The way we do things is changing so quickly in this crazy world in which we live. As we navigate the ins and outs of our new normal, I want everyone to remember to keep recycling. To do our part in making the world a better place to live, Nyquist Elementary School is part of the TerraCycle, Plant Green and ColorCycle programs. We are trying to save the planet one brigade at a time. We are slowly getting people to recycle the unique items that can be reused and kept out of the landfills.   TerraCycle is a program that not only recycles those hard to recycle items but also offers fundraising opportunities. While the school has bins in place at their facility, Emily Miller felt a need to make them more accessible to the community to help raise awareness on the importance of recycling. You will find bins for Eos products at Spire Credit Union, Colgate oral care (accepting all brands of toothpaste tubes, floss containers and packaging) at the Isle Dentist office, personal care beauty products (accepting lipstick tubes, mascara tubes, pump tops from lotion bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.) at JJ’s Shear Beauty. Isle Hardware Hank has a bin for Febreze products such as air freshener cartridges, plugins, packaging, and Febreze one trigger spray bottles. On your next stop to Thompson’s Lake Country Drug, be sure to bring your disposable razors to be recycled. They will accept all brands, packaging and disposable razor heads. The following items can be recycled at the school. GoGo Squeez pouches and caps, Contacts blister packs and contacts, Arm & Hammer and Oxiclean Laundry soap pouches, L.O.L. Surprize Packaging, accessories and products, #6 Rigid plastic cups (Solo) and not Solo, Popsockets, Swiffer refills, and Bunch O Balloons packaging, balloons, stem, etc.   The ColorCycle program accepts all brands, sizes and types of markers. You may drop your old, dried up markers in the bin at City Hall.   Plant Green offers recycling for ink cartridges. Those items may be dropped off at First National Bank.   For more information on what products can be recycled, please visit the bin locations. Each bin contains an information sheet on what they accept. I will also add information to my webpage on the district website. I want to thank Emily Miller and the area businesses for partnering with Nyquist Elementary on this project and helping to keep our Earth clean and beautiful. I encourage you to start collecting these highly used items and drop them off on your next trip to town. As one person, you may feel that you cannot make an impact, but as a community, we can start to change the world. Now, imagine if everyone in every community participated. Imagine the impact that would make on our environment. I hope you will get out and help save our planet. Afterall, Earth is for everyone.   Guest columnist Melisa Maxwell is the dean of students at Isle Public Schools.

The way we do things is changing so quickly in this crazy world in which we live. As we navigate the ins and outs of our new normal, I want everyone to remember to keep recycling. To do our part in making the world a better place to live, Nyquist Elementary School is part of the TerraCycle, Plant Green and ColorCycle programs. We are trying to save the planet one brigade at a time. We are slowly getting people to recycle the unique items that can be reused and kept out of the landfills.   TerraCycle is a program that not only recycles those hard to recycle items but also offers fundraising opportunities. While the school has bins in place at their facility, Emily Miller felt a need to make them more accessible to the community to help raise awareness on the importance of recycling. You will find bins for Eos products at Spire Credit Union, Colgate oral care (accepting all brands of toothpaste tubes, floss containers and packaging) at the Isle Dentist office, personal care beauty products (accepting lipstick tubes, mascara tubes, pump tops from lotion bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.) at JJ’s Shear Beauty. Isle Hardware Hank has a bin for Febreze products such as air freshener cartridges, plugins, packaging, and Febreze one trigger spray bottles. On your next stop to Thompson’s Lake Country Drug, be sure to bring your disposable razors to be recycled. They will accept all brands, packaging and disposable razor heads. The following items can be recycled at the school. GoGo Squeez pouches and caps, Contacts blister packs and contacts, Arm & Hammer and Oxiclean Laundry soap pouches, L.O.L. Surprize Packaging, accessories and products, #6 Rigid plastic cups (Solo) and not Solo, Popsockets, Swiffer refills, and Bunch O Balloons packaging, balloons, stem, etc.   The ColorCycle program accepts all brands, sizes and types of markers. You may drop your old, dried up markers in the bin at City Hall.   Plant Green offers recycling for ink cartridges. Those items may be dropped off at First National Bank.   For more information on what products can be recycled, please visit the bin locations. Each bin contains an information sheet on what they accept. I will also add information to my webpage on the district website. I want to thank Emily Miller and the area businesses for partnering with Nyquist Elementary on this project and helping to keep our Earth clean and beautiful. I encourage you to start collecting these highly used items and drop them off on your next trip to town. As one person, you may feel that you cannot make an impact, but as a community, we can start to change the world. Now, imagine if everyone in every community participated. Imagine the impact that would make on our environment. I hope you will get out and help save our planet. Afterall, Earth is for everyone.   Guest columnist Melisa Maxwell is the dean of students at Isle Public Schools.

Anyone who walks into my house would probably notice the canvas totes by the front door, the multiple recycling bins and maybe even the drawer packed with plastic bags.   Motivated by climate change and the increased need for sustainable habits, my family continues to make efforts toward creating an environmentally friendly home.   We are by no means perfect, but we have learned a great deal in the process, determining which changes are easier and more feasible than others - and which best suit our household.   Many of the changes were gradual; I didn’t notice that they had become habits until I thought deliberately about our family’s actions and impact. But we choose to make it this way: much of the work my family does to move toward sustainability revolves around making sustainable habits easy. When the environmentally beneficial option is faster, more convenient or accessible, it’s easier to make a better decision and form sustainable habits.   Our trek toward sustainability is still a work in progress, but I’d like to share the changes my family has made so far in the hopes it will inspire others to begin their journey as well.  

HOUSEHOLD CHANGES AND HABITS

  • Reusable-paper box, plastic-bag drawer. Whenever I need scratch paper, I head to our designated box in the living room. Any leftover one-sided paper is placed in the box so that it can be reused by other family members. This system makes reusing paper an easy and beneficial habit. The box itself isn’t fancy; it’s made of a flat gift box, previously used to package clothing. Similar to our reusable-paper box, we have a drawer in the kitchen to store reusable plastic bags, usually leftover from shopping. Tying the bags into knots keeps them from tangling.   • Keep recycling at hand. At the base of each desk is a little recycling bin. We keep our main recycling tub in the kitchen so that people can empty their bins while grabbing snacks or drinks. This also conveniently places the recycling next to the sink for easy disposal of rinsed, empty juice bottles or containers. An actual bin isn’t a requirement, though. I repurpose a mug.   • A sustainable closet. To reduce my closet’s impact on the environment, I focus on rebuilding with each new piece I purchase, rather than splurging on sustainable items. I particularly like brands such as Cotopaxi, Patagonia’s Worn Wear collection, or Rothy’s - they use remnant textiles from other companies or other recycled materials. I buy from companies like these because it’s important to provide a market for items made from recycled materials. Often, sustainable brands have expensive items due to the process of repurposing old material. Buying second-hand is an effective way to reduce one’s footprint and find clothing without breaking the bank.  

INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES AND CITY PROGRAMS

  In our house, replacing old light bulbs with LEDs and choosing low-flow showerheads have been easy ways to reduce our electricity and water consumption because they don’t require behavioral change.   However, replacing all hardware at once with sustainable options is often intimidating due to its expense and logistic difficulties. Our family works toward sustainable architecture and hardware by prioritizing the environment when updating or repairing our house - this usually applies to larger investments.   For example, when our older gas-powered car broke down recently, we invested in an electric vehicle as its replacement. When our toilet began leaking, we replaced it with a low-flow toilet to reduce our water consumption. We find the slow transition toward sustainability manageable.   Below, I list a few hardware changes that my family either has incorporated or is looking into.   • Reducing water consumption. Low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets all can contribute to reducing water use. Also, periodically checking for leaks can both save water and minimize your water bill. Many energy and water providers in the area have rebate programs to encourage sustainable consumption. Silicon Valley Clean Energy incentivizes the switch from a natural gas water heater to an electric Heat Pump Water Heater by offering rebates through its FutureFit Program. Cal Water offers rebates for high-efficiency toilets, clothes washers, irrigation controllers and sprinkler nozzles. The Santa Clara Valley Water District offers rebates for low-water landscaping, greywater system installation, submeter installation and private well installation. For more information on any of these programs, visit the organizations’ respective websites.   • Exploring energy conservation and generation. Switching to LEDs is a quick way to reduce energy consumption, but make sure to dispose of old light bulbs correctly; they’re considered hazardous waste. Los Altos Hardware in downtown Los Altos accepts CFLs and fluorescent tubes.  

LOOKING AHEAD

  I’m proud of my family’s efforts toward integrating sustainability into our daily lives through small steps. But even with what we’ve accomplished so far, we are always looking to improve and would love to do more. That’s why I’ve made a list below of a few actions we’d like to pick up. Hopefully, it inspires you to make a list of your own.   • Plan meals or purchase food mindfully. An immense amount of food waste is produced each year. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that we waste approximately 31% of the food available for consumption, equivalent to 133 billion pounds and nearly $162 billion lost. My family would like to cook and purchase only what we can finish.   • Incorporate compost into our garden. We have a small garden in our backyard, from which we can harvest homegrown kale, basil, mint, strawberries and more. Mission Trail Waste system, our local waste management service, is happy to deliver a complimentary backyard compost bin or worm bin on request; we haven’t yet used this opportunity. They also conduct compost giveaways as directed by the city. My family would love to integrate our home compost system into our garden to make use of the organics we generate.   • Use sustainable toiletries. I’d love to transition to shampoo bars and solid toothpaste, especially because toothpaste containers are often not recyclable (due to their composition of plastic and aluminum) and generate a large amount of waste. Alternatively, I’d be willing to try TerraCycle, Colgate’s Oral Care Recycling Program, where people can ship their oral care product packaging waste. However, I’m not sure if the environmental benefit of a few toothpaste tubes would offset the carbon emissions from shipping the waste itself.  

REFLECTING

  There are always ways to improve, and often it’s hard to know where to start. I suggest having a conversation with your family about which areas of sustainability to focus on.   I recommend choosing and integrating a few behavioral changes into your daily routine, in addition to accomplishing doable tasks sooner rather than later, such as changing light bulbs and showerheads. After a few weeks, reassess your household and have another quick conversation. What did you do well and how can you do better? Don’t forget to celebrate successes.   I do worry about the future of our planet, and my generation’s future. Even though our environmental efforts may not seem like much individually, the cumulative impact of our actions has the potential to save our beautiful world.   If we’re able to control our footprint and the demand of the market by voting with our wallets and action, I believe that we can take on climate change one household at a time.   Audrey Chang is co-president of the Los Altos High School Green Team.

10. CAR SEATS

This one may seem strange, but considering the heavy plastic, textiles, and metal that go into car seats, it only makes sense that (at least some parts) can and should be recycled.   How to recycle car seats:   Various states have recycling programs where you can drop off car seats to be recycled.   Walmart has also partnered with the company TerraCycle to hold car seat recycling events; Target has also hosted its own events. Both companies say they plan to continue.   The carseat manufacturer Clek has its own recycling program.   Where to recycle car seats:   You can drop off your car seat at a local donation point, but the website Recycle Your Car Seat reports that there are still very few of these in the US and Canada.   Is there a cost to recycle car seats?   May vary by location.  

9. TOOTHBRUSHES

  Before it becomes trash, consider which toothbrush you purchase. You can look for one made with materials that are recycled, or renewable (like bamboo). But even if you get a standard plastic toothbrush, these can be recycled, too.   How to recycle toothbrushes:   You can mail toothbrushes to TerraCycle, thanks to a partnership with Colgate. But the company asks for at least 5 pounds' worth (that's about 100 toothbrushes, reports Recycle Nation) per shipment, so you will need to save up your old brushes first.   Your dentist may also have their own toothbrush collection program, so it's worth asking next time you are in.   Where to recycle toothbrushes:   Your dentist's office or a local drop-off point are your best bets — or mail them in to TerraCycle with free shipping.   Is there a cost to recycle toothbrushes?   No.  

8. POTS AND PANS

 

If it is made of metal, then most cookware can be recycled. But your regular curbside pickup may not take these items.         How to recycle pots and pans:   Recycle these along with other scrap metal, which is collected locally. Importantly, you need to first remove nonstick coating, reports the website Pots and Pans.   So you might need to dig around and find a recycler that can do that for you.   Where to recycle pots and pans:   The website Earth911 has a search function for all sorts of different materials. Look up scrap metal to see where you can bring pots and pans locally, or whether your local garbage pickup will take these items. (Mine does, it turns out.)   Is there a cost to recycle pots and pans?   Some drop-off and pickup programs are free, but depending on where you live, there may be charges (or taxes).  

7. SNEAKERS

When your running shoes have completed their last mile, they can find another life as rubber track, turf fields, playground materials, and other athletic equipment.   How to recycle sneakers:   Drop them off at a location run by Soles 4 Souls, or a participating Nike store.   Where to recycle sneakers:   Both organization websites (linked above) have a tool to help you locate the closest drop-off point to you. You can also mail your shoes to Soles 4 Souls with free shipping.   Is there a cost to recycle sneakers?   No.  

6. CLOTHING (AND OTHER TEXTILES)

Donating or selling clothes are great ways to get rid of stuff you no longer wear. But items too well-loved to be worn still have use, too.   How to recycle clothing:   You can deposit old clothes and fabrics at a drop-off box or center near you.   Where to recycle clothing:   The American Textile Recycling Service has drop-off bins nationwide. You can contact them to find the one closest to your home.   Check local recycling programs and farmers' markets, too. Some of them have a regular drop-off station.   You can also mail clothes and fabrics to TerraCycle, for a price.   Is there a cost to recycle clothing?   Drop-off is free, but TerraCycle has a fee based on the size of the box of clothes you send in.  

5. EYEGLASSES

After they go out of style, or your prescription changes, bring your glasses to be recycled.   How to recycle glasses:   Bring used glasses to eyeglass stores or charities that accept them.   Where to recycle glasses:   You can bring old glasses to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, as well as glasses stores, like Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears, and BJ's, reports Pocket Sense.   Is there a cost to recycle glasses?   No.  

4. SHAVING RAZORS

You cannot put your old razors in the recycling bin, but these disposable items are made with dense materials that can be broken down and reused.   How to recycle razors:   The company TerraCycle partnered with Gillette to start a recycling program.   Where to recycle razors:   You can drop used razors at a point near you (TerraCycle has a map of locations), or ship them to TerraCycle.   Is there a cost to recycle razors?   Yes, you have to pay for shipping if you mail in the razors to TerraCycle.  

3. CDS AND DVDS

In the age of music and movie streaming, your aging CD and DVD collection is doing little more than sitting there, gathering dust and nostalgia.   When you are ready to clear them out, you can recycle them.   How to recycle CDs:   The CD Recycling Center of America takes your old CDs and DVDs, shreds them, and turns them into polycarbonate resin to make new stuff.   Where to recycle CDs:   You can mail old discs to the CD Recycling Center with free shipping (their website has a label you can print).   Is there a cost to recycle CDs?   No cost, but the CD Recycling Center asks people to make a small donation  

2. WINE CORKS

After you pop (and drain) that bottle, you can recycle the glass easily enough. But the cork can go somewhere other than the trash can, too.   First, a suggestion: There are tons of ways to upcycle corks around your home (Last Bottle has some sweet ideas). Of course, the wine will likely keep flowing after you have made all the cheese-knife handles and tiny planters you need.     Here's how to recycle the rest:   How to recycle wine corks:   Synthetic wine corks — and screw caps, if you are classy — can be recycled along with your usual household pickup, according to the website Wine Spectator.   For natural, old-school cork, however, you need to find a drop-off point, or mail them in.   Where to recycle wine corks:   The website ReCork has a tool that lets you search by zip code for a drop-off location near you.   If you prefer not to make the trek, you can also mail corks to Cork Club   Is there a cost to recycle wine corks?   No.

BICYCLES

  If you're getting a new set of wheels, don't let the old one go to waste — or worse, rust.   How to recycle bicycles:   Bike shops often have recycling programs that either use your old parts, or refurbish your bike.   If your bike is still rideable, you can bring it to a local charity and give it a second life with someone who needs it.   Where to recycle bicycles:   You may need to look at the local level here, searching your own area for drop-off points. There aren't a ton of national options.   If you live in the Washington, DC area, New York, and Illinois, the organization Bikes for the World has drop-off points.   Is there a cost to recycle bicycles?   The price of being green may vary based on where you live.

Even if you’re diligent about cleaning your empty salad containers and rinsing out metal cans before you plunk them in a paper grocery bag (aka your recycling bin), chances are there are plenty of could-be recyclables that make it into your trash regardless. It’s not that you’re being thoughtless; it’s that, if we’re being honest, knowing what can be reused (and what can’t) is kind of confusing. But it turns out that you can recycle way more than just newspapers and bottles.   No, that doesn’t mean you can just leave your empty makeup bottles and old CDs curbside—that’s because recycling policies vary depending on where you live. Thankfully, there are a few nationwide organizations that will accept the things you can’t just leave in that blue bin, either via mail or at drop-off locations. Here are some of the surprising items that they’ll take:  

Plastic Bags

You try to always remember your reusable grocery bags, but sometimes, you still end up collecting a plastic bag here or there—it happens. The good news is that you can easily dispose of them (and other “plastic film” products like Bubble Wrap, shipping bubbles, and produce bags) in recycling receptacles around your neighborhood. Just search for your zip code at PlasticFilmRecycling.org to find a grocery store or major retailer that accepts them. (For example, Target and Whole Foods both participate). But no matter what, don’t put them in with your other recyclables because they can damage recycling equipment.  

Contact Lenses

Even it’s 1 a.m., resist tossing your contact lenses in the sink or toilet—when you do, they can end up polluting the ocean. The trash is okay, but it still brings them to the landfill. Luckily, there’s an even better solution: Send them over to TerraCycle, an organization that collects recyclable waste (all you have to do is bring it to a drop-off location or, for some items, pop it in the mail). Through its partnership with Bausch + Lomb, the company collects both contacts and blister cases from any brand to properly clean and recycle them.  

Makeup Packaging

Save your mascara wands, and you’ll be saving animals—amazing, right? You can send used, cleaned wands to Wands for Wildlife, an organization that uses them to remove fly eggs and larva from the fur and feathers of animals in wildlife rehabilitation. One thing, though: The group only collects wands during February and October. (Your remaining mascara tubes—and lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and pretty much any other beauty product packaging—can be recycled through TerraCycle.)  

Toothbrushes and Toothpaste

One billion toothbrushes are thrown away in the U.S. each year—that’s a whole lot of nonbiodegradable plastic. Making the switch to bamboo might be a good thing to consider, but for now, you can send worn-down toothbrushes (and empty toothpaste tubes and empty floss containers) to TerraCycle, which, thanks to a partnership with Colgate, ensures they’re recycled.  

All Kinds of Electronics

You probably already know to trade in or donate old phones and computers, but that’s not all the tech that can be repurposed. Google has its own recycling program for its devices, and Apple will also accept tools like printers, speakers, and keyboards. You can also save those scratched-up CDs and DVDs from the landfill through CD Recycling Center of America. And guess what? Those stacks of VHS tapes in your childhood bedroom can go to Green Disk, too.  

Snack Bags

Can’t knock that afternoon snack habit? Don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, make a habit of collecting chip bags until you have a good amount to recycle through TerraCycle’s partnership with Sensible Portions, which accepts clean family-size and individual-size bags from any snack brand. See, your Flaming Hot Cheetos obsession can be turned into a good thing after all.

This industry-first new toothpaste lists and explains each ingredient and its purpose on the front of the pack Packaged in the first tube recognised as recyclable by RecyClass.     Colgate-Palmolive is sharing its tube technology with competitors to help ensure that all toothpaste tubes meet third-party recycling requirements   Colgate has launched a ground-breaking new toothpaste called Smile for Good that contains a minimal number of ingredients and, in an industry first, lists each ingredient and clearly explains its purpose on the front of the pack.   The toothpaste is packaged in Colgate’s first-of-its kind recyclable plastic tube.  

Everything you need, nothing you don’t

  There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the ingredients that make up toothpaste and the purpose each serves.   With nearly three quarters (74%) of consumers more[1] and more invested in the impact that products have both on the planet and their health, Colgate’s Smile for Good Toothpaste sets a new precedent by explaining the purpose of each ingredient in simple language so consumers can make an informed decision.   The ingredients contained within the paste are 99.7% natural and purposefully selected to make the paste optimal for everyday protection.   There are currently two variants – Smile for Good Protection and Smile for Good Whitening, with baking soda known for its whitening properties.   PROTECTION VARIANT

• Water – blends everything together
• Fluoride – protects from cavitie
• Silica – cleans & polishes teeth
• Glycerin – prevents the paste from drying out
• Xylitol & Aroma – makes the paste taste fresh
• Cellulose Gum – gives the right consistency
• Lauryl Glucoside & Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate – foams to reach teeth all around
• WHITENING VARIANT
• Water – blends everything together
• Fluoride – protects from cavities
• Silica** – cleans & polishes teeth
• Glycerin – prevents the paste from drying out
• Xylitol & Aroma – makes the paste taste fresh
• Cellulose Gum – gives the right consistency
• Lauryl Glucoside & Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate – foams to reach teeth all around
• Baking Soda – known for its whitening effect

  *We commit to be open and transparent to empower you to make an informed decision. This formula is responsibly made and the ingredients provide an optimal everyday protection. We believe this is everything you need and nothing you don’t.   **This variant includes High Cleaning Silica which helps restoring the natural whiteness of your teeth   Furthermore, the product is SLS Free and has been certified by the Vegan Society, the FSC, and EcoCert, meaning the formula is responsibly made and most of the components are derived from natural sources.  

A category-first – the recyclable tube

  Almost two thirds of people are not aware that you cannot recycle toothpaste tubes1.   Most of today’s toothpaste tubes are made from sheets of plastic laminate – usually a combination of different plastics – sandwiched around a thin layer of aluminium.   The mix of materials makes it impossible to recycle through conventional methods.   Smile for Good changes this, using High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), the plastic used to make milk jugs and other plastic bottles that is already widely recycled.   Having previously thought HDPE was too rigid to create a squeezable toothpaste tube, Colgate engineers figured out how to combine different grades and thicknesses of HDPE laminate into a tube that meets recycling standards, while protecting the product and holding up to the demands of high-speed production, all while remaining comfortably squeezable.   The tube has recently received recognition from APR (The Association of Plastic Recyclers) and RecyClass (an initiative that works on improving recyclability of packaging) which sets recyclability standards for North America and Europe respectively.   Colgate has also engaged with packaging and recycling stakeholders to build awareness and acceptance of the “ready-to-recycle” tube.   Building on ongoing efforts to help people make small, sustainable changes for the better, including the launch of the Colgate Bamboo Charcoal Toothbrush and TerraCycle partnership, Smile for Good is a way Colgate is improving the sustainability profile of its products to help achieve its aim of 100% recyclable packaging by 2025.   Toothpaste alone accounts for an estimated 20 billion tubes annually around the world, and so Colgate is sharing its innovative technology with competitors as part of its commitment to transform one of the most widely used forms of plastic packaging that up until now could not be recycled.   Noel Wallace, Chief Executive Officer and President of Colgate-Palmolive commented:   “Colgate wants to make tubes a part of the circular economy by keeping this plastic productive and eliminating waste. If we can standardise recyclable tubes among all companies, we all win.   We want all toothpaste tubes — and eventually all kinds of tubes — to meet the same third-party recycling standards that we’ve achieved. We can align on these common standards for tubes and still compete with what’s inside them.”   Mr. Wallace said the decision to freely share the tube technology aligns with the company’s values and sustainability goals.   It also contributes to its ongoing work supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.   The Foundation’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

They’re brushing away their carbon footprint.   Colgate launched a new recyclable toothpaste tube — with toothpaste that the company says has been certified by the Vegan Society.   The product, called “smile for good,” launched in Europe in the U.K., Colgate-Palmolive Co. said in a statement. The company has not announced plans to bring the product to locations outside of that area as of Wednesday.     The toothpaste is made from 99.7% natural ingredients, the company said, which are “listed clearly and explained on the front of the package.”   Parent company Colgate-Palmolive first launched the recyclable tubes under its brand Tom’s of Maine in the U.S. in a November 2019 announcement, with plans to transition packaging to the Colgate brand in 2020, according to a press release.   Colgate-Palmolive announced it would also share the recyclable toothpaste tube technology with competitors, which Noel Wallace, Chief Executive Officer and President of Colgate-Palmolive said is a “win” when standardized across all companies.   “We want all toothpaste tubes — and eventually all kinds of tubes — to meet the same third-party recycling standards that we’ve achieved. We can align on these common standards for tubes and still compete with what’s inside them,” Wallace said in a statement.   Around 1 billion toothpaste tubes are sent to landfills each year, according to climate activist group 1 Million Women.   Most toothpaste tubes are produced using a combination of plastics with a layer of aluminum “sandwiched” in between, according to Colgate-Palmolive.   The new recyclable tubes, however, are made from a combination of High Density Polyethylene plastics — which are used to make milk jugs — the company said in a statement.   Colgate previously established a partnership with TerraCycle — a company that creates national recycling programs — to recycle oral care product packaging and toothbrushes.

The next time you reach into your freezer for a pint of Haagen Dazs Amaretto Black Cherry Almond ice cream, or perhaps grab a bottle of Pantene Moisture Renewal shampoo, you might be putting your hands on something unusual in the world of consumer goods — a reusable container.   More than 150 companies have signed up to work with Loop, an innovative alternative to Amazon where the products ± as well as the box they arrive in — are all shipped back to where they came from.   We are talking reusable here, not recyclable. The cold container for ice cream, as well as the shampoo bottle, are made of durable products and designed to be returned, cleaned and reused dozens, if not hundreds of times.   Loop is the brainchild of entrepreneur Tom Szaky, who created TerraCycle as a Princeton drop out to recycle the food waste from the university dining halls into fertilizer — using worms. His company is now worth $20 million, and he’s branching out.   Customers order their products online from a list of name brand items, all delivered via UPS in a sturdy tote. The empties go back into the tote, which UPS takes back to Loop’s New Jersey processing center. They are cleaned and refilled by the suppliers to be shipped out by Loop again. Even though consumers are buying just the contents, the products cost about the same as those sold in single-use containers — in part to offset the cost of the development and manufacturing of the more durable containers, as well as cleaning and refilling.   Although the selection is limited compared to Amazon, there is still an array of well-known staples to fill up the pantry: Hellman’s mayo; Tropicana orange juice; Colgate toothpaste; Hidden Valley ranch dressing; Tide detergent, among many others — courtesy of some of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Danone, Mars Petcare and Mondelēz International.   Currently, Loop has about 25,000 customers in its test markets in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington, D.C., in the United States, and in Paris, France. But they are in the process of expanding across the United States and internationally, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan. Watch how Szaky says he plans to grow his business into a juggernaut. Loop just recently announced it was partnering with Walgreens and Kroger to start offering its products in stores. So you can perhaps pick up that pint of that Amaretto Black Cherry Almond ice cream and return the container the very next day. Some video imagery courtesy of UPS and Loop.

Sales of environmentally friendly dental care products are steadily on the rise, but as business editor Maria Slade finds it isn’t easy being green. Sorry planet Earth I’ve tried, truly I have, but I just can’t do bamboo toothbrushes. The feel of the rough wooden handles in my mouth is like fingernails on a blackboard. And yet I’m not happy about tossing out a non-renewable plastic implement once every couple of months, either. The website of UK bamboo toothbrush maker MyBambooBrush claims Britons use a whopping 192 million toothbrushes a year. Whatever the veracity of that statistic, it is fairly evident a shedload of petrochemical-based nylon goes into landfills annually as a result of the modern human’s dental hygiene habits. How to care for your pearly whites without adding to this environmental burden is something more and more New Zealanders are thinking about. A recent poll by customer insights agency Perceptive found that a quarter of Kiwis are now using an eco-friendly toothbrush. That figure is even higher among people aged 18-24, and of those who have not yet gone down the natural route 82% would consider giving it a go. But as with most environmental issues, being eco-friendly in your oral care presents a number of conundrums. There is currently no straightforward way of recycling toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes in New Zealand, and many natural toothpastes that are supposedly better for the planet are also fluoride-free, which the dentistry profession warns is a tooth decay epidemic waiting to happen. The Perceptive omnibus survey of 1000 New Zealanders found that of those using an eco-friendly toothbrush 38% are opting for bamboo. The New Zealand Dental Association is fine with bamboo brushes, saying they clean your teeth as well as anything else. Yet as my own experience shows they aren’t for everyone and from an environmental point of view it still involves chucking something in the rubbish. Environmentally friendly cleaning and body products company Ecostore launched an oral care range in 2018. Its toothbrushes are made out of renewable castor oil-based nylon and can be sent back to Ecostore for recycling via its purpose-designed scheme. While overall the oral care category is flat, sales of the new range are growing steadily, the company says. Ecostore R&D manager Huia Iti says it chose not to go down the bamboo route for several reasons. Firstly it prefers goods made from recyclable materials that remain in use rather than disposable items. Ecostore’s toothbrush handles are ground into chips and moulded into spanners which wholesale customers use to open its 20 litre bulk containers, for example. Secondly, bamboo toothbrushes still have a metal staple in the head holding the bristles in place, and that is going into landfill. Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes can’t be put into standard curbside recycling collections, and the Ecostore scheme relies on consumers proactively sending their used products back, Iti concedes. There is no perfect answer. “You choose the best most sustainable option you’ve got and keep making improvements,” he says. “You can’t just sit back and wait until the perfect solution is there.” New Zealanders haven’t embraced natural toothpastes at quite the same rate as they have environmentally kinder toothbrushes, but still the Perceptive survey shows 19% are using a ‘natural’ product and of those who don’t the vast majority would consider doing so. There are a wide variety of products on the market, and one company offering a solution to the packaging dilemma is homegrown startup Pop Care. Its mint-sized Pop Tabs are chewed before the user brushes their teeth, and come in a single tin of 125. While Pop Tabs contain fluoride, many natural dental care products including the Ecostore range do not. Ecostore wants to offer consumers choice, Iti says. “Based on our understanding and interpretation of the science, we have our doubts about fluoride itself and we’ve taken the precautionary approach and decided to avoid it.” The company was forced to amend its claims about fluoride after a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority soon after the launch of its range, however. Rival natural toothpaste maker Grin meanwhile allegedly ran foul of Massey University, with the two organisations disagreeing over use of university research commissioned and funded by the company. New Zealand Dental Association president Katie Ayers says it’s not always made clear that products are fluoride-free, and dentists want to see better labelling so that consumers are aware they may be putting their oral health at risk. “We’re seeing some individuals who have previously had minimal tooth decay suddenly developing a lot of new cavities after they have changed to a fluoride-free ‘eco’ toothpaste, sometimes without realising that their new toothpaste was not effective,” she says. The profession has no issue with products being plant-based or leaving out additives such as sodium laurel sulphate which makes the paste foam. The problem is the absence of fluoride. A recent analysis of studies into the effectiveness of toothpaste was pretty clear, she says. “It basically found if you haven’t got fluoride in your toothpaste you might as well not bother.” The good news is some natural toothpaste products now do contain fluoride, such as Grin’s Natural Whitening and Colgate’s Nature’s Extracts. Colgate is also attempting to address the packaging issue with a recycling scheme in conjunction with TerraCycle, although once again it requires consumers to proactively drop off used goods at a collection point. While the trend towards more earth-friendly oral care is clear and growing, in the medium term the onus will remain on the consumer to do the mahi and research their options. Meanwhile could someone please invent a bamboo toothbrush that doesn’t feel like I’m sanding my mouth?