Though Canada has committed to a plan of zero plastic waste by 2030, we need immediate action, Kaeley Cole writes.

Globally, less than 10 per cent of the world’s plastics are recycled; the rest ends up in landfills, incinerators or as litter. Why should you care? Plastic pollution harms the ecosystems we rely on to keep our planet healthy. According to a report released by the World Economic Forum in 2016, plastics will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050. Toxic chemicals from plastics end up in our water and cause behavioural and physiological changes in fish. These chemicals also climb the food chain and eventually impact humans directly. In fact, studies have found tiny plastic particles in human blood and embryos. This is extremely concerning because it means plastics can move around inside our bodies, accumulate in our organs, effect babies’ developing immune systems and cause long-term damage. Though Canada has committed to a plan of zero plastic waste by 2030, we need immediate action. One way we can act now is by making takeout practices greener, much like New York City has done. In 2020, New York cafés and restaurants implemented a 25 cent charge for disposable cups, encouraging people to bring reusable mugs. Additionally, their takeout materials are compostable. We need incentives like this in Canada. Globally, 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups are discarded annually. Most takeout chains have fully plastic lids and cold cups, while hot cups are typically paper with an inner plastic lining. Cups lined with plastic are difficult and expensive to reprocess since the materials need to be separated. As a result, many municipalities don’t recycle these and they end up in the landfill resulting in unnecessary garbage. Lids and cold cups are usually recyclable, but they need to be end up at the right facility. This means making sure residents are properly sorting their waste. Unfortunately, the City of Hamilton doesn’t have public recycling bins, so when people are out and about waste that could be recycled ends up in garbage bins. The solution? First of all, municipalities should provide clearly marked trash and recycling bins in public spaces. Second, we need to curb our use of single-use cups. This doesn’t mean you need to give up your morning coffee run, but you should do it more sustainably. I conducted a little experiment this week. I got my morning coffee from Starbucks and Tim Hortons at McMaster University. I brought in my own reusable cup to avoid the single-use waste. I was told, because of sanitary reasons and COVID-19, my cup couldn’t be used. What shocked me is that Starbucks’ website states that as of Aug. 24, 2021, personal reusable cups were reintroduced in stores across Canada. So what’s going on? Either there’s a discrepancy between Starbucks’ policies and operations at individual locations’ or perhaps McMaster Facility Services has imposed a set of rules vendors need to comply with that differs from those at Starbucks’ HQ. Either way I urge students — and Hamiltonians more broadly — to fight for the reintroduction of reusable cups at cafés throughout Hamilton. Tim Hortons brought back the reusable cup option on April 6. It also has innovative plans in the works, like creating recyclable and compostable cups, using artificial intelligence to educate consumers on recycling and composting, as well as piloting TerraCycle’s zero-waste platform Loop. On Nov. 1, 2021, Loop was set in motion at five Burlington locations. Customers can opt to get their orders in returnable containers for a $3 deposit per item, to be refunded when the products are returned. This is a great way to cut down on single-use plastics. I urge folks to participate in this program — let’s make it a success!   Even with Canada following through on its promises toward zero plastic waste, the issue at hand will not just disappear. Plastics travel long distances by wind and water, making plastic pollution a global issue. Though it is important to start at a community level, we can’t forget to advocate for global change.

TerraCycle says the old plastic will be melted and turned into something new-- like a park bench.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It may sound strange when you think about it, but those old take-out sauce packets can be put to good use. TerraCycle is partnering with Taco Bell and the Mercer County community to divert used hot sauce packets away from landfills.

TerraCycle says the old plastic will be melted and turned into something new-- like a park bench. "This recycling initiative empowers local Taco Bell locations and community spaces to promote sustainable initiatives in their own towns while encouraging residents to take an active role in helping to preserve the environment," said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. "Our aim is to provide an opportunity for entire communities throughout New Jersey to collect waste and be part of the solution to keep these packets out of landfills and the environment."

And the packets don't just have to be from Taco Bell. The program is underway and ends on Earth Day, April 22. Consumers are encouraged to bring all brands and types of empty, used sauce packets to participating drop-off sites for recycling. Click here for a full list of participating locations.

Students can win prizes

Arizona State University is the newest campus participating in the Gillette University Razor Recycling Sweepstakes in partnership with international recycling leader, TerraCycle. This program gives students a unique opportunity to recycle old and used disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and their associated packaging for the chance to win multiple prizes. Participation in the program is simple: register with your .edu email at www.terracycle.com/en-US/pages/gillette-college and enter for your chance to win two tickets to any NFL game at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, a Gillette Heated Razor or a year supply of Gillette or Venus razors. At the bottom of the registration page, find the link to a map of participating public drop off locations where you can dispose of your old, used razors. Once collected, the razors and their associated plastic packaging are cleaned and sorted by material composition to be later broken down and remolded into new recycled products. “Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our mission to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and provide solutions for difficult to recycle items that are not traditionally recyclable curbside,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “Through our partnership with Gillette, we are working to inspire Arizona State University students to rethink what is waste, as well as help foster awareness that solutions do exist for items that may seem otherwise unrecyclable.”   To learn more about the Gillette Razor Recycling Program, become a public drop-off location or to search for their nearest participating location, visit www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette.

Masks can contaminate other recyclables and clog up or damage machines. Getty Images

• Disposing of COVID-19 medical waste puts an increasing strain on our waste and recycling systems.
• One problem arises when people try to recycle masks, which cannot be recycled traditionally.
• Private companies like Plaxtil have begun to offer recycling solutions that reuse the mask material.

Disposable masks, cloth face coverings, used gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are some of the extra waste that people have been generating over the past two years as they've tried to protect themselves during the pandemic. The World Health Organization released a report in February stating that the influx — tens of thousands of tons — of COVID-19 medical waste is putting a strain on healthcare waste systems, which could pose both environmental and health risks. It's also affecting traditional waste management and recycling systems.

"As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, waste and recycling haulers experienced a clear increase in the amount of waste being collected due to marked increase of takeout orders and the explosion in single-use PPE," Sue Kauffman, North American public relations director at recycling company TerraCycle, told Insider.Most of these items end up in landfills, she said, but many "well-intentioned but misinformed" people throw PPE waste — which can't be recycled through traditional means — into their curbside recycling bins with the hope that it'll get recycled.

Sue Kauffman. Courtesy of Sue Kauffman

"As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, waste and recycling haulers experienced a clear increase in the amount of waste being collected due to marked increase of takeout orders and the explosion in single-use PPE," Sue Kauffman, North American public relations director at recycling company TerraCycle, told Insider.Most of these items end up in landfills, she said, but many "well-intentioned but misinformed" people throw PPE waste — which can't be recycled through traditional means — into their curbside recycling bins with the hope that it'll get recycled. "This is a counter-productive practice known as 'wishcycling,' and it leads to clogs in machinery, which translate to losses in time and otherwise recyclable material," Kauffman added. Several companies like TerraCycle are offering solutions for recycling PPE, and Kauffman said the demand for these services has soared over the past two years.

The problem of PPE ending up in traditional recycling bins

Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability at Republic Services, a business and residential waste disposal and recycling company that works in 47 states, said more cloth and disposable masks, gloves, and at-home COVID-19 test kits are ending up in trash and recycling streams these days, though he doesn't have data on exactly how much. "We went from seeing almost none of that type of material to seeing it show up in some of our recycling streams," he said. "When you think about what's in the garbage can, we don't sort through that. But clearly, there's an increase in that type of material." Overall residential waste generation is about 3% to 4% higher than pre-pandemic levels, with commercial waste close to pre-2020 rates, Keller said. Residential trash had increased by about 25% and commercial had decreased by 35% in the early days of the pandemic. Republic Services doesn't recycle masks, gloves, or COVID-19 tests, but Keller said any cardboard packaging that comes with these items is likely recyclable. PPE can contaminate other recyclables, he added. Recycling machinery is calibrated to process specific items like glass, paper, cardboard, and plastics and isn't equipped to handle interloping items, like masks. Kauffman said these contaminants — like other non-recyclable items that inadvertently end up in recycling bins — can clog up or damage machines, which can be costly for municipalities' recycling programs. There's also a fear that PPE that's been exposed to COVID-19 could infect frontline waste management workers who may not be properly protected to handle hazardous waste, Kauffman added.

Some companies are offering solutions to PPE waste

Even though mask mandates are being lifted across the country, they're still required in some situations, like flying or using public transportation, and people still choose to wear them in other situations. So PPE waste will continue to increase. Several private companies are offering solutions for recycling these items. French company Plaxtil recycles masks and other fabrics by transforming them into a plastic-like material that can be molded into many different objects. British firm ReFactory launched Reclaim the Mask, a program that recycles disposable masks, gloves, and visors into plastic boards. TerraCycle's EasyPak recycling systems, which range in price from $128 to $293, are designed for property and facility managers for getting rid of disposable masks, disposable gloves, and safety equipment. The company's PPE Zero Waste Boxes, starting at $88, are available for individuals, institutions, or businesses to recycle masks, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and other items. Kauffman said users fill the box with the waste and ship it back to TerraCycle using a prepaid label, and the items are separated by material type and processed. There was a 145% increase in sales of Zero Waste Boxes that solve for PPE year-over-year from 2019 to the start of the pandemic in 2020 in Canada.

A TerraCycle worker packs a bale of PPE. Courtesy of TerraCycle"The resulting recycled material is used by third parties to manufacture a variety of new products," Kauffman said. These products include outdoor furniture and decking, plastic shipping pallets, storage containers, tubes for construction applications, and more.

The resulting material made from PPE. Courtesy of TerraCycle

Research published in Science of the Total Environment in 2021 suggested that single-use masks can be repurposed into pavement bases and sub-bases, as mask materials can improve ductility, flexibility, and strength. "Not recycling and allowing otherwise usable materials to become waste is just that — a waste," Kauffman said. "By recycling otherwise non-recyclable material, we're able to capture and reuse material destined for landfills, recycle it into a form suitable for manufacturers, and eliminate the need to extract new raw material."

From the highest mountains to the deepest parts of the ocean, plastic has infiltrated every ecosystem on the planet, including our own trail running bodies. Research shows that humans come into contact with micro-sized plastic particles on a daily basis from ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. In some cases, people are consuming up to five grams of plastics (the weight of a nickel) per week depending on lifestyles and habits. A study in Italy also detected plastic particles in placental tissue. The sources of plastic that are making their way out of human hands into the wider world include single-use plastics, which by definition are articles of plastic designed for one use before being discarded. Goods that are typically made from single-use plastics include packaging and food or service related products such as straws, wrappers, and bags.

What’s the problem with plastic?

As a material with limited biodegradability, unless it is intercepted from waterways by devices such as Mr. Trash Wheel in Maryland, plastic simply breaks down into consecutively smaller and smaller pieces. There have been discoveries of certain bacteria that digest plastic, but the scale and complexity of the problem remains: Plastic is everywhere and quietly accumulating. While the core components of plastic are biochemically inert, the larger risk is that chemical additives are released into the environment. As revealed in a 2020 study, these additions may pose serious risks to human health, such as chronic inflammation and endocrine system disruption. Additionally, plastic pieces can also carry pathogens on their surfaces. The study of plastics as related to public health is a rapidly developing field of research with urgent questions that need answers. Out in the wild, abandoned plastic packaging, such as the aluminized PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) film that most energy gel packets are made of, slowly breaks down into small pieces known as microplastics. Aside from gel packets, microplastics come from a variety of sources, including shoe soles. A study in Germany found that the seventh highest source of microplastics in the environment was from the abrasion of shoe soles. Left to disintegrate even further, microplastics form nano-sized plastics, usually too small to be seen with the human eye. These tiny particles are the most insidious and make their way into our soils and waterways, where they are ingested by a range of organisms and begin their journey up the food chain towards apex predators and humans. An additional complication is the release of greenhouse gasses from plastic production. 98% of single-use plastic is made from fossil fuels. Research shows that in the United States, “the plastics industry is responsible for at least 232 million tons of CO2e gas emissions per year.” 116 average-sized coal-fired power plants release the same amount of CO2 in one year. Not only is plastic a pernicious force behind the scenes, but it is also indirectly contributing to climate change. RELATED: Your Guide To Sustainable Gear Usage Recently, the Minderoo Foundation, an Australian non-governmental organization, published a report that traced plastic production to a few major oil-producing companies, the three largest being ExxonMobil, Dow, and Sinopec. With no “producer pays” principle in action, the true economic and environmental costs of plastic production are still unknown. Just as runners often ask questions about the ethical and environmental footprint of running shoe production, Minderoo recommends that consumers start asking for less investment in virgin plastic production and instead demand that more plastic stays in circulation, and that all industries utilize higher amounts of recycled plastic content in their production lines. As the level of global plastic production booms, so does the amount of plastic disposal. According to figures from the United Nations, “7 billion of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became waste, ending up in landfills or being dumped.” In the US, data published by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that in 2018 out of 35.7 million tons of plastic that was produced, 27 million tons went to landfill and 3 million tons were recycled. Sure, landfills are one solution for locking away waste, but they are not limitless. The problem is being addressed at higher governmental levels. Two bills have been introduced to Congress to address plastic pollution and recycling. On a global scale, there has been a call to create a circular economy for plastics, initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme. The fifth meeting of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, created an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee that will begin drafting a globally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. With 175 countries attending, the signs of addressing plastic production and reduction around the world are promising.

Reducing Single-Use On An Industry Level

Seeing plastic as a resource, not a waste, could affect real change, just as trail runners might see a steep hill as a training opportunity rather than an obstacle. So far, a number of companies who produce many everyday products (L’Oreal, Nestlé, PepsiCo,The Coca-Cola Company, and Unilever, for example) have started to make some encouraging changes to the composition of their packaging. Industrial changes like that can kickstart a global movement toward less single-use plastic. Reducing our dependence on neatly packaged products is part of the solution, but it’s often easier said than done. One remedy is to recycle with programs like Terracycle’s Performance Nutrition Recycling program, in which athletes can mail in packaging from products such as energy chews and gels, hydration, recovery, and energy drink mix stick packs and packets. After collecting packaging, runners need to clean, wash, and dry the empty packets before boxing up their waste in any reused cardboard shipping box, downloading a free shipping label, and sending it to TerraCycle for processing. After the waste is processed and recycled into raw material, it is then sold to manufacturing companies who produce the final product and complete the journey of recycling. Products may include outdoor furniture and decking, plastic shipping pallets, watering cans, storage containers and bins, tubes for construction applications, flooring tiles, playground surface covers and athletic fields, and more. The carbon footprint of the recycling process is certainly not zero, but it does provide a starting point for giving plastic a longer life, as opposed to it going straight into the trash. RELATED: 5 Ways To Reduce Your Impact On The Trail The work of the One Step Closer Packaging Collaborative is taking a different approach. They seek to reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging created in the first place, rather than recycling what already exists. One Step Closer aims to meet standards for food safety while lowering the footprint of new packaging by creating compostable options. The challenge presented here is that facilities capable of composting that type of packaging are less common than conventional composting facilities. Large-scale composting also releases methane gas, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Some running events are testing single-use plastic alternatives, such as the adoption of seaweed pouches to distribute drinks at aid stations at the 2019 London Marathon. Notpla creates biodegradable, lightweight packaging from seaweed that can be composted, disposed of with food waste or even, in some cases, eaten. At the shoe level, Adidas have partnered with Parley for the Oceans to produce a number of products, including trail shoes that are in part composed of yarn made from plastic waste collected from the ocean. Allbirds have launched a trail running shoe with numerous plastic-free components and more renewable materials including a natural rubber outsole and an insole constructed from castor bean oil. To address the issue of micro-sized, polluting materials reaching the ground from the tread of shoes. Solum has engineered a solution that deposits nutrients into the soil directly from the shoe’s outsole. While still in the early stages of development, it is a promising sign of innovation addressing the predicament.

Reducing Single-Use At Home

As Katherine Martinko writes, “We need to totally rethink how we buy our food and carry it around.” Readers of Born to Run might recall the infamous, homemade Pinole snack that fuelled the Tarahumara trail runners, indigenous to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. Making your own fuel for trail adventures is a great option to cut back on plastic packaging but something that does require time, energy, and resources, which are all factors to consider. To avoid plastic, beeswax wraps are an option for enveloping food. Silicone packaging is also an available alternative, but whether it is actually non-plastic is highly debated due to its composition. Pure maple syrup, when purchased in a glass bottle, is one plastic-free fueling option worth exploring, as discussed by South Dakota-based runner and coach Kyle Kranz. Nancy Clark has a recipe for a maple syrup sports drink in her Sports Nutrition Guidebook. UK ultrarunner Damian Hall successfully completed his FKT run of the Pennine Way without creating any plastic waste. As outlined in his book, In It for the Long Run, Damian ate lots of banana sandwiches, homemade vegan brownies, salty trail mix, and energy bars wrapped in compostable material.

Here are ten ways trail runners can reduce plastic reliance:

1. Buy bulk goods.
2. Look for packaging that contains recycled content.
3. Switch to beeswax wrappers for homemade energy bars.
4. Check How2Recycle for information about where to recycle different types of packaging.
5. Support brands making an effort to reduce plastic packaging.
6. Check to see if your cosmetics contain microplastic beads using this app.
7. Make your own trail mix and take a reusable bag on long runs to carry snacks.
8. Use grocery bags made from natural fabrics.
9. Go plogging and tag Take 3 For The Trail if you use social media.
10. Organize a trail clean up event.

Looking To The Future

Divesting from plastic convenience may lie in the word plastic itself, as noted in Life Without Plastic, a book by Chantal Plamondon and Jay Shinha. The root of the word plastic comes from the Greek verb plassein, to mold. One feature of the human brain is its remarkable plasticity and an ability to form new habits. While we can’t recycle our way out of our dependence on single-use plastics, or rely on seaweed cups for answers, the very adaptability of trail and ultra runners, as natural problem-solvers, can indeed help us make meaningful steps in reducing the impact of single-use packaging in our community.

The chain's Chief Food Innovation Officer wants guests to feel great about their order, each and every time.

"With thousands of restaurants, we understand our responsibility to make a positive environmental impact," Matthews says.

I may be biased, but I have one of the coolest jobs and greatest teams out there. I lead Taco Bell’s Food Innovation Team and the masterminds of our famous Test Kitchen. Whether you’re enjoying a limited time food offering or menu classic, my team plays an important role in bringing delicious food innovations to your plate. I grew up on Taco Bell and loved how I could access a whole menu of flavor with even just a dollar. But I actually went to California State University to study psychiatry. One semester I took a nutrition class. That was a pivotal moment where my interests shifted, and I ended up going to school for food science and nutrition. Later, I ended up in the manufacturing space. I knew I wanted to make my way back home to the LA area, and I found Taco Bell. For over two decades, I’ve been working to make sure our fans don’t have to choose between craveability and responsible dining. Everyone should feel great about their Taco Bell order, each and every time. Throughout last year, in particular, my team and I were busy making good on our continued commitments to our fans. We’re always listening to them. In 2021, we tested or launched everything from the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco to the Naked Chalupa with a Crispy Plant-Based Shell. We’re constantly developing unexpected menu items that everyone can enjoy, whether flexitarian or veggie-curious. Not only do we want our food to be unique and craveable, but we also want it to feed people’s lives with good. We’re on this exciting path that we call our Food For All journey, where we constantly evolve our menu to make sure we’re offering food that fits each and every lifestyle. Over the years, we’ve done everything from reducing sodium and removing artificial colors to sourcing only cage-free eggs and chicken raised without human antibiotics. I’m also proud of our work to leave a lighter footprint. With thousands of restaurants, we understand our responsibility to make a positive environmental impact. We made a global commitment to ensure all of our consumer-facing packaging is recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 … yes, all of it. We’ve launched a partnership with TerraCycle, we’re generating demand for unwanted recycled materials and we’re even repurposing used cooking oil in some restaurants. We have lots more in the pipeline for the rest of 2022. What was your first job? I’m from Los Angeles originally, and I started out working in restaurants when I was young. Starting as a hostess, I continued to take on a variety of in-restaurant roles over the years and work my way up. What’s your favorite menu item at Taco Bell?   I grew up on the Burrito Supreme and it will forever remain my personal favorite. What’s your favorite cuisine aside from Taco Bell? Super hard question as I love it all.  I would say behind Mexican it would have to be Japanese … sushi, Udon, Ramen, Soba. Who inspires you as a leader? Right now, it’s this next generation. I have inspiring teenagers and they are nothing like I was when I was a teen! Young people across the world are teaching us all so much about the past, the present and different ways of thinking about the future—the views are positive, optimistic and not sugar coated. They see real big opportunities for change and are working in small and big ways towards real solutions. They are creating such momentum for our future. What’s the best piece of advice that other restaurant executives should hear? Always listen and observe. I am not the consumer or a team member that works in the restaurant anymore. Your team members have so much insight to the business and have amazing ideas. The consumers, the ones who love you and even the ones who don’t, can lead you to amazing ideas. Often people can't express what they want when it comes to food, so I love to observe people eating and creating moments with food. It can be very insightful. What are some of your interests outside of work? Food is honestly a major part of my personal life, too; I remember my key life memories through the food I ate during them. So, I love to try new foods and restaurants, and LA offers just the best! I love spending time with my family and friends and being active outdoors.