Toothbrushes and Toothpaste Tubes

  Oral care products and their packaging are made with everything from numbered plastics and nylon to aluminum and steel, and recyclers need to process each of those materials separately — which makes them a no-go for many local programs. If you’ve got the time to research what’s gone into your items and break them down yourself, Earth911 will walk you through how to do it. If you’d rather leave it to the experts, TerraCycle and Colgate offer a mail-in Oral Care Recycling Program.      

Hard Plastic Toys

  Unlike plastic products like food packaging, toys don’t tend to have recycling codes stamped on them (which means it’s difficult to ID their components, and most municipal programs won’t accept them). As the experts at Treehugger note, shelters, child care centers, thrift stores and donation programs are always in need of clean and functional toys; if your items are unusable, consider disposing of them with a Zero Waste Box from TerraCycle.

The November election proved a game changer for the Board of Education, as the balance of power shifted to the Republicans, 5-4.

  Though I’m a frequent flier, I’m embarrassed to say that it took me a long time to identify my “must-have” travel items. A simple suitcase, a bag, and a jacket — that’s all I took with me on flights. It also didn’t matter if the flight was two hours long or seven hours long, a red-eye or a midday affair. Of course, this resulted in some miserable flying experiences, all because I just didn’t take the time to figure out what would make traveling easier for me.   Then, last year, I arrived at the airport for a red-eye flight to Paris with a major headache. I didn’t pack any painkillers (again, unprepared me), so my first stop post-security was a store that would have some. I was waiting to pay when I saw the Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrushes — the person in front of me had grabbed a package of them from the checkout kiosk.   I had never seen them before, but my only toothbrush was in my suitcase, and I was in for a long flight before I reached Paris. Surely, my breath would be terrible by the time I got there (and the copious amounts of coffee I planned on drinking upon arrival weren’t going to help it). So I grabbed a package too.   It was during that flight that I discovered the beauty of the Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrushes. They can be used anywhere, without water or a sink — all you need is the toothbrush and your mouth, and you’re good to go. (That said, I would still recommend going to the bathroom to use it, because you will still look like you’re brushing your teeth, and it’s just polite.)   To use, simply pop the toothbrush in your mouth, and press it against one of your teeth to break the seal on the prepasted toothpaste. I recommend doing this with your back molars, but it doesn’t fully make a difference if you do it with another tooth — have fun with it, you know?   Once you break the seal, you’ll be able to brush with it like a normal toothbrush. Since there’s no water, the toothpaste won’t get as frothy as you’re used to, but your mouth will still take on that minty, just-brushed feeling. Once you’re done with the toothbrush, just toss it. (Even better: The toothbrushes are able to be safely upcycled through the Terracycle recycling program.) These things are single use, making them even more perfect for plane travel — you don’t have to figure out where to store them once you’re finished.   I used to go on full red-eye flights without brushing my teeth, but once I actually started using this product, I realized what I difference it makes. To land at your destination feeling like you’ve just used a real toothbrush wakes you up and readies you for whatever you have ahead of you.   I’ve traveled by plane a lot since that life-changing flight to Paris — often on red-eyes — and not once have I left these Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrushes at home. Each time, I’ve truly found them to be the most convenient and refreshing travel accessory you can take with you on a plane, probably next to straight up water. And, as a bonus, I now always land after flights with nice breath, as opposed to ‘I’ve just spent seven hours on a plane without brushing my teeth’ breath.

Allowing a toothbrush to dry between uses is effective for killing most bacteria that may be on them, however, some strains of bacteria can continue to thrive even in dry conditions. Preventing this build-up of bacteria is an important reason to clean your toothbrush regularly, similar to a dish cloth or sponge. If you’re sick, you may want to clean the toothbrush daily or even twice daily until the illness subsides to avoid re-infecting yourself. Having a member of the family who refuses to keep the toilet lid down while flushing is another great reason to regularly clean your toothbrush (as keeping the lid up allows the fecal matter to spray up into the air and onto surrounding surfaces, like toothbrushes sitting on the sink counter, yuck!). Use one of the methods below to reduce or remove the bacteria on your toothbrush.  

Cleaning the Toothbrush with Peroxide

You Will Need:

 

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Water
• A cup

 

Steps to Clean the Toothbrush:

  1. Put the toothbrush in the cup with the brush head facing down. 2. Fill the cup with enough hydrogen peroxide to fully cover the brush head. 3. Allow the peroxide to fizz until finished. 4. When the peroxide has finished fizzing, the bacteria has been killed and the toothbrush can be removed from the cup.  

Cleaning the Toothbrush with a Denture Tablet

You Will Need:

 

• A denture tablet
• Water
• A cup

 

Steps to Clean the Toothbrush:

  1. Place the toothbrush in the cup with the brush head facing down. 2. Fill the cup with water. 3. Drop a denture tablet into the cup. 4. Allow the denture tablet to fully fizz. 5. When the tablet has finished fizzing, the toothbrush is clean and can be removed from the cup.  

Cleaning the Toothbrush with UV Light

  There are toothbrush holders made now that have a UV light inside and will kill the bacteria on your toothbrush as soon as you store it away in the holder. Doing this can drastically reduce the need to clean your toothbrush, though we do still recommend the occasional cleaning with one of the cleaning solutions mentioned above as well to fizz away debris between that can gather between the bristles (even if that debris is bacteria-free). These devices can be found online or occasionally in some supermarkets.  

Additional Tips

 

• Store your toothbrush in an upright position to allow the moisture to drip down from the brush head so that it has the best chance of fully drying out between cleanings, which will kill many types of bacteria.
• The American Dental Association recommends replacing a toothbrush every 3-4 months as this is the usual amount of time for the bristles to become worn and therefore less effective.
• Clean your used toothbrush, then keep it with your cleaning supplies for tasks like scrubbing grout lines.
• Many toothbrushes can be recycled! Colgate brand toothbrushes can be turned in to the Terracycle program, and other types of toothbrushes may be eligible for recycling through the Preserve program at Whole Foods in the U.S. according to Recycle Nation.  Nylon toothbrush bristles can be pulled out of any type of brush for recycling at an appropriate facility.
• For your next toothbrush, consider buying a bamboo handle brush that can be composted. There are many varieties of this brush available in major supermarkets now (Thank you Colgate!).

It’s been nine months since the startup Loop, brainchild of TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky, took the world by storm with its zero-waste circular delivery service. If you’re like us at TriplePundit, you’re probably wondering how it is doing as it nears the one-year mark. While the company does not disclose its total number of subscribers, Szaky gave a candid update at last week’s Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in New York.

Adding one brand per day

First announced at the World Economic Forum in January, Loop made its initial start with pilots in metro New York and Paris. Ever since, Szaky says, business has been quickly growing. Today, Loop is available in select areas in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington, D.C. It is in the process of expanding throughout the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan, Szaky said. And with comments such as “When is Loop coming to Illinois….I can’t wait!” sprinkled across Loop’s Instagram account, it seems expansion can’t come soon enough for many. Loop’s value proposition is enabling the consumer “to responsibly consume a variety of commonly used products from leading consumer brands in customized, brand-specific durable packaging delivered in a specially designed reusable shipping tote.” When finished with the product, the packaging is collected, cleaned, refilled and reused. There are no monthly membership fees or subscriptions, although customers do pay a refundable one-time deposit to borrow the reusable container. “Loop will not just eliminate the idea of packaging waste, but greatly improve the product experience and shopping convenience,” Szaky said at the launch. The initial coalition included 28 partners such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, Nestlé, Danone and UPS.  Today, the list has grown to 42 partners selling brands such as Häagen-Dazs, Tide, Tropicana and Colgate. Essential to Loop’s success is its ability to offer consumers the same choice they would find in brick-and-mortar retail stores, and the Loop management team knew that quickly scaling up offerings was key. According to Szaky, Loop is now adding approximately one new brand per day. The brands themselves seem to be having fun with new packaging design, such as Procter & Gamble, whose ProPantene shampoo and conditioner containers are emblazoned with “I Reuse….I Love the Oceans.”

Shoppers love ice cream from Loop, but not for the reason expected

While the products do come shipped in reusable Loop containers, critics on social media have pointed out that some of the products that Loop sells—including detergent pods and wipes—contain plastic that is not recyclable. But it turns out that this may not be relevant to the majority of Loop consumers: Only a third of Loop subscribers joined the service based on sustainability concerns, Szaky said; the majority claim to have joined because of the model itself, including its convenience, something that even Szaky found surprising—and, it seems, a little frustrating given his zero-waste zeal. To date, the company says beverages in glass bottles such as Evian and Tropicana have been among the top-selling products among Loop subscribers in France. In the United States, top sellers include Clorox wipes, Cascade dishwasher detergent tabs, Pantene shampoo and Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

A few habits that throw this circular economy model for a loop

Another interesting learning that Szaky shared was that while Loop customers want similar prices for products they would buy in traditional stores, they have not been price sensitive to the deposit fees. “It’s exciting that consumers are willing to temporarily invest in the reusable containers,” he remarked. While temporary, the cost of the containers, in some cases, are not inexpensive. Take two of the top-selling products: The container for Clorox Wipes requires a $10 deposit, while the deposit for the Häagen-Dazs ice cream container is $5. Only time will tell if the model will continue to be successful, especially as more and more companies, from Unilever to Nestlé, pledge to reduce their use of plastic packaging in the next 10 to 20 years. For now, however, this service seems to be a model in high demand.

Think about how much plastic you have in your home. There’s packaging from the Amazon Prime order you got yesterday, plastic shopping bags from the grocery store, yogurt tubs, ketchup bottles — and the list goes on. There’s also plenty of plastic in your body. Citing research published in Environmental Science and Technology, National Geographic reports the average person consumes 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles each year. It’s still unknown how consuming this much plastic affects our health. The world is experiencing a crisis of excess plastic waste, which the International Energy Agency estimates will double by 2030 and quadruple by 2050, according to PRI. Yes, some of it gets recycled, but a large percentage ends up in developing countries, burned, or dumped. Increasingly, we’re running out of places to put it, and the most impoverished nations are shouldering the burden of First-World countries’ excess. The good news is there are many ways to reduce our impact and use less plastic. It starts by better understanding how much plastic we actually consume and where it all goes when we’re done with it.

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere

The United States leads the world in plastic consumption. According to an investigative report by The Guardian funded by The Ford Foundation, the U.S. generates 34.5 million tons of plastic each year. That’s enough to fill the Houston Astrodome 1,000 times. And National Geographic reports that each year, 18 billion pounds of this plastic flows into our oceans from coastal regions. If the trend continues, UN Environment estimates that by 2050, our ocean will contain more plastic than fish. Globally, it’s even worse. UN Environment also notes that worldwide, we produce 300 million tons of plastic waste. That’s almost the equivalent of the entire human population’s weight. It’s hard to wrap your mind around such numbers. And alarmingly, the United States is about to start producing even more plastic. According to S&P Global Platts research, also cited by PRI, plastic production is set to increase by 40% by 2028. Companies are building many of these production facilities close to the oil refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana.

The Problem With Recycling

But plastic is easily recycled. As long as we put it in the recycle bin each week, it’s OK. It’s not like it’s ending up in a landfill — right? On the surface, this sounds like a somewhat reasonable excuse. But when you dig down just a little bit, the truth is much more sobering. The Guardian’s report found that each year, the U.S. ships hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic to developing countries for recycling. But 70% of these countries mismanage the plastic waste. The recycling process is dirty, time-consuming, and performed by locals paid a few dollars a day to hand-strip plastic waste into what’s usable and what isn’t. These countries — which include Bangladesh, Laos, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Senegal — have very few environmental regulations or worker protections. That means workers “recycle” our plastic in increasingly hazardous conditions. One plastic sorter The Guardian interviewed in Vietnam admits she’s afraid of breathing the air. And no one will dare drink the water there. Environmental group Gaia released a comprehensive study in April 2019. It found the people living in the countries that import our plastics are experiencing adverse effects like skyrocketing respiratory illnesses and contaminated water supplies. The photographs in The Guardian and Gaia reports are horrifying and illustrate the stark truth: The United States uses more plastic than any other country on Earth. And this excess consumption is literally ruining the lives of people in developing nations all over the world.

How to Use Less Plastic

The plastic crisis is a grim and depressing reality that affects us all. Making small changes in how we eat, shop, and live will help slow our consumption of plastic and make a big difference over time.

1. Recycle Intelligently

One big problem with recycling is what Gaia calls “aspirational recycling.” Aspirational recycling is throwing all sorts of things into the recycling bin hoping somewhere down the line someone will find a way to recycle it. These items include dirty plastic bottles and packaging, broken toys, plastic grocery bags, dirty to-go food containers, and even used diapers. Plastics labeled No. 1 and No. 2 are in highest demand for recycling. But you need to rinse the containers out before putting them in the recycle bin. And those aren’t necessarily the only plastic codes you can recycle. Make sure you know what your local municipality will accept for recycling and what they won’t. One item you can’t put in the recycle bin is plastic shopping bags. While these can be recycled, they can’t go through a typical facility’s single-stream sorter because they clog the machines. Take these bags directly to retailers for recycling. Walmart and many other large grocery store chains have collection bins at the entrance to recycle plastic shopping bags. Last, check TerraCycle to see which companies they’ve teamed up with to reuse hard-to-recycle items, like juice pouches, guitar strings, and toothpaste tubes. You can send used packaging to TerraCycle for free, and they turn it into new products like backpacks. 2. Avoid Bottled Water Bottled water is an expensive convenience, and the U.S. consumes a lot of it. Beverage Daily.com, an industry trade publication, reports we consumed 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017, a 7% increase from the year before. But CBS News reports that 7 out of every 10 plastic water bottles wind up in a landfill or incinerator. Plastic water bottles also leach microplastics, which we ingest every time we take a sip. Research from the study published in Environmental Science and Technology found that people who drink only bottled water consumed 90,000 microplastics per year, while people who drink only tap water consumed 4,000 microplastics per year. Get out of this cycle by using a reusable water bottle, ideally one made from glass or stainless steel. It’s not always easy to remember to bring water with you, especially when you’re wrangling kids or rushing off to work. Leave some extra empty water bottles in the car to fill up at a restaurant, convenience store, or water fountain. Or leave a note near the door to remind yourself to grab your water bottle.

3. Remember Your Reusable Grocery Bags

In the United States, we consume one single-use plastic shopping bag per person per day on average. That’s 365 bags per person per year. Compare that to Denmark, which consumes an average of four bags per person per year, according to National Geographic. As of 2019, only two states, California and Hawaii, have a statewide plastic shopping bag ban in place. But the movement to ban single-use bags nationwide is growing. Some cities — such as Coral Gables, Florida; Anchorage, Alaska; and Greenwich, Connecticut — have citywide bans on plastic bags. Others, such as Chicago, impose a tax of anywhere from 5 to 10 cents on each bag to discourage use. You can see a full list of which cities have banned plastic bags on Forbes. Switching to reusable bags makes a big difference in your plastic consumption. Reusable shopping bags are inexpensive, especially if you get them on Amazon, and come in a dizzying array of colors and designs. Keep them in your car or purse, and make it a habit to return them to your car or purse as soon as you’re done using them so they’re ready for next time. Or let your kids help you remember to bring reusable bags to the store. Let’s face it: Their memories are often a lot better than ours.

4. Bring Reusable Cutlery

A visit to any fast-food or fast-casual restaurant often means lots of plastic and paper waste, from plates to cutlery. Reduce this waste by bringing your own reusable items, like stainless-steel drinking straws, bamboo cutlery, and a reusable cup. Or bring a set of cutlery you already have at home. Keep your dinnerware in a small bag in your car, purse, or backpack so they’re with you when you need them most.

5. Rethink Oral Care & Beauty Products

Oral care products are hard to recycle because they’re often made from a variety of plastics. Toothpaste tubes in particular can’t be cleaned and often contain an aluminum coating. Bamboo toothbrushes have a bamboo handle, which is compostable, and nylon bristles, which aren’t. However, most plastic toothbrushes aren’t recyclable at all — unless you use Colgate brushes, which you can recycle through TerraCycle’s program. Another option is to use a Preserve toothbrush. They’re made with 100% recycled materials and come with a mailer to send your used toothbrush back to the company for recycling. Many people also use disposable razors, which are mostly plastic. However, an increasing number of companies — like Parker and Vikings — make high-quality safety razors. They’re designed to be used for years and eliminate the need for plastic razors. And that’s just a sampling of the green alternatives to disposable beauty products.

6. Try to Avoid Plastic Clamshells

Some fruits and vegetables come in plastic clamshells. These are hard to recycle because they’re made with different types of plastics. Thus, they end up in a landfill or shipped off to another country. But avoiding plastic clamshells is sometimes easier said than done. So much fresh food comes in these packages, making a visit to the produce section of the grocery store a frustrating experience. But food at farmers markets doesn’t come in clamshells. Use LocalHarvest to find one near you. You can also make different choices at the market, like buying loose fruits and veggies instead of those wrapped or bagged in plastic.

7. Use Reusable Produce Bags & Wraps

Grocery stores keep a ready supply of plastic produce bags for people to carry fresh fruits and vegetables. But why do we need them? Produce won’t get that dirty on the way home, and it gets washed before we eat it, anyway. Skip the produce bags and put fruits and vegetables right into your shopping cart. If that’s inconvenient, bring reusable produce bags, which you can buy inexpensively on Amazon. At home, try reusable food wraps made of cloth and beeswax instead of plastic wrap to store a variety of foods, from fruits and vegetables to sandwiches. They typically last a year under normal use. Read the product reviews carefully, though. There are plenty of options, but the less expensive wraps don’t always hold up well over time. Look into established brands like Bee’s Wrap.

8. Buy From Bulk Bins

Bulk bins make it easy to reduce your plastic consumption. Just bring a jar or bag and have it weighed at checkout. There are plenty of bulk grocery stores in big cities like San Francisco and New York, so finding food in bulk there is usually pretty easy. But if you live in a smaller town or rural area, finding a store with bulk bins is almost impossible. To make it easier, use the free app created by Zero Waste Home to find one near you.

9. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Walk down the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, and you’ll see a sea of plastic. Unless you find a specialty brand that packages their product in glass bottles, avoiding plastic here is almost impossible. But it’s easy, inexpensive, and healthier to make your own cleaning products using ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and lemons. There’s even a way to make DIY laundry detergent, which is more effective and safer than commercial brands. Store your products in glass jars — large Mason jars work well — or a reusable plastic spray bottle. And instead of using a plastic scrub brush to wash dishes, opt for cloth dish rags instead. Plastic scrub pads harbor a ridiculous amount of bacteria. Researchers found an average of 362 different varieties on the average plastic scrubby, according to a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports, and a total of over 5 trillion bugs per sponge. Cloth rags are much cleaner as long as you use a fresh one every day. If you need something with scrubbing power, opt for a cotton and wood pulp Skoy pad, which is completely biodegradable. Another easy way to reduce your plastic consumption is to use bar soap for handwashing rather than single-use liquid soap pumps. Bar soap is less expensive, and if you opt for locally made or natural soaps, they’re plastic-free.

10. Rethink Feminine Hygiene

Feminine hygiene products like pads and tampons contain a lot of plastic that can’t be recycled. However, there are now plenty of options to reduce your environmental impact dramatically. Try using reusable menstrual cups, such as the Diva Cup or Lena Cup. They last five to 10 years and save you $1,000 or more compared to buying disposable pads or tampons over the same timeframe. Make sure you find the right size for your body, though. It’s tricky if you’ve never used one before. The website Menstrual Cup Advice does nothing but reviews on menstrual cups, and they have an extensive Q&A section if you need advice on sizing. Washable reusable pads are also an option for those who don’t feel comfortable with a menstrual cup.

Final Word

Trying to reduce your plastic consumption may feel like a futile endeavor. After all, plastic is everywhere. How much of a difference can one person possibly make when it’s so prevalent in modern society? Yes, it feels overwhelming, especially when you walk into the grocery store and see plastic everywhere you look. But no change, however small, is ever wasted. And when you multiply a single change by thousands or millions of people, it really does begin to make a difference. The key is to avoid the throwaway culture that’s become so prevalent in our society. Simple steps might feel insignificant in light of the mountainous environmental problems we’re facing, but they’re not. If you need some inspiration, check out Beth Terry’s blog My Plastic Free Life. Since 2007, Terry has been blogging about her mission to avoid using plastic in her life. Her website is full of tips to avoid plastics and clever products to help you reduce your consumption. What tips can you share on how to cut down on plastic consumption?

As I write this, the words of Greta Thunberg are reverberating around the world.   Wherever you stand on climate change, I hope everyone can agree hers is a powerful story. A 16-year-old, still a minor, getting up in front of the leaders of the world and clearly giving them a performance review: “You are failing us.” And she did it in English — not her native language.   I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that when I was 16. And certainly not in Swedish.   I am not trying to convince you about whether she is right or wrong. I am simply trying to tell you that she is. She exists. That just happened. And she illustrates the power and purpose of marketing — to get a conversion.  

People Are Lazy and Selfish

  And it’s not necessarily bad. I am. You are. We’re lazy, because it’s an evolutionary trait to conserve energy. And when I say we’re selfish, we’re simply hardwired to act in our best interest.   But …   These human characteristics make the job of saving the world really hard.  

Most People Don’t Want to Save the World, They Want to Save Themselves

  Climate change is a maddeningly complex topic. We’re literally talking about a combination of …   scientific study of the entire planet for thousands of years + an entrenched economic system — hardwired for brilliant, innovative change; yet, challenged by factoring in externalities + change on an such an epic scale that individual impact is difficult to feel x politics   And … oh look, a Kardashian just did something shocking on social media!   Where were we … oh, yes. How do you get humans to focus intently on such a deep problem that you change behavior when there are so many shiny and more fun options out there?   Well, you tell a better story. Thunberg is what Apple was talking about in its legendary “Think Different” campaign. As the ad states, you can “glorify or vilify them.” The most recent AP story about Thunberg talks about how she was both praised and criticized.   Will Thunberg be the one who helps bend that hockey stick of climate change somewhat downward? It’s unfair to even speculate.   But I can tell you her role. It’s marketing. Marketing has a bad rap sometimes, but that shouldn’t come across in a bad way.  

As a Marketer, You Can Save the World

  Or destroy it. But let’s stay positive.   Marketing has that all encompassing power to affect human behavior. Thunberg is a person, of course. Let’s respect that. But she’s grown to be something far greater.   She’s become a narrative. A way for people to comprehend climate change and how they can impact it. An easy-to-understand personification of a complex issue. In other words, marketing. From sailing across the ocean to reduce carbon emissions instead of flying to that speech in front of the UN, she has created a compelling brand. Something for people to pull for and choose to act due to her actions.   Marketing can save the world, because it is the marketers who create these stories. The stories that get people to change behavior. To wear Nikes instead of generic shoes. To spend more for an iPhone. To take their valuable time to attend a webinar.   No matter what engineers create or researchers discover or politicians utter, products, services, and ideas only succeed because people choose them.   So marketing has the power to save the world. To make the world a better place. To have more people choose good.   Marketing is ultimately the optimization of perceived value to help influence that choice. Some examples:  

Example No. 1: Chilean Sea Bass

  I got the idea for this article in a discussion with Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director and CEO, MECLABS Institute, while he was preparing this YouTube Live session filled with conversion optimization ideas for viewer-submitted landing pages.   In it, he discusses how marketing essentially created the Chilean Sea Bass.   Marketing can help with environmental issues by making eco-friendly, but previously unpopular, options more popular in the marketplace (although, that can cause other issues).   For example, as Alexander Mayyasi states in the article "The Invention of the Chilean Sea Bass," “Far from unique, the story of the Chilean sea bass represents something of a formula in today’s climate of overfishing: Choose a previously ignored fish, give it a more appealing name, and market it. With a little luck, a fish once tossed back as bycatch will become part of trendy $50 dinners.”

Example No. 2: Strong Passwords

  In this Wall Street Journal article, "People Need an Incentive to Use Strong Passwords. We Gave Them One," professor Karen Renaud provides a great example of creating a process-level value proposition for creating a strong password (instead of just telling people they should create one)— the stronger the password is, the longer they can keep it before having to change the password again.

Example No. 3: Brushing Teeth

  Why did you brush your teeth this morning?   Let me stop you right there and tell you that you’re wrong. Whatever reason you gave is an attempt to logically explain a societally ingrained habit.   And that habit came into being thanks to headlines and body copy in advertising for Pepsodent made by advertising pioneer Claude Hopkins.   He didn’t just tell consumers they should brush their teeth because it’s the good or right thing to do. He created a value proposition for it by advertising the need to brush teeth to remove a film that builds up on them and “robs teeth of their whiteness.”

Example No. 4: Tesla

  Electric cars did not gain much traction until Elon Musk came along. Public perception was that electric vehicles — or EVs, for short — were akin to wearing a hair shirt. Yes, they kept the air we breathe cleaner, but it was a subpar experience.   Elon Musk changed that by leveraging the inherent quickness of EVs and created objects of desire with Tesla. These weren’t three-wheeled, two-seater econoboxes. These were high-end sportscars to be lusted after.   He did it by cultivating an innovative (and larger than life) persona on social media. By creating cars with tech-savvy features, like a car that turns off and door handles that retract when you simply walk away from the car. He also did it with smart branding — you can buy a Tesla Model X with “Insane Mode” or “Ludicrous Mode” acceleration.   In other words, marketing.   And in so doing, he changed the entire arc of the car industry from a group of companies that simply couldn’t get off fossil fuels to an industry that has invested billions in electrification and sees EVs as the auto propulsion of the future.

Example No. 5: Tom Szaky

  This story is still in progress, but I flag it up to you as an example that is going on right now. Tom Szaky founded TerraCycle with the idea of increasing recycling — especially for hard-to-recycle items that you couldn’t just set out on the curb.   But he didn’t do it by running ads telling you that recycling is good. He partnered with major brands from Bausch + Lomb to Colgate to Tide to leverage their brands and marketing muscle (i.e. co-op marketing) to get the message out to schools and non-profits, encouraging them to recycle in groups in exchange for donations. (And there is your process-level value prop … in addition to making the world a better place, of course).   Now he’s launching Loop, an e-commerce platform in which you can buy your favorite brands in reusable containers by, again, leveraging what is essentially co-op marketing. This small company is trading on some of the biggest and most valuable brands in the world.

'With Great Power There Must Also Come — Great Responsibility'

  The Peter Parker principle. If you are a marketing leader, you have a super power. The power to influence human behavior.   To heal … or to destroy … the world.   Use it wisely.

And help keep it that way

1. A copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up because the first step to a truly decluttered space is actually getting rid of stuff — and this method works for me and lots of other people.

I mean yes, you can also totally watch the Netflix show and learn everything you need to know to get started! But the book's packed with extra motivation and tips. (Although I don't think it's the end-all be-all of how to live, I've used her system for my clothes and shoes, and it really does work.)   (If the whole system seems a little — or very — impractical to you, though, I also recommend Rachel Hoffman's Unf*ck Your Habitat)   Popular

2. A pocketed shower curtain liner that, besides keeping the water inside your shower where it belongs, can hold ALL of your stuff (yes, even if you have a ton of it) BEHIND your pretty shower curtain, removing it from the edges of the tub where it's an eyesore. And with the bottles off the ledges, your bathroom will be extra simple to wipe down on cleaning day, too. 

One of our editors uses this in her shower and loves it — read her review.   Promising review: "I have four boys and a husband and one bathroom that only has a small shower. Every child and adult has their own body wash, shampoo, loofa thing, and adults have razors. That's six people using one small shower that literally has no space to store things. I was afraid this thing would rip with how much crap I was gonna store in it. Nope. It didn't. There is a pocket for everyone plus some. The plastic is like a thick heavy duty better than your average plastic shower curtain liner. The pockets hold up well to daily use and it folds pretty well with all the crap in it as well. Tiny home/large family people need this. People who have a never ending supply of shower things need this. And it all hides behind my decorative shower curtain. :)" —LavoneMoltron    

3. Or if you just know your shower curtain rod a little too well and suspect its tension won't hold with the weight of all your products, a rustproof shower caddy because it has enough space for two people's daily routine and features a locking system (and two lower-third suction cups) so it basically never falls down.

Promising review: "Very well designed! Very functional while maintaining good aesthetics. Comes with rubber clamps if you're storing heavy bottles or the likes so that the caddy doesn't move." —Dheeraj

4. A pack of six stackable clear organizers — they'll divvy up all your drawers so you can a) find everything super easily and b) make the most of every inch of vertical space in your drawers. All of which = way less stuff you have to store out on your cabinet.

You can arrange and rearrange them however you need, and because they're clear, it's easy to find the stuff in the bottom layer — you can simply see through.   Promising review: "These are life saving for clutter. My bathroom vanity drawer has always been a mess and I can never find what I need. This product is amazingly perfect so much so I bought a second set for one of the drawers in the kitchen." —MarolynGentles

5. A nail polish organizer that essentially lays all your color options out like a menu — you'll always be able to see exactly what you have — and lets you stash it cleanly away under the sink, so you don't have to look at it until it's manicure time.

It holds 48 total bottles, 24 on each side, so you can always find the color you want with a single glance. Promising review: "This is better than advertised. Essie, OPI, Pop-Arrazi, Sinful Colors, SH Instadry, SH Triple Shine, SH Xtrreme Wear, Wet & Wild, SH Hard As Nails and Covergirl all fit perfectly; my Julep colors fit two to a compartment! The first row has adjustable dividers, you can use them to keep odd-shaped bottles or do what I do: use one side for my nail stamper, dotting tools, and the drying drops and the other for foam wedges and nail pens. It looks way neater easily tucked under my vanity instead of the baskets and baskets of polishes I had to hunt through!" —Clouds

6. A set of four sepia glass bottles because all your different brands of soaps with clashing labels don't necessarily say ~tranquil, decluttered spa~.

Promising review: "Finally, pumps that are strong and won't easily break. I use these bottles for everything from hand soap (medium thickness), to my personal mixture of hair oils (coconut, neem and tea tree — very thick) and extra rich hair conditioner. All of the mixtures flow easily. The pump also doesn't dispense too much, so you're not wasting product. As for the glass, the color is beautiful, as pictured and it's a good heavy, quality glass." —True-Review   Popular

7. A drain millipede so you can free up the cabinet space you've devoted to stocking drain cleaner (which doesn't work half as well, BTW) because your tub clogs up like, weekly. The millipede is covered in tiny little hooks to grab onto the clump of hair that's preventing your sink or tub from draining well, and yank it all up so water flows freely.

Promising review: "The shower drain has been clogged for months. We’ve tried so many bottles of Draino and other products, but nothing worked. After I saw this product listed on BuzzFeed, I thought I would try it. (It’s less expensive than Draino Max, so why not?) It was incredible how much hair this thing pulled up from the beginning. It look about five minutes and lots of clearing of clumps, but the shower is draining perfectly again! Like some other reviewers have mentioned, it’s best to toss it after use, especially if your drain is as bad as mine was. I’m definitely hooked!" —E. Marlowe Popular

8. And a universal fit–hair catcher for your drain that stops those gross built-up clogs from forming in the first place. Which means you (or those you share a bathroom with) can freely rinse any shed hair to the drain with no worries about clogs, instead of sticking clumps of hair to the wall and leaving 'em there for far too long.

If you live somewhere with a more humid climate (or tbh just a humid bathroom in general), it's probably a good idea to rinse it off and lay it on its side to dry after every few showers or so, to prevent mold — btw, that goes for every hair catcher out there!   Promising review: "I've been very impressed! It's tall enough to fit easily over my pop-up drain and the weighted top keeps it in place, even with my faucet running almost directly on it. I have medium-length hair and seem to shed almost as much as my cat, but the drain protector catches it all and is easily removed and tossed away. Best of all, in my case, the silicone hasn't held onto mildew or mold — I have been able to spray and wipe away any grime with very little effort. It looks like this drain protector will last a very long time." —Suneimi  

9. A few medicine cabinet organizers because they'll let you fit even more stuff behind your mirror (taking advantage of all the vertical space available and freeing up storage space elsewhere) while also ensuring that everything stays neat, orderly, and easy to find.

Promising review: "This fits perfectly on the bottom of my medicine cabinet. It is very sturdy plastic with a great design. I can't believe how many jars, tubes, etc., it has managed to corral. Everything looks so neat! If they make a smaller one for upper cabinet shelves, I'm buying it. Wonderful little product!" —Alex

10. And a little toothbrush holder that can mount directly on the inside of your medicine cabinet (or TBH the inside of any bathroom cabinet), so your brushes are covered, out of the way, and separated from one another, but still quick to grab when you need them.

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Colgate designs the first recyclable toothpaste tube. “Our ultimate goal here is to convert the tube industry,” says Tom Heaslip, worldwide director of global packaging at Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in New York City. Colgate is the first company to successfully design a recyclable toothpaste tube. The tube has gained Critical Guidance Recognition from the Washington-based Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), making it the first oral and personal care tube to earn this APR recognition.   Colgate used APR’s high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle-to-bottle protocol to evaluate the effects of adding a new item to the HDPE bottle recycling stream. Although meeting the bottle-to-bottle protocol was not mandatory to receive the recognition, it provided additional data and displayed Colgate’s confidence that the tube would perform well in the recycling stream, says John Standish, APR technical director.   “This is a groundbreaking activity,” says Steve Alexander, president of the APR. “This is a seminal event in potentially [creating] recyclable tubes across the spectrum. [Colgate is] taking historically nonrecyclable packaging types and setting a standard for others to follow.”   Colgate spent five years redesigning the tube, and now it can be recovered through municipal recycling programs.  

Building a better tube

  Although traditional toothpaste tubes are made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a recyclable plastic, Heaslip says it is nearly impossible to recycle them because an aluminum layer is present. “The layer that is a problem is an aluminum foil core to the laminate that is then surrounded by plastic materials. The combination of the aluminum and the plastic render this nonrecyclable under any normal streams of recycling.”   Designing a recyclable toothpaste tube is not as straightforward as removing the aluminum layer and creating a tube made completely from plastic. Heaslip says all-plastic tubes already exist, but Colgate needed to create tubes that could be recycled within existing recycling streams.   “All-plastic tubes do exist in the market today,” he says. “It’s the challenge of using plastic resins that are compatible with existing recycle streams.”   In the U.S., Heaslip says, that means using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or HDPE.   “We did try PET tubes in the past, but they are not very tube-like; it ends up being more like a very thin bottle than an actual tube,” Heaslip adds. “That is why we settled on HDPE, because it is more naturally made into a tube. The characteristics of the HDPE stream are much more friendly toward performance attributes like consumer hand feel.”   Using LDPE to make tubes ensures the tube is soft and pliable; Colgate was looking for an alternative material that would be able to retain these positive attributes.  

A sustainable future

  Colgate, New York City, works with other companies and organizations that prioritize sustainability to accomplish its own sustainability goals, garner support for recycling and strive for a circular economy.   Ann Tracy, vice president of global sustainability, environmental and occupational health sciences and supply chain strategy at Colgate, says, “We’re committed to using less plastic and more recycled material in our packaging. We’re helping to strengthen recycling by supporting the Closed Loop Fund and other efforts. And we’re exploring new ingredients and models, including TerraCycle’s Loop initiative, for reusable, refillable packaging.”   TerraCycle, Trenton, New Jersey, and Colgate have created a free recycling program for oral care product packaging, including toothpaste cartons, toothbrushes and floss containers. The products are recycled into new eco-friendly products, such as playgrounds and picnic tables.   Closed Loop Partners, New York City, is an investment firm that focuses on building a circular economy. Its Closed Loop Fund provides capital to cities and companies that want to achieve their sustainability goals. In 2014, Colgate became one of the initial investors in the fund.   By supporting these companies, as well as other companies and initiatives, Colgate says it aims to promote a sustainable future.   Because HDPE normally is not compatible with Colgate’s performance standards, Heaslip says the company experimented with different formulas before finding one that provided the necessary elements for consumers to use the product comfortably and for the tube to be recycled successfully.   “The trick was getting the right recipe of resins in order to end up in a structure that felt like a normal toothpaste tube,” Heaslip says. “The first tube we are putting out is nine layers. We are already working on the second generation, which will be 13 layers. As we optimize, we will probably stick between a seven-to-13-layer range. The initial launch will be with a nine-layer laminate.”   Changing the number of layers of HDPE affects the level of protection for the product, the performance of the tube-making and tube-filling equipment and the aggregated resin specifications, which was the basis for the APR recognition.   “Using more layers allows for a greater level of fine-tuning toward optimal performance against our specifications,” Heaslip says.   Although Colgate switched from LDPE to HDPE, he guarantees the product will be just as functional. “When it comes to performance attributes of the tubes, we maintained all of our existing test standards. That was a goal and a priority from the beginning. We did not want to see any negative trend, whether that was in physical performance or consumer reaction to it.”  

Tracking results

  Outside of choosing which resin should be used to create the tubes, Colgate took several other steps to achieve the recyclability standard. Colgate worked with the APR and followed its Design Guide.   “There were several partners that we were actively involved with,” Heaslip says. “First and foremost, the APR, making sure that we fully understood and met all their guidance. Without their partnership and guidance on this, it would have been very difficult to do on our own.”   Alexander explains APR’s role in helping Colgate achieve its recyclable tube. “It is the same role we play for the industry as a whole. If companies are serious about making their packaging recyclable, the APR Design Guide is really the industry standard. If you want your packaging to be recyclable, that is the document you need. We play that role for many companies.”   Colgate worked with the APR for five years to attain its goal. “What [the Design Guide] has allowed Colgate to do over the years, because this was a five-year effort on their part, was give them a benchmark upon which to refer as they developed the package. If they were trying to develop a package so it is recyclable, they would do some work on it and then refer back to the guide,” Alexander says.   Standish says the five years it took Colgate to achieve its goal of a recyclable toothpaste tube was “not unusually long.” He explains, “Technical innovation can be challenging and complex. A consumer packaging product has to meet many demanding criteria to satisfy 100 percent of the technical and consumer requirements.”   To track the tubes throughout the sorting process, Colgate used radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. This allowed the company to know if the tubes got sorted properly at material recovery facilities (MRFs). The tagged tubes were tested at three MRFs in North America. “We tested our two main sizes of our tubes via the APR Size Sortability Protocol. [The tubes] were deemed ‘Preferred,’ requiring a rate at 90 percent or above,” says Anne Bedarf, packaging sustainability manager at Colgate.   “When optically sorted, our tubes were sorted and baled successfully with colored HDPE,” Bedarf continues. “We saw the same with manual sorting systems but also learned that some sorters removed the tubes thinking they were a contaminant. We recognize the need for widespread education and partnership with MRFs and their recycling supply chains, and we are partnering with several organizations to address that need.”   Following the sorting tests, the tubes were reprocessed at an APR-approved lab. “The tubes were reprocessed at up to a 50 percent level—50 percent tube flakes and 50 percent control HDPE bottle flakes—with the yield close to 100 percent,” she says.  

Seeking wider adoption

  Alexander explains that Colgate’s recyclable tube creates the opportunity for other companies to follow suit. Prior to Colgate’s accomplishment, no precedent had been set.   Now, other toothpaste tube manufacturers can follow the same steps Colgate did. “There is no more excuse for people to say that they are making tubes that are not recyclable,” he says.   “The full intent is that this is not just a Colgate project, but we are working to get all tubes converted,” Heaslip says. “We are fully engaged with the industry with the full intent on working with our competitors in a precompetitive nature to evolve the whole industry to get to this point.”   Even though Colgate has set a standard, other brands and companies might not be ready to take that step. Therefore, Alexander says, it is crucial to alert consumers that not all tubes are recyclable.   “We certainly applaud and encourage what Colgate has done, but we have to make sure the message gets out that not every tube is recyclable. Otherwise, you are going to be throwing tubes in, and it will be contaminating the stream even more. And that is what recyclers don’t need; they don’t need more contamination,” he says.  

Expanding its plans

  Going forward, Heaslip says Colgate plans to continue its sustainability efforts. “For 2020, we have three commitments. One is 100-percent-recyclable packaging in three of our categories: personal care products, home care products and pet nutrition products. We will have 50 percent recycled content. We will be using zero PVC (polyvinyl chloride),” he says.   By 2025, Heaslip says Colgate’s oral care packaging will be added to its 100-percent-recyclable goal, expanding it to the company’s entire business.   The author, based in Cleveland, interned with the Recycling Today Media Group.

We used to be able to sell our waste, but now nobody wants it – some places are even shipping it back to us   By Morf Morford Tacoma Daily Index   It would be easy to make the argument that people have always recycled.   Who doesn’t have parents or grandparents who save or re-use jars, containers or egg cartons?   How many of us remember a childhood where it was common to pick up or return soft drink bottles to a local grocery store?   Anyone still have milk delivered in a box on your front porch?   You can still buy milk at a few stores in glass bottles that can be returned for a deposit.   And how many of us, especially in Tacoma, religiously bring reusable bags with us each time we go grocery shopping?   And what about big stores like Costco that reuse boxes instead of using shopping bags?   Since so many of us have recycling as an almost ingrained habit, why is it a problem?   Why is garbage ending up in our oceans and waterways at record numbers, choking fish and wildlife and even, at the micro level entering our food chain in everything from salt (1*) to salmon?  (2*)   Some even say that nano-particles of plastic are in our blood.   You would not think picking up after ourselves would be so difficult.   And most of us would never imagine that so much of our garbage not only is not recycled but ends up in our food and water.   Even most of what is, at least by most of us, recycled, ends up in the waste stream. And like any stream, the waste stream keeps moving.   Some companies – and some entire countries – are taking on recycling in a serious way.  (3*)   And they need to – especially when it comes to plastics. By several estimates, if we continue our current practices, by weight there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.   Only about 5% of plastic is recycled. The rest ends up just about anywhere.   There are a couple of problems with plastics that set them apart from any other garbage; first, they are just about everywhere – and on (or in) everything from shoes to food and drinks. Ever try going a day without handling plastic products? I can’t do it.   Another problem is that many of these plastic products are so convenient that we can’t imagine life without them.   What would replace plastic produce bags for example? Or shrink wrap on all kinds of products from fresh produce to industrial and building products?   Yet another problem is that there are many kinds of plastic designed for very specific uses – and that require a completely different recycle strategy.   Toothpaste tubes for example, are very different from other types of plastic. We all use them, but what should we do with them?   It turns out that Colgate has a program to reuse all tooth related products from toothpaste tubes to toothbrushes and floss containers. You can find more about their program here – https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/colgate#how-it-works.   On a nationwide level, South Korea, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland have overall recycling rates above 50%.   The USA, nationwide has a recycle rate of about 35%.   If you want to check out a film documentary on the ever-presence of plastic, you can use most public libraries to see one here.   Better than recycling is the re-use of containers. Some stores allow you to bring in and use your own containers. Here’s a partial list of stores in Washington – https://www.litterless.com/bulk-food-guide/washington.   We used to sell our plastic waste to several countries, but that was when we were a bit more diligent in our screening of what went into our recycle bin. Now, no one wants our garbage, and some, like Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines are even sending it back.   To see more on what happened to recycling and what to do about it, I recommend this article (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/17/recycled-plastic-america-global-crisis) or this one (https://www.homepreservationmanual.com/who-killed-recycling-in-america/).     To keep updates on Tacoma recycling policies, keep an eye on this website -https://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_departments/environmentalservices/solid_waste/recycling.   When it comes to paper for example, you can recycle newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phone books, clean paper bags (handles are OK; remove receipts), white and colored paper (lined, copier, computer; staples are ok), mail and envelopes (any color; window envelopes are ok)   Do not include: Paper towels; napkins; coffee cups; paper plates; wet, greasy, or soiled paper; paper with wax or plastic coating – these are not recyclable and should go in the garbage.   In short, do what your momma always told you – clean up after yourself.