When did we get so fixated on having our soap dispensed to us in liquid form? Yes, it has a luxurious feel compared to a utilitarian bar of or soap and makes less of a mess of your washbasin. But the packaging – for the most part, made of plastic – comes with an environmental cost. It's particularly on our minds right now as soap sales have soared with all the handwashing that we're doing. One brand, Dani Naturals, has reported a spike of 700 per cent in sales in just one week.   Thankfully, we’re learning to love soap bars again – and even embrace shampoo bars. However, for those of us wedded to liquids, there are now more soaps, shampoos and even self-tans available in less impactful ways – via refill pouches and ‘forever’ bottles.   The refillables model works best with items that we use lots of – such as soap and shampoo and that can be easily topped up. It's not so simple for smaller skincare items such as serums, where meticulous cleaning of the bottle would be important so that remnants from your old batch don't contaminate your new one. Skincare brands are for the most part opting for recycled and recyclable packaging for that reason.   However, that could be set to change with TerraCycle’s Loop refill scheme – already available in Paris and parts of the US and set to launch in the UK this year, 2020. It is partnering with brands such as Ren and Nivea to collect your skincare and other domestic item empties from your door, clean them hygienically and give them back to you full.       Refill bars in stores and salons are becoming more common too. At Boots Concept Store in London's Covent Garden, Beauty Kitchen's refill bar encourages you to buy an aluminium 'bottle for life' and (re)fill it with face wash, shampoo, conditioner or body wash. Around the corner at Cara Delevingne's hairdresser Windle London, you receive 30 per cent off if you bring your shampoo and conditioner bottles in to be topped up. While over at Bleach London, bring in your refillable 500ml Pearlescent Shampoo or Conditioner bottle to one of their salons and save £4 on the full price of £14. Faith In Nature shampoos, body washes and conditioners are not only great value (mostly less than a fiver) they are widely refillable in independent health stores around the country.   If you want to minimize your environmental footprint, here are the brands that are leading the charge for refillables – allowing you to save on packaging and on price.       L'Occitane has been doing eco refills since 2008 and this is a chance to buy a raved-about premium skincare product at knock-down price. It's part of L’Occitane’s anti-ageing L’Imortelle range, it gets off every scrap of makeup and smells divine. The refill pouch offers is a significant saving on the original packaging (£22 for 150ml) but you do have to buy the plastic pot once as you need the foaming action of the nozzle to enjoy the product in all its lathery glory.   L’Occitane is committed to recycling and has partnered with recycling organisation TerraCycle to provide recycling station for beauty empties from any brand in its boutiques nationwide. They’ll give you 10 per cent off full-price L’Occitane purchases on the day if you do.     Just launched in the UK, this Australian brand claims to be the first tanning brand to use refill packs. They use 83 per cent less plastic than the original plastic bottle, which you will need to buy once (£15.95 for 200ml) as it's the nozzle that creates the foaming action. What’s great about these new eco brands is that they are setting themselves up from the get-go to be as sustainable as possible in every part of their supply chain. Australian glow uses Ocean Waster Plastic (OWP – you’ll see that label more and more) and each bottle is the equivalent of eight plastic bags removed from the ocean. Ingredients are vegan, cruelty-free and organic, natural nock-sticky and the smell is subtle. The one-hours express tans come in Dark and Extra dark and are for ‘experienced tanners’ (although I’m quite cack-handed and I didn’t have problems) and there’s also a medium which works in four to six hours but doesn’t (yet) have a refill.       For budget eco washing (yourself and your clothes) Faith In Nature can’t be beaten – they’ve been going since 1974 when being eco was considered hippy and fringe. The British brand is passionate about keeping prices affordable so everyone can benefit from their no-nasties approach (they are SLS, SLES and paraben-free). They do an impressive array of soap bars and shampoo bars as well as shampoos, conditioners, body washes and even laundry liquid in 5l bumper refill sizes for around £50 (Holland and Barrett have a £37.50 offer on that the moment on some of them). They come in gorgeous natural botanical scents and there's a fragrance-free body wash too. Pretty much everything comes in a generous 400ml refillable bottle (recycled plastic where possible) and costs less than a fiver.         Now £44 may sound steep for a shampoo, but New York Salon Hairstory want to eliminate the need to buy a shampoo and conditioner separately with one serves-all product. The innovative New Wash comes in three forms: Original, Deep (for oily hair) and Extra Conditioning. It’s free from sulphates, silicones and synthetic fragrance and doesn’t strip the scalp’s protective barrier. This allows you to go longer between washes because your scalp doesn’t overproduce the natural oils that traditional shampooing can strip - so you buy less. Join the New Wash subscription club and they will send you a free aluminium bottle and save you money on regular purchases.       This British sustainable, artisan no-nasties brand has opted for cans instead of pouches as their refill of choice. The rationale? Aluminium has an infinite life as a recyclable - 75 per cent of all aluminium produced is recycled still in use today says Recycle Now. Plastic, on the other hand, can only be recycled two to three times before its quality decreases too much, according to National Geographic. It takes 95 per cent less energy to make a can from recycled materials, says Kan Kan, plus they are light, recyclable everywhere and don't have tricky-to-dispose-of lids.   With the Kan Kan model, you buy the one-time 'forever' bottle, it arrives in cardboard packaging (which you can send back for them to use again, via the returns label), they plant a tree to thank you for your purchase and everyone’s happy. They do three types of wash, Body, Baby and Hand (all £15) and the starter sets – an empty bottle plus one can are £24. Yes, it’s a lot for soap but you are supporting a brand that really wants to change the packaging game.     L’Occitane has an impressive selection of supersize bath, shower and handwash refill pouches ranging from hand soaps - £18 for a large 500ml of Lavender Hand Wash - to a Lavender Foaming Bath Duo for 44.50, which gives you a whole litre of product as 500ml aluminium ‘forever’ bottle and a same-size refill. The pouches use 98 per cent less plastic. I particularly love the Almond Shower Oil Refill Duo. The Almond Oil Shower Refill by itself costs £28 for 500ml.   Buy it now   Got any eco beauty and wellness recommendations we should know about? Let us know in the comments below.

We’ve all heard “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but what about beauty products? Beauty is an $8.1 billion global industry and with it comes a lot of plastic and packaging. Shower products, soaps, skincare bottles, sheet masks, makeup remover cotton pads-it all adds up in our trash to be, well, trash!   Some consumers and advocates have started pushing against big brands when it comes to packaging and other waste. The Instagram account Estee Laundry has called out repeat offenders such as Pat McGrath Labs who includes handfuls of gold sequins in her packaging. Sequins are not recyclable and take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill.   Another repeat offender is Sephora, who will send a small lipstick or a single eyeshadow in a comically large box filled with bubble wrap. Some customers send complaints in the comments section of Sephora’s Instagram or through other channels such as online products reviews.   It is heartwarming that some consumers have started to push back against brands. But the tides haven’t turned to really impact the industry in a meaningful way.  But before you start feeling too guilty, know that major corporations contribute much more to global waste than individuals. You still may feel like being a part of the solution, rather than the problem. Fear not! You can have some control over your consumption. Here are some tips for becoming a more conscious beauty consumer in 2020.   Switch to Reusable Cotton Makeup Remover Pads In theory, single use cotton pads are great for the environment. They’re natural and should break down in the compost. But your makeup is definitely not compostable. Once you use your cotton pad, it has to go into the trash. But you can make the switch reusable cotton pads like these ones by Freon Collective. Made by hand in downtown Toronto, these reusable cotton pads come with a mesh bag where you can put your used ones. Throw them in the washing machine, lay flat to dry and they’re as good as new!   Shop Package Free or Refillable Products Products with no packaging? It seems sacrilegious! But you often don’t need fancy frills. Lush Cosmetics  is mostly package free. Customers pop their bath bombs and slices of soap into brown paper bags. You can also check out stores that offer product refills. Rather than buying a new bottle when the product runs out, refill it at your local store! Eco+Armour is a Canadian company that partners with stores in Ontario and New Brunswick. They offer refillable beauty products such as hand soap soap, laundry detergent, lotion and bath salts. If you’re on the west coast, The Soap Dispensary has a wide range of refill categories including clays, oils, hair products and hydrosols. This is a great way to reduce your consumption and get to know a local business.   Try A Menstrual Cup Menstrual care is an essential part of being human but can really feel like a burdensome chore. Similarly, soap is essential to our hygiene but is in many ways thought of as a beauty product. So too is menstrual care. Basic hygiene is a chore that has been made more fun through packaging and targeted advertising. Let’s get real, brushing your teeth as a kid was basically fluoride flavoured icing for toothpaste! While it is a chore, menstruation is becoming less and less taboo and more openly discussed, which is absolutely beautiful. So I have decided it falls under beauty care and here we are!   If you’re a person who menstruates, you will use approximately 9,600 tampons throughout your lifetime. Menstrual cups are a great alternative. Menstrual cups like the Divacup are made from medical grade silicon and can be used for a year before needing to be replaced. That will save you a lot of money on tampons and pads. It’ll also save you last minute trips to the store when you, surprise, surprise, forgot to stock up on tampons since your last cycle. Unlike tampons, there are no added chemicals, which removes the risk of toxic shock syndrome and can be worn inside the body for 12 hours. I honestly cannot rave about menstrual cups enough and it was such a glorious switch for me. Try it out and see if it works for you!   Recycle Your Packages in Store Recycling facilities differ in every city and they do not all accept beauty packaging. However, some brands are beginning to recognize the consumer desire to properly recycle packaging and are making a greater effort and they reward customers with perks. MAC Cosmetics has long had their “Back to MAC” program where customers can bring six empty MAC products to a store in exchange for a single free lipstick or eyeshadow. MAC will then properly recycle the empty packages. L’Occitane has partnered with TerraCycle where customers receive 10% one product when they bring back their accepted empty packaging. Toronto spa Pure+Simple credits customers one dollar when they bring in their empty Pure+Simple branded skincare products. That may not seem like a lot, but it really adds up when you’re drowning your skin in vitamin c serum, face masks and hydrosols. You may be surprised to hear the brands you shop already offer a program. Check it out and get your rewards-literally!   There are many ways we can impact the beauty industry to turn the tides towards sustainability. We can also try to take back some power by shifting our own practices. Share any changes you’ve made in your beauty routine!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner,  it’s time to start thinking about the perfect gift for the most important woman in your life.   Whether you’re choosing something for you mum, grandmother or helping your kids pick a gift for your other half, L’OCCITANE is here to help.     From fresh scents to bath sets, pillow mists, relaxing candles and beauty products, there’s plenty to put her at ease, and offer an evening of utter relaxation and bliss.   Check out some of our favourite gift sets, available in stores and online now:  

Overnight Reset Collection

  This beautiful beauty set contains four products from the Immortelle range, bringing the skin back to life and giving it some much needed and well-deserved TLC.   The collection includes the Immortelle Cleansing Oil 30ml, Immortelle Reset Serum 30ml, Immortelle Precious Cream 8ml and the Immortelle Essentail Water 30ml.   The set, which is worth €78, is currently priced at €62.  

Indulgent Almond Collection

  When you’re running around after little ones all day long, moments to relax in the bath and shower are rare. Treat your mum, and allow her to make the most of this time with L’OCCITANE’s gorgeous Indulgent Almond Collection.   The set contains Almond Shower Oil 250ml, Almost Delightful Body Balm 100ml, Almond Soap 50g and Almond Delicious Hands 30ml.  

HERBAE par L’OCCITANE L’EAU Collection

  Filled with rich floral scents, the HERBAE par L’OCCITANE L’EAU Collection would be an ideal gift for anyone – not just a mum.   Containing the HERBAE par L’OCCITANE L’EAU perfume 50ml, hand cream 30ml and shower gel 250ml, this wonderful present will be used time and time again.   The collection, worth €88, is currently priced at €60.  

Relaxing Home Collection

  There’s nothing better than lighting a candle, sitting on the couch and allowing all your troubles float away.   This Mother’s Day, why not treat your mum or grandmother to the Relaxing Home Collection.   The set contains a Relaxing Pillow Mist 100ml, Relaxing Candle 140g and a Relaxing Soap, for €52.     As well as the bigger gift sets, you can also pick up some wonderful individual pieces for your mum.   L’OCCITANE has a full range of gifts that give back, meaning not only will you find a wonderful present for your loved one, but it won’t be as damaging to the environment as some others.   The soaps available in L’OCCITANE are all palm oil free, and come wrapped in recycled paper.   The HERBAE L’EAU Soap is €6.50.   With L’OCCITANE, instead of constantly buying brand new products and having a package build up, you can simply refill her favourite products with an eco-refill pack.   Available in 16 different lines across skincare, body care and hair care, the eco-refills use up to 98% less packaging than its counterpart.   The Almond Shower Oil Refill Duo costs €45.   A recent launch for L’OCCITANE, the Solidarity Balm is perfect to use on lips, skin and dry skin to offer instant nourishment.   100 percent of the profits from this product, will go to Women’s Leadership initiatives in Burkina Faso with the support of the L’OCCITANE Foundation.     Plus, did you know, if you return any empty products to a L’OCCITANE store to be recycled with TerraCycle, you’ll receive 10% off a full-priced product that day.   Happy shopping!

BURLINGTON, ON, March 12, 2020 /CNW/ - Burlington's newest licensed cannabis retailer is encouraging residents to go green by offering their customers a $1.00 store credit in return for recycling legal cannabis packaging.* Corner Cannabis at 3007 New Street (which recently celebrated its grand opening on February 24, 2020) is excited to announce its participation in the Tweed x TerraCycle recycling initiative, Canada's first country-wide cannabis packaging recycling program.     "With Earth Day quickly approaching, Corner Cannabis and Ontario Cannabis Holdings Corp. are keen to show its commitment to a cleaner environment and the Burlington community," said Jon Conquergood, CEO of Ontario Cannabis Holdings, owner of Corner Cannabis brands.   In honour of Earth Day, between March 12 and April 22, Corner Cannabis will provide consumers with a $1.00 store credit for every piece of cannabis packaging purchased from a licensed cannabis retailer, including plastic bottles, tins, pre-roll tubes, and flexible plastic bags. Returned packaging will be transported, cleaned, sorted and processed into plastic pellets and precious metals. These pellets can be used to create park benches, picnic tables, playgrounds and many other products.   The Corner Cannabis team is committed to ongoing environmental and community-focused initiatives. "Sometimes, it is easy to become complacent with our responsibilities to recycle and keep our communities clean," said Conquergood. "To help out, we are adding a financial incentive to our customers to remind them that it pays to be green. We also intend to demonstrate ongoing social responsibility by contributing a group of volunteers to support BurlingtonGreen's city-wide Clean Up event in April and Green Up (tree planting) event in May."   Come meet the team at Corner Cannabis located at 3007 New Street in Burlington, and help us set a good, neighbourly example.   * This program does not accept cannabis vapes. The vape recycling program is coming soon. Details in store.   About Corner Cannabis Corner Cannabis is an AGCO licensed retail store, built in partnership with Ontario Cannabis Holdings Corp, a licensed cannabis retail operator. Corner Cannabis stores are comfortable, welcoming and intelligently designed for a more convenient shopping experience where staff are friendly, approachable and highly trained. We are committed to social responsibility by being an active and responsible member of the communities in which we operate.   About Terracycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to recycle the "non-recyclable." TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers, cities, and facilities to recycle products and packages, from cannabis packaging to cigarette butts. To learn more about TerraCycle or to get involved in its recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

We already talk about it a lot, it's true! Figures such as Greta Thunberg , Dominic Champagne and Autumn Peltier (do you know her? At 15 years old, this member of the First Nations campaigning to protect drinking water) makes noise to raise awareness and raise awareness among our leaders. And so much the better: their flame makes us want to improve, to pose as models for the youngest and to make informed consumption choices. I asked the members of the ELÉ Quebec editorial team to tell you about their favorite brands that are taking concrete steps to make a difference. Here they are!   Our favorite allies The Lush brand collects our empty jars. After bringing five empty jars to a Lush store , we leave with a free fresh mask. And the company reuses these pots! Same principle at M • A • C , where we get a new lipstick when we bring back six empty tubes. For its part, L'Occitane en Provence, in collaboration with TerraCycle, collects empty containers in its partner shops. So they don't end up at the dump. The most beautiful? Those of other labels are accepted too!   +   At the café-repair My neighborhood workshop in Villeray, you can enjoy a hot drink, borrow tools and get help to repair a broken object - and thus avoid buying something new. We want it everywhere, right? +   Les Trappeuses invite us to make homemade products! All their recipes, like that of the anti-aspi and zero waste coffee grounds exfoliant, are on their site.   + H&M accepts all our fabrics and clothing in stores, regardless of the brand and their condition, against a discount to use at our next shopping session. As for what we have entrusted to the Swedish chain, a second life awaits it, by being postponed or recycled.   +   What do we do with our old winter coat? The Montreal brand Norden offers to take it back for a voucher to repair and resell it or give it to someone in need. And if the garment is irretrievable, it will be 100% recycled.   +   Zara has set up the Join Life clothing collection, which allows us to bring back items that we no longer wear. The house donates them to non-profit organizations, which reuse them.   +   L'Escale verte is an eco-responsible social economy company that sells all kinds of ecological and zero-waste products (beauty, household maintenance, etc.), in addition to providing filling services.   +   The following pages are filled with information, ideas and initiatives that I hope will inspire you too.

Community groups, workplaces, schools, and youth groups can organize a Shoreline Cleanup in their community to record and remove litter from a coastline. While volunteers don’t always get to record items as strange as a polar bear skin, the recorded litter has led the Shoreline Cleanup to compose a yearly Dirty Dozen list of the top twelve most common shoreline litter items. The results from 2019 show that single-use plastic items make up the greatest number of litter items that plague Canada’s shorelines.   The greatest category of litter by volume and weight found on Canada’s shorelines comes from fishing debris and illegally dumped items. Think longlines, buoys, cars, and industrial litter. But the majority of items collected during a cleanup can be classified as recreational items, says Julia Wakeling, outreach coordinator at the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, speaking during a January 2020 webinar.   9 easy ways to get a beautiful shoreline and a healthy lake   Recreational items include objects that may be forgotten on a beach trip, or might blow away by accident onto a shoreline. Cigarette butts, lighters, food wrappers, children’s toys, and fishing rods are all examples of recreational litter.   Taking the top spot on the Dirty Dozen are cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are challenging to deal with as they contain plastic, and can’t be handled by your standard city recycling centre. Wakeling says that cigarette butts collected at a Shoreline Cleanup are sent out for specialized recycling by an organization called TerraCycle.   What type of dock is right for your shoreline?   Next on the list are pieces of tiny plastic or foam litter. These items are a cause for alarm because Wakeling says that these small pieces of plastic are on their way to becoming microplastics. They “deteriorate into smaller pieces the longer they spend in water,” she says.   As we move down the list we run into more single-use items. Food wrappers, paper, bottle caps, plastic bags, beverage cans, and plastic bottles fill out the number three to eight spots on the Dirty Dozen. Straws come in at number nine, foam and other packaging take tenth and eleventh place, and finally, coffee cups close out the list as the twelfth most common items collected during cleanups.   Recording the litter collected along a shoreline allows the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup to provide information that can be used for policy changes to protect Canada’s waterways. In June 2019, Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s commitment to ban single-use plastic as of 2021. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup’s litter data was cited by the federal government’s press release about the ban.   The initiative also aims to make a difference by inspiring individuals to make personal changes in their consumption habitats. By participating in a Shoreline Cleanup and seeing the impact that these items have on shoreline environments, volunteers may rethink the type of items they spend their dollars on.   These individual actions and behaviour changes are what Wakeling says are the “most important” to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. “We’re really proud when individuals leave our cleanups with a change in their behaviours.”

Blush Lane, an organic market with five locations in Calgary and Edmonton and an organic orchard in Keremeos, B.C., seeks to improve the land that feeds us. They put the planet first by promoting sustainable agriculture, ethical practices, and environmentally conscious actions. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, but there are three main themes that stand out: packaging, community, and food waste.   Taking responsibility for packaging   It’s no secret that plastic is polluting Earth’s ecosystems and harming wildlife. Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, according to figures published in the journal Science in 2015. That’s the equivalent of between 27 thousand and 70 thousand blue whales’ worth of plastic.   But plastic has come to be an essential part of our food industry. It keeps food fresh for longer, it doesn’t take up a lot of room, and it’s lightweight—which reduces the costs and greenhouse gases associated with shipping.   Blush Lane recognizes both the benefits and drawbacks of plastic, and their approach to packaging is nothing short of radical. They believe that, as a retailer, they’re responsible for the packaging they put into the world. That’s why they launched the Takeback program, a packaging recycling program designed to reduce waste and inspire other retailers to also take responsibility for their packaging.   Stand-up pouches from Blush Lane’s sister brand, Be Fresh, can now be returned in-store to be recycled properly with Terracycle. When you bring in five Be Fresh pouches, you’ll receive $5 off the next Be Fresh pink pouch product. Since starting this program, Blush Lane has recycled thousands of bags.   Blush Lane was also an early adopter of a bring-your-own-container bulk program. They have always had a bulk section, but in January of 2019 they installed scales in each store so people could bring and weigh their own containers—it was a simple solution with a huge impact. Bags are still available for people who forget their containers, but Blush Lane noted that their customers really value the opportunity to cut back on waste.   Nurturing community   Blush Lane looks at sustainability from a social perspective as well as an environmental one. They strive to give back to people in their area and to build a sense of community among local organizations—they do so by hosting event in their stores and by participating in social initiatives.   One of their more popular initiatives is the No Woman Without campaign that takes place in February. Shoppers can bring menstrual care products to any Blush Lane location, where they’ll be donated to women in crisis. The stores also offer discounts on some products that you can purchase to be donated. Last year, Blush Lane helped collect more than 10,000 units!   Tackling food waste   Food waste is a major problem in Canada—63% of the food waste thrown away by Canadians could have been eaten. Blush Lane has three major ways of dealing with food waste: avoiding surpluses wherever possible, diverting excess food to those in need, and returning any inevitable waste back to the soil.   Blush Lane uses a “just in time” system for food ordering. They order perishable food from SPUD.ca, their supplier, on an as-needed basis so that excess food is mitigated before it even gets into the store.   They also deal with food waste at a store level. When food gets close to its expiry date, Blush Lane partners with local aid organizations that donate it to people that are food insecure. If there are items that cannot be picked up, they are bundled together and highly discounted for staff to purchase and take home.   When extra food can’t be avoided, sold, or donated, a local organic waste hauler turns it into organic compost that can then be sold. Some of Blush Lane’s warehouses also send food scraps back to farmers, where they can be used to feed livestock. These measures recycle the nutrients in food waste and help create a more circular economy.   Healthy food, healthy life   It stands to reason that our food providers should care for the environment that nourishes us—and Blush Lane goes above and beyond to make a positive impact on people and planet. We’re proud to have them as part of the bullfrogpowered community, and we’re thrilled that they’ve avoided 2,423 tonnes of CO₂ since 2014 by choosing green energy.

Did you know the fashion and textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world, comparable with oil and coal? Climate change and fast fashion are not a good look, and we can’t afford to continue adding garments to the heavily increasing amount of fashion waste.   There’s no need to throw your old clothes in the garbage. Try one of these eco-friendly alternatives instead.   Donate   Many places in the city will take gently worn clothing off your hands, and they make it easy to do. You can drop clothes off directly at thrift stores or, if you happen to be near one, place bags inside specially marked clothing donation bins. If you’re bringing items in person, keep in mind that thrift stores have their own policies in place regarding acceptable articles of clothing.   In addition to traditional outlets, such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army, various for-profit organizations, like Levi’s and H&M, encourage customers to bring back their old clothes—from any brand—to be reused or recycled.     The city and the GTA are home to local consignment shops interested in reselling your garments. Alongside brick and mortar shops are designer resale websites, like Poshmark and The Real Real, who make it easy to sell your previously loved clothes while giving you the chance to cash in on the side.   Similar to thrift store policies, consignment shops have their list of clothes, shoes, and accessories for resale. Not every consignment shop is a “general” one accepting any and all types of clothing. The store may cater to a niche market, such as menswear, luxury goods, or kids’ items. Designer Swap, a high end consignment shop, is one example of this kind of shop. We specialize in reselling discount designer clothing!  

 

Repurpose

  Those jeans you’ve worn through can be cropped into a cute pair of jean shorts. Your old t-shirts make for great workout tops. Cleaning rags are former shirts cut up and set them aside for this purpose.   You can even get really crafty, repurposing sweaters into coffee cozies and flannel shirts into scarves. From button-up pillowcases to sweater hats, there’s no shortage of ideas for turning old clothes into something new. All you need to do is channel your inner seamstress.     One gal’s old dress is another gal’s new dress, or so the saying goes. Host a clothing swap with your girlfriends, asking everyone to bring preloved garments they no longer wear.   This girls’ night in can be as casual or formal as you like, depending on the number of invitees and location of the swap. All you really need is your clothes, your friends, and yourself. Communicate with guests ahead of time so they know what to bring, providing a “guideline” of acceptable items if necessary and, if a lot of friends are invited, a limit as to how many items each person can take.   Set up shop with clothing racks and hangers, and if you have the space, a table for everyone to peruse the items. You never know what you’ll find, and anything left over can be recycled or donated.     We’ve mentioned you can recycle old clothes—a seemingly impossible thought—for those truly ratty items that can’t be given new life. Holey socks and stained shirts with nowhere else to go can be recycled! Places like Bra Recycling, Canadian Textile Recycling, TerraCycle, and Soles 4 Souls are just a few examples of stores who accept items that have nowhere else to go.   Be sure to review recycling clothing companies ahead of time to confirm your old clothes are going where the company says they do, and that the items you’re dropping off will be accepted.  

The first edition of the forum organized by UCIMA and the FICO Foundation registered 450 participants from 20 countries, 35 international speakers and 40 accredited journalists   February 28, 2020 Canadian Packaging         The packaging world responded positively to the call of Packaging Speaks Green, the international forum dedicated to sustainability in the packaging sector, organized by UCIMA and the FICO Foundation. Two days of debates, discussions and proposals on the need to make the packaging industry more sustainable, with 35 speakers from all continents, 450 participants from twenty countries and 40 accredited journalists.   The need for a new production system emerged universally during the forum; a new production system to be included within a wider scope, which includes technology and research oriented towards reusable, recyclable and compostable materials, consumer education and new global policies. A need that can no longer be postponed, also in light of the climate change we are witnessing, as recalled by Tim Letts of the WWF.   The sector is therefore moving towards intelligent, digital and flexible packaging, which meets the needs of consumers more sensitive to green issues; packaging that provides companies that invest in sustainability with a fundamental economic return (at least in the long term), so that they can adopt the new systems.   In the first part of the forum, dedicated to legislation and society, an overview on the consumption situation related to packaging was given by Silvia Zucconi (Market intelligence manager at Nomisma), Nicola De Carne (Retailer client business partner at Nielsen) and Paolo Spranzi (Associate Partner at McKinsey). Nomisma examined the Italian and international markets by carrying out an exclusive survey for the forum, focused on the United States and Germany. “In terms of sustainability – explained Zucconi – Italy boasts an overall better performance than the European average. However, all the countries taken into consideration by the study share certain values such as attention to the green characteristics of the packaging, the attitude not to buy products with too much packaging and the search for packs with reduced dimensions”.   “The greatest challenge is to provide everyone with food by 2050, and we must do it reducing the environmental impact. Poor quality packaging leads to food loss. Plastic packaging guarantees fresh and better quality products, therefore in the coming years we must develop increasingly greener materials. The materials exist so we need to develop innovative food systems starting from the reduction of food loss and increase in efficiency” stated Rosa Rolle, FAO manager.   In the second part of the forum, the floor was given to Retailers and Brand Owners including Giacomo Canali (Packaging Research Manager at Barilla) and Roman Manthey (Global Supply Chain Engineering & Infrastructure Director at Coca-Cola Bottling).   A reduction in the use of packaging materials, the use of recyclable materials and cardboard from responsibly managed forests were the highlights discussed by Canali, who also underlined the importance of consumer education. Manthey added “We strongly believe in the circular economy and our goal is to have 100% recyclable plastic bottles. We are already eliminating all unnecessary or not easily recyclable packaging from our range”.   Coop presented its multi-year “Coop for the environment” project, confirming its commitment to sustainability, in line with its history and values. A testimony to their philosophy that does not consist of sporadic actions based solely on consumer sentiment, but which is based on the implementation of real actions throughout the production chain.   “The challenge for a more sustainable world is open – explained Michele Frascaroli, Technical Director at CRIT – and machinery manufacturers are already fully involved in this challenge. All major players are working to provide increasingly sustainable approaches and solutions. Some are already on the market, others are under study and will be presented in a few years. This is one of the factors that make up a circle of sustainable innovation which, in addition to being connected to the research and development of technology, also concerns corporate sustainability, knowledge of materials, collaboration with the producers of the materials and customer relations”.   The managers of international companies such as Amcor, Novamont, NatureWorks, TerraCycle, Herambiente and Aliplast closed the first edition of Packaging Speaks Green and presented materials, technologies and scenarios to reduce the environmental impact starting from innovative solutions.   “Packaging Speaks Green has proven to be a cornerstone for the green turning point in industrial production, right from this very first edition – declared the president of the FICO Foundation Andrea Segrè. The FICO Foundation deals with sustainability at different levels, from agri-food production to the end-of-life of food and the products that enter our homes: the green packaging issue is strategic and falls within the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030. This is why we look with confidence to a new edition of the Forum, to raise the awareness of manufacturers, retailers, stakeholders and citizens on sustainability”.   Enrico Aureli, president of UCIMA closed the forum and announced “After the success of this first edition, we will repeat the forum on an annual basis. UCIMA will also organise a permanent observatory, on innovative materials and the most suitable technologies to use them, open to the contribution of all public and private players”.   The event was sponsored by some of the top companies in the sector of packaging and packaging machine manufacturers: Coesia, IMA, Marchesini Group, Robopac-Ocme, Sacmi and Tetra Pak. Also supporting the event, alongside these international names, were Herambiente and AliPlast, as well as Ipack-IMA, one of the world’s leading fairs for food/non-food processing and packaging, which will be back in Milan from 4 – 7 May 2021.   Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to the most countries in the world and leader in business travel, was the Official Airline Partner of Packaging Speaks Green, supporting this B2B event dedicated to sustainability.   The media partners of the Forum were FoodDev Media, Global Retail Brands, Italy Packaging, Pack Media and Pop Economy.   The event was organized under the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment and of Land and Sea Protection.

The first edition of the forum organized by UCIMA and the FICO Foundation registered 450 participants from 20 countries, 35 international speakers and 40 accredited journalists   February 28, 2020 Canadian Packaging       The packaging world responded positively to the call of Packaging Speaks Green, the international forum dedicated to sustainability in the packaging sector, organized by UCIMA and the FICO Foundation. Two days of debates, discussions and proposals on the need to make the packaging industry more sustainable, with 35 speakers from all continents, 450 participants from twenty countries and 40 accredited journalists.   The need for a new production system emerged universally during the forum; a new production system to be included within a wider scope, which includes technology and research oriented towards reusable, recyclable and compostable materials, consumer education and new global policies. A need that can no longer be postponed, also in light of the climate change we are witnessing, as recalled by Tim Letts of the WWF.   The sector is therefore moving towards intelligent, digital and flexible packaging, which meets the needs of consumers more sensitive to green issues; packaging that provides companies that invest in sustainability with a fundamental economic return (at least in the long term), so that they can adopt the new systems.   In the first part of the forum, dedicated to legislation and society, an overview on the consumption situation related to packaging was given by Silvia Zucconi (Market intelligence manager at Nomisma), Nicola De Carne (Retailer client business partner at Nielsen) and Paolo Spranzi (Associate Partner at McKinsey). Nomisma examined the Italian and international markets by carrying out an exclusive survey for the forum, focused on the United States and Germany. “In terms of sustainability – explained Zucconi – Italy boasts an overall better performance than the European average. However, all the countries taken into consideration by the study share certain values such as attention to the green characteristics of the packaging, the attitude not to buy products with too much packaging and the search for packs with reduced dimensions”.   “The greatest challenge is to provide everyone with food by 2050, and we must do it reducing the environmental impact. Poor quality packaging leads to food loss. Plastic packaging guarantees fresh and better quality products, therefore in the coming years we must develop increasingly greener materials. The materials exist so we need to develop innovative food systems starting from the reduction of food loss and increase in efficiency” stated Rosa Rolle, FAO manager.   In the second part of the forum, the floor was given to Retailers and Brand Owners including Giacomo Canali (Packaging Research Manager at Barilla) and Roman Manthey (Global Supply Chain Engineering & Infrastructure Director at Coca-Cola Bottling).   A reduction in the use of packaging materials, the use of recyclable materials and cardboard from responsibly managed forests were the highlights discussed by Canali, who also underlined the importance of consumer education. Manthey added “We strongly believe in the circular economy and our goal is to have 100% recyclable plastic bottles. We are already eliminating all unnecessary or not easily recyclable packaging from our range”.   Coop presented its multi-year “Coop for the environment” project, confirming its commitment to sustainability, in line with its history and values. A testimony to their philosophy that does not consist of sporadic actions based solely on consumer sentiment, but which is based on the implementation of real actions throughout the production chain.   “The challenge for a more sustainable world is open – explained Michele Frascaroli, Technical Director at CRIT – and machinery manufacturers are already fully involved in this challenge. All major players are working to provide increasingly sustainable approaches and solutions. Some are already on the market, others are under study and will be presented in a few years. This is one of the factors that make up a circle of sustainable innovation which, in addition to being connected to the research and development of technology, also concerns corporate sustainability, knowledge of materials, collaboration with the producers of the materials and customer relations”.   The managers of international companies such as Amcor, Novamont, NatureWorks, TerraCycle, Herambiente and Aliplast closed the first edition of Packaging Speaks Green and presented materials, technologies and scenarios to reduce the environmental impact starting from innovative solutions.   “Packaging Speaks Green has proven to be a cornerstone for the green turning point in industrial production, right from this very first edition – declared the president of the FICO Foundation Andrea Segrè. The FICO Foundation deals with sustainability at different levels, from agri-food production to the end-of-life of food and the products that enter our homes: the green packaging issue is strategic and falls within the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030. This is why we look with confidence to a new edition of the Forum, to raise the awareness of manufacturers, retailers, stakeholders and citizens on sustainability”.   Enrico Aureli, president of UCIMA closed the forum and announced “After the success of this first edition, we will repeat the forum on an annual basis. UCIMA will also organise a permanent observatory, on innovative materials and the most suitable technologies to use them, open to the contribution of all public and private players”.   The event was sponsored by some of the top companies in the sector of packaging and packaging machine manufacturers: Coesia, IMA, Marchesini Group, Robopac-Ocme, Sacmi and Tetra Pak. Also supporting the event, alongside these international names, were Herambiente and AliPlast, as well as Ipack-IMA, one of the world’s leading fairs for food/non-food processing and packaging, which will be back in Milan from 4 – 7 May 2021.   Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to the most countries in the world and leader in business travel, was the Official Airline Partner of Packaging Speaks Green, supporting this B2B event dedicated to sustainability.   The media partners of the Forum were FoodDev Media, Global Retail Brands, Italy Packaging, Pack Media and Pop Economy.   The event was organized under the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment and of Land and Sea Protection