultaneously keeping their lots, grounds, surrounding communities, and shared environment free from plastic litter.” All EasyPak boxes are UN-compliant, the company says, and are sealed while in transit, limiting any possibility of contamination. Additionally, the containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program ensuring that managers are never left without a solution to their universal waste. The boxes travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations. The EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. Source: TerraCycle Regulated Waste

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven crucial in stemming the tide of COVID-19, but this surge in production has led to littered PPE covering streets and literally flooding marine habitats. To address this separate, unintended public health crisis of PPE waste, as well as the threat PPE poses to the environment as plastic pollution, TerraCycle Regulated Waste’s line of EasyPak Containers, an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks, is poised to help business owners make an impact in time for the holiday rush. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turnkey solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPak Containers allow business owners or property managers to recycle used gloves and masks on-site, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of littering this plastic waste in the environment-at-large. To recycle PPE waste, TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers the following EasyPak containers:

• Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box – holds 45 pounds to recycle vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves.
• Disposable Masks EasyPak Box – holds up to 25 pounds to recycle surgical and industrial face masks
• Safety Equipment and Protective Gear EasyPak Box – holds 45 pounds to recycle ear plugs, beard nets, hair nets, gloves, safety glasses, disposable garments, and masks.

When full, the boxes are returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing, and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted, and remolded to make new products. “TerraCycle Regulated Waste developed a solution for PPE waste that is as innovative as it is easy to use,” said Kevin Flynn, Global Vice President of TerraCycle Operations and Director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. “The EasyPak recycling program can help businesses maintain workplace safety while simultaneously keeping their parking lots, grounds, surrounding communities, and shared environment free from plastic litter just in time for the holiday rush.” TerraCycle Regulated Waste created the EasyPak program to help businesses facilitate the effective and compliant management of regulated, universal, and hazardous waste. All EasyPak boxes are UN-compliant and are sealed while in transit, limiting any possibility of contamination. Additionally, for added convenience, the EasyPak containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program ensuring that property managers are never left without a solution to their universal waste. The boxes travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations. The EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. To learn about TerraCycle’s Regulated Waste Division, visit www.lamprecycling.com.

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Bliss skin care brand has partnered with TerraCycle for the Bliss Recycling Program in which consumers can send in expended personal care products and packaging to be recycled for free. Previously: TerraCycle's Loop Expands to Full US Mainland Consumers can sign up for the program and send in all Bliss products including flexible and rigid plastic, pumps, sprays, packets, pouches, tubes, jars and complex closures. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. TerraCycle CEO and founder, Tom Szaky, said: “Through the launch of this recycling program, Bliss is achieving their goal of helping everyone experience unapologetic happiness by guiding consumers to focus not only on the wellness of the skin, but on the wellness of the planet." Meri Baregamian, CEO of Bliss, said: “We know that our shoppers care not only about what they’re putting on their bodies, but also the implications their choices have on the environment and world around them. We are thrilled to be entering this partnership with TerraCycle to ensure that our products are not only efficacious, but environm­entally friendly. This marks the first step in Bliss’ sustaina­bility initiatives and we are excited to continue evolving our products to be cleaner and more sustainable.”

Tupperware Brands has announced a partnership with TerraCycle’s circular reuse platform Loop, aimed at eliminating waste and improving the delivery, design, and features of products. This partnership is intended to launch in 2021, initially offering to consumers across the United States the ability to purchase products from consumer brands and retailers packaged in reusable Tupperware products. Aligned in the collective mission to reduce waste through a circular recycling system, the collaboration will provide a new packaging offering for Loop while advancing Tupperware’s No Time to Waste initiative to significantly reduce single-use plastic and food waste by 2025. Tupperware says it is the first reusable plastic container brand partner for Loop, adding to the platform’s catalogue of reusable glass and metal containers. Loop’s brand partners will soon have the opportunity to access enhanced options to package, store, and ship products to US consumers through a collaboration with Tupperware. Loop is a global reuse platform that partners with brands and retailers with the objective of shifting from a disposable to a durable supply chain where manufacturers own their packaging in the long term. In this model, consumers do not own the package, yet they own the product within. Products available on the Loop platform are packaged and shipped directly to consumers in a specially designed tote. Once used, products are retrieved through free at-home pickup, then cleaned, refilled and reused – creating a first-of-its-kind circular packaging system. In 2021, along with online shopping, Loop customers will be able to participate in Loop at its retail partners in-store locations. In 2019, Tupperware announced its collaboration with SABIC, a petrochemical company, for the introduction of certified circular polymers into its product offerings. The collaboration with SABIC highlights the shared commitment by both companies to advance a more circular economy, where plastic waste and materials are used, reused, and repurposed to continue their lifecycle.