Your old blocks and bricks could become park benches.   Mattel today launched the Blocks and Bricks Recycling Program and entered a partnership with TerraCycle for consumers to recycle Mega Bloks, Mega Construx, and other non-electronic Mega toys to create new products in Canada.   At no charge, you can send in your Mega toys to be recycled using prepaid shipping label. Interested schools, offices, and community organizations are also welcome to participate. When received, TerraCycle will clean the blocks and bricks, melt them into hard plastic, and remold them to make new products from the recycled materials. New items include playgrounds, picnic tables, and park benches.   Earlier this year, Mega released a new line of building products made from plant-based materials. As part of the line, all products come in Forest Stewardship Council-certified packaging that is fully recyclable.   “Our plant-based blocks were the first step towards creating a more sustainable future and we are excited to continue the momentum as we believe that with every step, together we can make an impact,” said Bisma Ansari, senior vice president of Mega. “By teaming up with TerraCycle, we are providing builders a more sustainable option to dispose of their well-loved toys and the ability to recycle our toys for free. We are very proud to continue our commitment towards a greener planet, one block at a time, as we build a brighter tomorrow together.”   Visit terracycle.ca for more information on this initiative and TerraCycle’s recycling programs.

MEGA™ Unveils Free Nationwide Recycling Program To Give New Life To Old Toys    TORONTO, April 16, 2020 /CNW/ - MEGA™, a leading construction toy brand, announced today a partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle®. This partnership will recycle used Mega Bloks®, Mega Construx™ and other non-electronic MEGA™ toys to create new products in Canada.     Through the Blocks and Bricks Recycling Program, consumers can send in MEGA toys to be recycled at no charge to the consumer. Participation is easy: consumers can sign up on the program page at www.terracycle.com/blocks-and-bricks-en-ca then mail in their blocks and bricks using a prepaid shipping label that can be printed at home. Once collected, the blocks and bricks will be cleaned, melted into hard plastic and remolded to make new products from the recycled materials, which may include playgrounds, picnic tables and park benches, to name a few. The Blocks and Bricks Recycling Program is open to any individual, school, office, or community organization interested. "MEGA is giving builders of all ages a unique opportunity to divert waste from landfills," said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle's founder and CEO. "By collecting and recycling items that are typically not recyclable through municipal programs, consumers are given the opportunity to think twice about what is recyclable and what truly is trash."   Earlier this year, MEGA released a new line of building products made from plant-based materials. As part of the line, all products come in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified packaging that is fully recyclable.   "Our plant-based blocks were the first step towards creating a more sustainable future and we are excited to continue the momentum as we believe that with every step, together we can make an impact," said Bisma Ansari, SVP of MEGA. "By teaming up with TerraCycle, we are providing builders a more sustainable option to dispose of their well-loved toys and the ability to recycle our toys for free. We are very proud to continue our commitment towards a greener planet, one block at a time, as we build a brighter tomorrow together."   For more information on this initiative and TerraCycle's recycling programs, visit https://www.terracycle.ca.   About Mattel Mattel is a leading global children's entertainment company that specializes in design and production of quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends™ and MEGA™ as well as other popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world's leading retail and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.   About TerraCycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in Fortune magazine's list of 52 companies Changing the World. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.ca.

Last February, ELLE editors along with a team of experts reviewed hundreds of submissions for our thirteenth annual recognition of the best in eco-friendly and sustainable beauty. From Dove’s bottled products, now made from 100% recycled plastic packaging, to French heritage brand Guerlain’s goal to help save a billion bees in the next ten years, the 2020 Green Beauty Stars not only deliver results, they also leave a lighter footprint on the planet in the process.

While the COVID-19 crisis has drastically changed the current state of our world, its future remains in the balance making these beauty brand’s efforts to be more sustainable all the more critical. The need to treat each other and the planet with kindness is now.

Serum, blush, hair mask: when the time comes to get new beauty products, you always know where to go. But when they are finished, do we really know how to dispose of them?   Each year, the cosmetic industry produces 120 billion packaging units, of which 2.7 billion plastic containers end up in landfills. "The complex design of beauty products makes them difficult to recycle," says Alex Payne, public relations manager for TerraCycle. This is why the environmental organization has been collaborating with many beauty brands - including L'Occitane en Provence, Burt's Bees, Weleda and DECIEM - for ten years to facilitate the recovery of these particular products, through various programs. collection. "Depending on the brand, consumers can send their cosmetics by post free of charge or go and wear them in stores," he explains. TerraCycle does the rest. Whether we go through this type of program or through its municipal recycling system, the goal of our consumption is to understand what is recycled (or not) and how we can get there. From the actions to adopt to reduce our environmental footprint to the list of companies that advocate a zero waste philosophy, there is indeed green at the end of the tunnel.  

4 actions to adopt for an eco-responsible beauty routine

1. Look for zero waste products.

  From conditioner to facial scrub, more and more personal care is offered without packaging.   2. Small containers = perfect for the plane!   Is our eye cream finished? We collect the jar and fill it with our favorite moisturizer on our next trip: it will fit perfectly in our hand luggage!   3. Avoid single-use products.   Although practical, they are a real scourge for the environment. We swap our disposable makeup remover pads for a machine washable set. We leave the masks in individual format and choose the good old version in a jar (preferably in glass).   4. Favor large formats and bulk products.   It is a gesture not only economical, but which considerably reduces our consumption of plastic.  

Recyclage 101: which product goes where?

  These major lines are memorized to transform the once tedious recycling chore into child's play. Please note: the packaging of beauty products that cannot be recycled in our municipality can often be recycled through TerraCycle. We go to his site ( terracycle.com ) to get the correct time.   Plastic bottles   "All plastics are recyclable, except those on which the number 6 is stamped [figure found in a small triangle under the packaging] and on which there is nothing indicated", underlines Jean-François Lesage , planning advisor in the Direction of residual materials management of the City of Montreal. He reminded us that we have to clean our containers for hygienic reasons before sending them to sorting centers.   Pumps and pipettes   They do not recycle. So, if one of our products has one of these tips, we unscrew it and dispose of it before putting the container for recycling!   Makeup   As the cases of our cosmetics are often made of several materials that are difficult to separate from each other, they generally do not recycle. "Laminated tubes [a type of flexible plastic packaging often used for foundations and make-up bases] are also not accepted," says Jean-François Lesage.   Mascara   The tube, too difficult to clean, does not recycle. The brush is washed in soapy water and sent to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge ( appalachianwild.org ), an organization in North Carolina that uses it to clean the fur of small, vulnerable animals.   Aerosols   As a safety issue, they cannot be recycled through the usual municipal recycling system. "Aerosols and pressurized containers can explode if they are heated or punctured," says our expert. We do not despair! They are accepted in eco-centers and when collecting hazardous household waste.   Makeup brushes   Like makeup cases, brushes do not mix with recycling because of the range of materials that make them up (plastic, metal, bristles, etc.). Before saying goodbye to them, we probe our surroundings to find out if a friend might need them, or we give them a second life by adding them to the children's artist's kit or using them as nail brushes, for example!   Glass containers   "Glass is fully recyclable and can be repeatedly collected without ever affecting its quality," said Alex Payne of TerraCycle. It makes it one of the most eco-friendly materials. ” Warning! In the case of a perfume, we make sure to separate the bottle from its atomizer, since the latter does not recycle.   Nail polish   Since the containers are almost impossible to clean, they cannot be recycled directly - they are part of the category of household hazardous waste (HHW). So we bring them to the ecocentre nearest to us.   Cleansing wipes   Unless they are biodegradable - we could then compost them - they take the garbage path.  

"Pamper the next one"

  If for various reasons (an impulse purchase, perhaps?) Unused products clutter our pharmacy, we turn to organizations for women in need. One thinks in particular of the Fairies Marraines ( feesmarraines.ca ), which give the necessities to the teenagers coming from underprivileged environments so that they can put themselves beautiful for their graduation, or The stuff of success ( dressforsuccessmontreal.org ), which supports women in difficult situations who wish to (re) enter the labor market.  

An app to facilitate recycling

  Last spring, the company RECYC-QUÉBEC launched the application C'est va Où? The objective: to clarify, according to our municipality, which products are intended for the trash, the recycling bin or the eco-center. The information remains summary, so if question marks persist, we complete our search on recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca.   The article 4 gestures to adopt for a responsible beauty routine appeared first on Elle Quebec .

Sweat the small stuff

Investment research firm Corporate Knights has released its list of Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. To do it, data scientists sift through financial and ecological data on 7,500 organisations in the $1 billion-plus revenue club. [1] Leading the way with ‘clean revenue’ from sustainable products is bioscience company Chr. Hansen. More than 80% of its money comes from natural solutions that preserve food, protect crops and remove the need for animal antibiotics. [2] Its ‘good bacteria’, for example, help stop food waste by making fresh products last longer. In Europe alone, these magic microbes reduce around 440,000 tonnes of yogurt waste. [3] Buy or cook too much food? You can share excess food with people in your neighbourhood with apps such as OLIO.  

Fashion faux pas

In second place on Corporate Knights’ list is Kering SA, which owns fashion houses Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen. By sourcing more than 40% of its products from certified sustainable sources, Kering is acknowledging the huge toll fashion takes on the environment. [4] New lines, synthetic fibres and the strain on crops like cotton all pollute the environment. So much so that experts say fashion consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined. [5] Thankfully, more brands are waking up to the damage. High street favourite Zara has promised to sell only sustainable clothes by 2025 – using organic, sustainable or recycled materials. In 2019, the retailer announced you can bring in unwanted Zara clothes to its stores to recycle – and take home new purchases in paper carriers swapped for plastic bags. Follower of fashion? Consider a capsule wardrobe – a collection of basic but high-quality clothes you can mix, match and update with seasonal accessories. It’s simple, stress free and kinder on the environment.  

Plastic fantastic

Our oceans are so polluted that scientists predict there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050. [6] That’s why many clothing brands are giving plastics a second life as trainers, jackets and swimsuits. One brand riding the refurb wave is Patagonia. It recently revamped its long-sleeved Tshirt into a ‘Responsibili-Tee’ made from 4.8 plastic bottles. [7] Refreshingly, Patagonia is transparent about the products that aren’t so eco-friendly . And that includes clothing made from synthetic materials – and repurposed plastic. The microplastics found in synthetic textiles such as nylon, acrylic or polyester break down when we wash them. Just one washload of polyester clothes releases 700,000 microplastic fibres into the environment. They harm vegetation, animals and, eventually, us, as they sneak up the food chain. That’s why Patagonia labels all clothing made from synthetic materials with information on how to care for them and help reduce microfibre shedding. Looked at the label? As well as choosing clothes made from sustainable materials, you can place synthetic garments such as running tops and yoga pants in a filter bag. These bags help reduce the flow of microfibres into your drain.  

Smart packaging

You can’t recycle the thin, crinkly plastic found on ready meals or the brittle plastic of takeaway containers. In response, Stasher has invented a range of reusable storage bags you can take to the shops and store fresh food when you get it home. It makes packs from non-toxic silicone you can wash in the dishwasher and zap in the microwave. [8] TerraCycle is another company that makes a business out of reusables. It collects and recycles the problem plastics most authorities won’t touch – including coffee capsules, pens and plastic gloves. And it recently released a service called Loop, which lets you buy your favourite products online or in some stores (including food, beauty and cleaning products) in special packaging, which it collects, washes and re-uses. Unsure what to bin? See which plastics you can and can’t recycle in the Sustainability Guide.  

Homes of the future

  One of the problem plastics we can’t recycle is straws. In 2018, furniture giant Ikea displayed its 'Last Straw' at the Design Museum, London. (It now uses recyclable paper straws.) But it’s not all publicity stunts. To date, Ikea has spent $1 billion on wind farms, solar panels and sourcing wood from more sustainable locations. The company's on-track to use 100% renewable energy. [9]   And Ikea is helping customers become eco-friendlier with:   §  Induction cooktops 50% faster and more energy efficient than ceramic or radiant heat hobs.   §  Lightweight and space-saving drying racks that reduce electricity bills and wear-and-tear from tumble drying.   §  Energy-saving blinds which insulate and help reduce heating costs by up to 20%. Cushions are covered, too. Ikea has pledged to use only up- and re-cyclable materials in its textiles by 2020. [10] A smart meter helps you track your energy use and find ways to reduce consumption. Discover more ways to go greener at home. Arguing the case for a more sustainable workplace? Corporate Knight’s research found that sustainable companies:   §  Live longer. The average age of companies on the list is 87 years compared with the MSCI All Country World Index (ACW I) average of 63. §  Have happier investors. Between 2005 and 2018, top 100 companies made a net investment return of 127% compared with 118% from ACW I firms. §  Have better pay equality. The top 100 have a lower CEO-to-average-worker pay ratio than average (76:1 vs 140:1). So, profits are spread more equally across the organisation. References [1] ‘2019 Global 100 results’ (2019). Available at: https://www.corporateknights.com/reports/2019-global-100/2019-global-100-results15481152/ (accessed 18 September 2019). [2] Karsten Strauss, ‘The Most Sustainable Companies In 2019’ (2019). Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2019/01/22/the-most-sustainablecompanies-in-2019/#4f14039a6d7d (accessed 18 September 2019). [3] Ibid. [4] Holly Johnson, ‘Green leaders: The world’s most sustainable companies in 2019’ (2019). Available at: https://www.theceomagazine.com/business/innovationtechnology/worlds-sustainable-companies-2019/ (accessed 18 September 2019). [5] Ian Tucker, ‘The five: ways that fashion threatens the planet’ (2019). Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jun/23/five-ways-fashion-damages-theplanet (accessed 18 September 2019). [6] Ellen MacArthur, ‘More plastic than fish in the sea by 2050’ (2016). Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-seaby-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur (accessed 18 September 2019). [7] Emma Henderson, ‘10 best brands turning recycled plastic bottles into clothes’ (2019). Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/fashion-beauty/bestbrands-turning-recycled-plastic-bottles-into-clothes-a8774446.html (accessed 18 September 2019). [8] Whitney Jefferson, ‘25 Eco-Friendly Brands You Can Feel Good About Spending Your Money W ith’ (2019). Available at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferson/green-ecofriendly-stores-shops-business (accessed 18 September 2019). [9] Kim Speier, ‘6 Eco-friendly Brands That W ill Inspire You to Go Green’ (2016). Available at: https://www.mainstreethost.com/blog/eco-friendly-brands/ (accessed 18 September 2019). [10] Ellen Scott, ‘Ikea will only use recycled polyester in textile products by 2020’ (2019). Available at: https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/06/ikea-will-use-recycled-polyester-textileproducts-2020-9834231/ (accessed 18 September 2019). [11] Karsten Strauss, ‘The Most Sustainable Companies In 2019’, (2019). Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2019/01/22/the-most-sustainablecompanies-in-2019/#4f14039a6d7d (accessed 18 September 2019).

Who were the first entrepreneurs you knew? Not family, but friends and peers. I asked myself this recently and quickly came up with a list.   So I emailed my friends and peers and asked: “What do most people not say about being an entrepreneur, but you need to know anyway?” and “What words of advice would you have for your younger entrepreneurial self?”   The response was immediate and overwhelming. Too much to include it all here, in fact. But it says a lot about them and entrepreneurs, in general. They’re the busiest people I know, but they take time to help others.   You will know some of these companies, maybe even some of the founders. Except for one, none of them lives in Victoria, and most of them I’ve known for at least 25 years. Hopefully, that combo makes for fresh yet proven perspectives.   Here is some of the valuable advice they shared with me …   “It took a heart attack in 2019 to realign my focus. Place a priority on your connections, so you can remain present for your personal community (yourself, friends, family and networks).”    — Darsh Thomsen built WaxSeals.com (now Artisaire) into a global leader.       “You have to plant seeds every single day. There is no magic. It is consistency. For this consistent effort, you have to love what you do. You need a purpose and a why.”   — Sue Henderson started Suetables, a line of personalized jewelry, in 2004. Today, her clientele includes moms, movie stars and Meghan Markle.       “Many first-time entrepreneurs believe they can do everything. My experience as an entrepreneur and VC is you will never be successful on your own. It’s about learning to give up that control and trusting others to do things better than you.”    — Amy Jurries left venture capital to launch The GearCaster and Skeleton Key Media.   “I would tell my younger self to establish a team of advisors who can help navigate you through the process. You don’t have to do it alone. There’s never any shame in asking for help.”   — Jennifer Bassett has created one of Canada’s premier luxury event management companies, Bassett Events.   “Business is always evolving; evolve with it. Don’t be afraid to do things differently in your industry; there is always a better way.”    — Ian Heaps is CEO of Blundstone Canada and a consummate entrepreneur.   “Your first mistake is your least expensive. If an idea isn’t unfolding the way you hoped, you need to pivot rather than sink more resources into it out of a sense of commitment. We liken it to the feeling of obligation to finish a book when you aren’t enjoying it … Perseverance can be a great quality and also your downfall.”    — Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe are the founders of the Canadian fashion label Smythe, whose fans include a couple of royal duchesses too.   “One of the biggest gifts of being an entrepreneur is the freedom of how we choose to spend our time, so give yourself the gift of making your kids a big priority.”    — Kristi Herold founded the Sport & Social Group, one of the first and largest clubs of its kind in North America.   “One of my previous investors told me, the best ideas are the simplest ones. I don’t believe that. To create something meaningful, you need to take on something pretty hard and complicated. I do believe, however, you need to find something hard and complicated you can make incremental progress on … You don’t ever want to work on a problem without executing against paying customers.”    — Jasper Malcolmson is CEO and founder of the renovation technology company, Skylight.   “I would tell myself to stop thinking and try to … develop my service or a prototype of my product and just start selling it … then honour the learnings (mostly failures) and pivot, pivot, pivot.”    — Tom Szaky’s latest venture is the global circular shopping platform Loop, which delivers products in returnable/refillable containers from partners like Unilever and Nestleì.   “I never sugarcoat this with new entrepreneurs who are lining up for slaughter. Are you an artist or entrepreneur? Do you want to have a hobby or a real business? Are you chasing fashion or will your product sell forever as it is? If you can design something once and sell the exact same product for more than 10 years, you’ve hit a home run.”    — Dax Wilkinson’s company, Red Canoe National Heritage Brands, creates apparel and accessories honouring iconic Canadian and global brands.   “If you think you have to be doubtless to be an entrepreneur, then your first doubt will cause you to fail. The only way to survive self-doubt is to plow ahead.”    — Dorrian Porter is CEO/founder of Vestaboard, making beautifully reimagined split-flap displays (think “smart” European train station boards).       SARAH “I spent the first 20 years of my career thinking that being a woman gave me incredible opportunities. To some degree that’s true, and I am extremely proud of the unique position I have built for myself. But the unfortunate reality is, I’m still fighting for every penny and negotiating to prove my value against my male counterparts. So to my younger self I’d say: ‘You can do it. But you better be strong, confident, optimistic and unbreakable if you want to succeed!’”   ALEX “No one warned me about how much time you really need to commit to succeed. It’s very satisfying when things start to click, but never underestimate the effort you’ll need to put in to get it there. (Whatever anyone tells you, double it!)”    — Sarah Richardson and Alex Younger have more than a few ventures together (in addition to their family!), like Design Lab and the Sarah Richardson Design media empire.       “Dear Young Selves, Do you remember feeling the three of you might be missing out by not engaging with other retailers, turning down developers’ cocktail parties, and feeling that studying trends was a bit too much like looking in a rear-view mirror? Isolating, yes; but it gave birth to inspiration. It was protecting your crazy ideas from the naysayers; putting up a wall between developers and yourselves to protect those who placed their trust in you; and, finally, giving the customer what you knew they wanted … before they even knew it themselves. Because you knew and that was all that mattered. It was good to trust your gut, be guided by your moral compass and be the ultimate disrupter for the time. Thanks for staying true to your ideals. We are very happy.”    — Margot Franssen, Betty-Ann Franssen and Quig Tingley, helped create a new retail category by founding The Body Shop Canada in 1980.   Jim Hayhurst is a trusted advisor to purpose-driven organizations. He is currently active in six companies and social impact projects that elevate Victoria’s reputation as a hub of innovation, collaboration and big thinking.   This article is from the April/May 2020 issue of Douglas.

When operators talk about waste, the first item that comes to mind is food. But there are plenty of other wasteful avenues anyone interested in creating a zero-waste establishment can explore. The challenge for many is knowing when and where to invest and, more often than not, they’re not seeing the whole picture, according to industry experts. “One hard idea to reconcile is operators are typically dealing with waste when it happens and factoring that into their costs,” says Josh Wolfe, corporate chef and director of Sales – Ontario for Food Service Solutions Inc. in Mississauga, Ont. “That’s a bit of a backward approach.” He likens it to the notion of defensive driving. “You can learn how to brake when sliding on ice or get out of dangerous situations. Or you can anticipate what’s around you and put your focus on keeping the right distances or slowing down when conditions are bad. If you do that, you won’t need to take corrective measures.”   Equipment can serve the same preventative purpose, he says. “There are a few processes that can come into play to help treat food differently to mitigate waste. In North America, we cook and serve and hot-hold food so it’s ready quickly. That’s outdated. Cook-chill is the way to go. It’s a much better process with the right combination of equipment.” That combination would typically include a blast chiller, vacuum sealing (to preserve food longer) and a combi and/or rapid-cook oven. “With cook-chill, you can buy large cases of proteins, apply cooking methods such as sous vide or a combi oven — both of which work hand in hand with the chiller — and finish items when ordered. You reduce waste and service time and you no longer have to pre-anticipate because you’re cooking precisely what you need.” Not only can operators reduce food waste, intelligent appliances only use energy when it’s required, he says. “They also help reduce waste through human error because they can be programmed to cook things consistently with little training.” Leaning more on technology can play an enormous role in reducing waste on many fronts, Wolfe notes. “There’s a new DRY AGER cabinet, for example, that manages its own moisture. Instead of losing 25 per cent of volume, dry-aging loses less than 10 per cent. That saves a tremendous amount of waste and increases revenues.” One other discipline chefs need to consider is quantifying their waste and its dollar value, he adds. “It’s easy to do that with labour and is measurable up front.” For Andrew Shakman, president and CEO of Leanpath in Beaverton, Ore., zero waste is all about measurement and analytics. “Historically, there’s been no easy way to measure food waste. In fact, it’s the most undermanaged part of most foodservice operations.” Leanpath’s food-waste equipment platform combines intelligent scales, cameras and touchscreen devices with cloud-based analytics and tools. “This equipment is about driving awareness and changing behaviours in kitchens. Waste reduction occurs when people are making smarter decisions on what they produce and serve. You can only do that when you operate from an informed position.” Even if you don’t look at the data, the improvement is almost immediate. “Having control-systems equipment people can see helps shape a kitchen’s culture and behaviour.” IKEA Canada began working with Leanpath’s food-waste tracking program in December 2018 as part of its global mandate to reduce food waste by 50 per cent by 2020. It reached the 31-per-cent mark within one year of implementing the program, reports Melissa Mirowski, Sustainability manager, IKEA Canada. More than 94,000 kgs. of food waste have been saved since the program started — the equivalent of approximately 200,000 meals. “With the program, we’ve been able to track all food waste in real time. The data is automatically updated onto the Leanpath platform where co-workers can see what is wasted, how much and why. The predictive reporting helps us identify ways to prevent waste through efficient meal planning and material handling. The biggest surprise was that something so simple could create such a big impact across the board.” A NEW TAKE ON DISPOSABLES Beyond food, there are other ways to keep items out of waste streams, says Chris Knight, consultant with The Fifteen Group in Toronto. “Purchasing second-hand equipment is an opportunity for restaurants to save money and be effective in their cost management. It also keeps things out of landfill and recycling plants.” Another area that is gaining momentum is biodegradable takeout packaging. “The improvements we’re seeing are unbelievable. We’re now seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of different packaging using natural products — from corn-based to hemp-based to soy — that do a good job. Even the major chains are working on making the transition to more natural packaging products. They cost more than Styrofoam or plastic, but [operators] can recoup that with a price adjustment.” For those with one-time-use objects that have no place to go, TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Boxes group in Trenton, N.J., has been running a program for hard-to-recycle items not accepted in traditional waste-management streams, explains Rhandi Goodman, global VP. Customers simply order one of its cardboard waste boxes for recycling specific items (e.g. hairnets, gloves, chip bags, plastic wrap, rigid containers, disposable cutlery, coffee cups) to be shipped to their venue. Each box includes a shipping label so it can be sent back for recycling. “Operators can pick what items they want to collect and place them in a designated area,” she says.   SMALLER IDEAS DELIVERING A BIG IMPACT Zero-waste initiatives don’t necessarily have to be on a grand scale to make a difference. Many smaller outlets, including cafés, are equally committed to reducing waste in their operations. At Golden Gecko Coffee in Toronto, Jake Healy says he’s always searching for innovative, environmentally sustainable options for his restaurant. “I find Kickstarter (a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity) useful to find innovative crowdsourcing projects,” he says. He’s always open to trying out programs focused on eliminating the use of disposable coffee cups and recently joined a pilot project with Reego, a new reusable takeout-cup concept where the café charges a one-time $5 deposit for a cup and lid that can be switched for a clean one at any other cafe participating in the program. The company claims if only one-per-cent of Toronto’s takeout coffees were served in reusable takeout containers instead of single-use disposable, more than seven-million disposable cups and lids would be kept out of landfills and oceans. Healy has also sourced a plant-based reusable HuskeeCup for in-store customers. “Reusable cups really help reduce the waste stream in the coffee industry,” he says. Christie Peters, chef/co-owner of The Hollows and Primal in Saskatoon, says she’s always had a zero-waste mindset since opening her first restaurant in 2011. Because Saskatoon didn’t have the compost or pickup systems you would typically see, “I had to come up with my own systems, working with local farmers and other partners to be able to run a no-waste operation.” She only uses biodegradable papers and napkins and harvests honey from a beehive on the restaurant’s roof. She also does whole-animal butchery, using the bones for stocks and sauces and dries and burns them for the compost. “We just got a hammer mill for grinding the bones and bloodmeals for our garden.” All equipment is second hand, including a dehydrator and “a beautiful old combi steam oven we use for canning and preserving,” she says. “We do a ton of canning, pickling, fermenting, drying, freezing and smoking.” Tables and chairs are reclaimed and refurbished pieces. “If anything breaks, we get it repaired. We don’t throw it out. The waste water from the water-cooled fridge is looped to water the patio plants. “We’re looking to push that further and put in a holding tank for flushing toilets.” Her newest project is an aquaponic system at Primal where fish fertilize greens. “People think sustainability is expensive. But the less waste you create, the more money you save. Why buy fertilizer for your garden when you can compost? Why pay for garbage pickup when you can exchange that compost with the farmers you work with? We have one dumpster for our two restaurants that gets picked up once a month. It’s never full. We’re pretty proud of that.” Written by Denise Deveau          

For the consumers part, it is making a conscious effort to be more aware of selecting brands that have ethical and sustainable practices. While companies are showing a sense of social responsibility by implementing sustainable and ethical practices such as fair wages and minimizing any environmental impact in the process of manufacturing products. Many brands have incorporated sustainability through recycling efforts and rewarding consumers with incentives in exchange for the empty products containers returned. Here is a rundown of how some companies have implemented their sustainable campaigns:

I've never been a minimalist, and I never will be. I love color, live in patterns, and in general just like having options - lots of them. What I don't like, however, is clutter. As a self-proclaimed "beauty girl" and collector for over 12 years (three of which were spent as a beauty editor), it's no surprise I amassed quite the product stash. Sure, I'd done several purges over the years, dividing some products between friends and throwing old ones in the trash. I'd also made my way through quite a few, using them up until the last drop or swipe. All that being said, I still had more than I would ever need. A massive beauty declutter was definitely overdue. Long bubble baths, massages, and indulgent skincare routines are often touted as popular forms of beauty self-care. But I'm arguing that purging your excess products - and reorganizing, cleaning, and maybe even donating in the process - trumps them all. So if you're looking for an excuse to get productive and take a much-needed internet break, this might be the perfect activity. Keep reading as I share my approach to decluttering, including a handful of tips, organizer recommendations, and the final results.

Empty it out

  As a rule of thumb, containers need to be rinsed and free of product before being recycled.   Fragrances and products like nail varnish, polish remover and aftershave are considered hazardous waste and unsafe for recycling.   “Anything that has product left in it should go back to a household hazardous waste depot, where they make sure the materials go in the right place,” says Nadine Kerr, manager of resource recovery for Solid Waste Management Services at the City of Toronto.   “It can cause equipment breakdown and hazards for the people who are working at these facilities.”   In particular, aerosol cans must be completely emptied and depressurized – failure to remove excess product can cause an explosion while the can is being processed. Waste processing varies between municipalities.   In Toronto, the main guide for recycling protocol is the TOwaste app. Elsewhere, check with your local municipality.  

Don’t just hope for the best

  Chucking your empties, even if they’re thoroughly rinsed, into the blue bin simply doesn’t cut it.   “Aspirational recycling” refers to when “consumers aren’t sure if something’s recyclable or if it will get recycled because maybe it has some product in it, but they put it in anyway because they want to give it a chance,” says Michael Waas, global vice president of brand partnerships at TerraCycle.   When not separated, mixed-component packaging – even if made up of entirely recyclable matter – can’t be processed by most municipal recycling streams.   “The line will kick out [contaminated] products, and usually the products surrounding them, because they’re operating very quickly and with a huge volume,” says Waas.   Facilities are ill-equipped to sort through the tiny components (think multi-part pumps and caps) found in cosmetic vessels and their packages.   Coils and spiral bindings, such as the ones found in pump bottles, cannot be recycled by municipal recycling streams and belong in the trash.  

Understand the signs

  The Mobius loop – an international recycling symbol – does not guarantee a product will be recycled through your city’s stream. However, the numbers within the loop indicate the type of plastic used in the product.   “The good news is if you have a container that has a number five or one, that product is all made of a single resin,” says Kerr, and that means those products are easier to recycle.   Look out for number seven plastics – they’re often made up of multiple resins, making them more difficult to recycle.  

Not the answer

  On the surface, biodegradable plastics may seem like a miraculous solution to the waste crisis, but packaging made of polylactic acid (a common biodegradable plastic derived from corn) won’t decompose unless it’s processed at a high-efficiency composting facility.   “Biodegradable packaging doesn’t add a lot of value to the compost, and, as a result, composters don’t really want it,” says Waas.   “The only sustainable solution is designing single use [plastics] out of the equation.”  

Buy Greener

  Use your purchasing power to put the onus on brands to streamline the recycling process.   “Recycling is an economics challenge in that there is a technical recycling solution for absolutely every product and package,” says Waas. “The question is whether it makes economic sense for it to be recycled.”   Most non-recyclable waste is considered as such because the cost to collect it exceeds the price for which the recovered material is sold.   TerraCycle, the global recycling program behind Loop, has collection programs with brands like Caudalie, Weleda, Burt’s Bees and EOS, which are willing to absorb those costs.   Return your brand-specific empties either by mail (free of charge) or in-store, and they will be remoulded into new products. If you aren’t brand-loyal, companies like L’Occitane, The Detox Market andDeciem have also partnered with TerraCycle and accept any product packaging at select locations.  

REFS

Published on ellecanada.com