Procter & Gamble recently collaborated with TerraCycle and Suez, the largest waste management company in Europe, on the world's first fully recyclable shampoo bottle made with 25% plastic collected from beaches. This packaging made with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content will soon be available in France. A recent report from the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the UK reveals that of the 300 million tons of virgin plastic that's produced annually, 43% ends up incorrectly deposited in the garbage and ends up in landfills. This is particularly significant because it means that most plastic packaging is used only once. Considering that the look and shape of the Head & Shoulders shampoo bottle seems to remain unchanged, the makeup of this shampoo bottle sets a precedent that brands across multiple industries should take note of.

There are about 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean, a great deal of which is washing up on beaches around the world, resulting in the high-profile fouling of shorelines in Hawaii and Alaska. In an effort to clean up some of this pollution, consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble is planning to produce Head & Shoulders shampoo bottles partly made from beach plastic. The company told The Guardian that the containers will be made from 25 per cent of these recycled materials, collected by thousands of volunteers on the shorelines of France. P&G called it a “first major step” towards establishing a supply chain using the recycled debris. “We felt that the leading shampoo brand in sales should lead in sustainability innovation and know that when we do this, it encourages the entire industry to do the same,” Lisa Jennings, vice-president of global hair at P&G, said in a release. The pilot project, which also involves recycling business TerraCycle and waste management firm Suez, will result in up to 170,000 recycled bottles on shelves across France this summer, according to The Guardian. Steve Morgan, the technical director of plastics recycling organization Recoup, told The Guardian that it is a “technological breakthrough,” despite its limited run. “In the past when companies have tried to use plastics that have been sourced from oceans or beaches, it hasn’t been technically possible because of the exposure to UV, and also the plastics degrade and don’t recycle that well. What they’ve done here is make it technically viable, which is kind of the big thing,” said Morgan. He added that the techniques used by P&G could become “more mainstream” once the technology is further developed and the cost advantage improves. The company also promised to produce more than a 500 million of the same type of bottles per year across Europe by the end of 2018. P&G said this figure represents 90 per cent of all of its haircare bottles sold on the continent. It estimated it will require 2,600 tonnes of recycled plastic each year, or the equivalent of eight fully-loaded Boeing 747s. The company is aiming to double the amount of PCR plastic, post-consumer resin or reclaimed material, that it uses in packaging by 2020. “Increasing the use of recycled plastic in the packaging of our flagship brands, like Pantene and Head & Shoulders, makes it easier for consumers to choose more sustainable products, without any trade-offs,” said Virginie Hellas, vice-president of global sustainability at P&G. “So while we’re proud of what we’ve done and what we’re doing, we know there is much more work ahead.” The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a United Kingdom-based non-profit, estimates that plastic production will double in the next 20 years. However, current efforts are only leading to 14 per cent it being recycled. But it estimates that number could be bumped up to 70 per cent.

When somebody does something awesome at waste recycling business TerraCycle, it triggers a sound that’s literally heard around the world. Each of the company’s 20 global offices is outfitted with a large gong and mallet, and protocol requires the person behind the achievement to take a big swing. She must also send out a virtual “gong hit” to the corporate email list, which prompts colleagues in other offices to strike their own gongs in celebration. “It creates an immediate spread of positivity,” says Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of the Trenton, N.J.-based firm. Bragging might feel sketchy, but there’s increasing evidence to support banging your own gong in a professional context. Peggy Klaus, an executive coach and the author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It, says that in the resource-constrained environment in which most companies operate, it’s important to make your own value known. “Your boss doesn’t have the bandwidth to advocate for you,” says Klaus. “When it’s time for a promotion, he or she needs to know what you’ve done.” It’s not just about self-actualization: employers can benefit greatly by institutionalizing a boastful culture, too. When everyone is forthcoming with their achievements, it lessens the likelihood managers will disproportionately favour only natural show-offs. And Klaus adds that when employees feel comfortable bragging about their own accomplishments, they are also more inclined to talk up colleagues or the company as a whole—especially in front of outsiders (read: clients). But there’s a fine line between helpful self-promotion and being a blowhard. And the opposite angle, “humblebragging”—using false modesty to raise your profile—only makes people roll their eyes, according to Harvard Business School research. So, what’s the secret to constructive crowing? Klaus advocates a pithy approach. “Don’t make it a laundry list,” she says. “Find the ‘brag bites’ that mention your success.” That means keeping the spotlight near, but not directly on, you. For example, you might note to a new acquaintance that you just marked your fifteenth year in marketing, having progressed into a role that lets you work with some of the smartest people in the business. Of course, some people are reluctant boasters. Only 35% of respondents to a May 2016 LinkedIn survey felt comfortable talking about their achievements. Research suggests that women, in particular, tend to understate the value of their work. To prompt her almost all-female team to share accomplishments, Amy Laski, the president and founder of Toronto PR agency Felicity, created several brag-friendly platforms, including a private Facebook page and a biweekly internal newsletter, and actively solicits her staff to fill them with good news. Laski says this sets the tone that good work should be celebrated. She’s also found it to have a snowball effect: when one person shares something great that they’ve done, others are quick to do the same. Technology also helps. Achievers, which makes employee recognition and rewards software, is looking into automatically adding notable feats—like passing an online course—to employee profiles. This could help coax shyer folks into the spotlight, says Egan Cheung, Achievers’ vice-president of product management. At TerraCycle, where the gong rings up to eight times a week, people have become totally comfortable with self-promotion—at times, too comfortable. “One office used to send out really meaningless gong hits—like, for having a company party—and we had to coach them,” says Szaky. “It has to be about ‘wow,’ otherwise people just tune it out.”

For the past 20+ years, recycling has been available in most municipalities in Canada. It would appear that in that time, recycling would be a straight forward business where all recyclable materials are being recycled.  Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Recycling of materials varies from municipality to municipality and from region to region. Large cities and metropolitans tend to have a better recycling program as oppose to suburban or rural areas. In many rural areas all recycling materials need to be dropped off at a local recycling drop-off stations. Needless to say, this greatly reduces the success of recycling. Other factors influencing recycling success rates are understanding of what materials are acceptable, how to prepare and sort items and the most importantly, having access to affordable recycling programs. Many waste management companies and smaller recyclers offer various programs in urban and suburban areas. Yet much of the waste makes it into our streets, forests and waterways.  The oceans are littered with cigarette butts, plastic bottles, plastic bags and other plastic items that are recyclable, but not recycled. According to Statistics Canada, in 2010 only 32% of our waste was recycled. To fill the gap in our recycling system,  Terracycle has launched its new program ZeroWaste boxes. They offer recycling options for hard-to-recycle materials such as plastic packaging, styrofoam products, household and cleaning items, beauty products, pet food bags, lunch room waste and much more. The boxes are an affordable solution for businesses that may not have large quantities of waste, yet want to recycle as much as possible. At NewSpring Energy, we have been using ZeroWaste boxes for plastic packaging since the summer. It has been astonishing how much plastic we have collected in those few months. Plastic wraps, styrofoam packaging, shrink wrap, food packaging, plastic bags, styrofoam containers, milk bags and more. It showed us just how difficult it is to avoid all that plastic. With TerraCycle ZeroWaste box program,  we have diverted from landfill 3.8 ft3 of plastic packaging waste to day. We are committed to reducing waste and recycle as much as possible.

Mégot Zéro is a campaign headed by the Société pour l'action, l'éducation et la sensibilisation environnementale de Montréal (SAESEM) that would like to see fewer cigarette butts on our streets. They have partnered with the City of Montreal as well as TerraCycle to make this happen. The project began in June 2016 when cigarette butt receptacles were placed in busy thoroughfares such as downtown, the Village, and Old Montreal, all in the Ville-Marie borough, enabling smokers to have an alternative place to dispose their butts. The butts are then collected weekly and shipped to TerraCycle in Toronto (with whom A Greener Future also partners) where they are composted and recycled.   I had the chance to touch base with SAESEM’s project manager Myriam Plante via email who was able to give me more insight on the project and where it’s headed. When asked why she thinks throwing butts on the ground has become so acceptable, Ms. Plante answered that the problems related to cigarette butt litter are not discussed as often as they should be. She says that people start to feel bad when they learn about the toxicity of the butts and the harm that they can do to the environment. Therefore, besides providing public ashtrays for those who smoke, education is also an integral part of the project. SAESEM has spread the word of Mégot Zéro to the restaurants, shops, and citizens of the neighbourhoods where their ashtrays are located letting them know what the project is about. Surveys were also conducted after installation for feedback on the project. Since the project has been well received in the participating neighbourhoods, the ashtrays there will stay put with another borough ready to jump on board in 2017. They also have received extensive media coverage from news outlets such as the CBC, Huffington Post, CTV, and Radio-Canada which has helped get their message across to larger audiences. SAESEM has plans to expand next year by working with private organizations while continuing their partnership with the city. Since June, the organization has recovered 200,000 butts from both their public ashtrays and other collaborations.    Montreal is the third city in Canada to have a cigarette butt recycling project in place. The first two were in Toronto and Vancouver, the latter being the world’s first city to embark on such an endeavour. 

Every year, more than 10 billion coffee pods wind up in North American landfills — enough, in fact, to circle the globe more than 10 times over.   That’s due, in large part, to the fact that while Keurig, Tassimo and other brands of single-cup coffee are becoming increasingly popular, most municipal and private recycling systems do not yet recycle the pods they come in — it’s simply too expensive a process to separate the compostable coffee grounds from their recyclable plastic containers.   From an environmental perspective that presents two problems, according to Eugene Ace, cofounder of a unique Toronto startup that’s come up with a solution to the coffee pod dilemma.   “Not only do discarded coffee pods see landfills clogged with plastic, but within the landfill, the coffee grounds trapped inside the pods are not exposed to air, so they end up producing methane — a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Ace, who cofounded GoJava, a GTA coffee delivery company that recycles its clients’ used coffee pods for free, with Evan Birrman in July 2015.   By partnering with TerraCycle Canada, a Fergus, Ont.-based specialty recycling company, Ace and Birrman have so far been able to divert more than 220,000 of the pods — that’s nearly five tons of coffee grounds and plastic — from local landfills in their first 16 months in business.   “We’re just at the very beginning of what we’re trying to do, but we’re really trying to find a mass-market way to collect these used pods and recycle them,” Ace said, noting that company’s current slate of customers includes more than 200 homes and 100 offices in Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Thornhill.   How GoJava works is this: customers simply place their coffee order for home or office at GoJava.ca, where Ace said they can find a full range of Keurig and Tassimo brands and ancillary products — often at better prices than the grocery store.   All orders of $40 or more are eligible for free next-day delivery courtesy of GoJava’s carbon-neutral delivery van, he added.   Upon delivery, first-time customers receive a special collection bin for their discarded coffee pods along with their coffee order, while repeat clients have their used pods picked up by GoJava for recycling at the same time their newest order is delivered.   “What we’ve tried to create here is a really simple-to-understand and easy-to-use service,” said Ace, a Davisville area resident. “We provide a good variety of products for a good value — including fast delivery and free recycling.”   Once Ace, Birrman and their two employees have transported their clients’ used coffee cartridges back to GoJava’s Scarborough warehouse, the pods are then sorted and aggregated into pallets and shipped off to Terracycle in Fergus.   There, the coffee grounds separated to be either composted or used as fertilizer, while the coffee pods are ground down and recycled into plastic lumber to be used for such products as flooring or park benches.   Lerners LLP is just one of many downtown Toronto offices that make use of GoJava’s coffee delivery and recycling program. The Adelaide Street law firm boasts more than 150 employees, many of whom make use of the office’s single-cup coffee systems, said Karen Hervias, Lerners’ administrative services co-ordinator.   “We go through quite a bit of coffee in a week,” she said, noting that they solicited GoJava’s services about six months ago as part of the firm’s overall waste diversion initiative.   To those ends, Hervias said Lerner also subscribes to GoJava’s Zero Waste Office program, which, for a fee, allows offices to recycle materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill — hard-to-recycle items such as paper coffee cups, foil packaging, electronics, batteries, ink cartridges and general office supplies.   “For us, it’s everything from staplers and calculators, to old laptops and binders,” said Nicole Sullivan, who helped spearhead Lerners’ zero-waste initiative alongside Hervias.   “One of the big things that drew us to (GoJava) was that we were collecting hundreds and hundreds of old binders ... We didn’t want them to end up in the landfill, but we couldn’t find a place where we could send them, either. Then the guys at GoJava mentioned that they teamed up with TerraCycle to deal with binders, so we got on board.”   Thus far, Sullivan said Lerners’ recycling partnership with GoJava has been a successful one she’d “absolutely” recommend to other offices.   “If we were to think of the legal field as an ocean ecosystem, our litigators and support staff would be the great whites of that ecosystem — they’re ferocious, they’re powerful, they get the job done,” she said.   “But, even they realize that, over time, their success depends on the health of the community, so adopting zero waste was just Lerners doing its part and leading by example.”

Ten environmentally conscious schools across the country will each earn $25,000 worth of new technology from Staples Canada as part of the retailer’s Superpower your School Contest. Schools are invited to enter the contest at Staples.ca/PowerEco and share their eco initiatives for a chance to win. The Superpower your School Contest starts December 1, 2016 and runs until January 31, 2017. “From growing their own food to banning plastic water bottles and even making their own organic lip balm, students and teachers across the country are innovating to make a difference on our environment,” said Mary Sagat, president of Staples Canada. “We call these students and teachers ‘ecovators’ and what better way to reward them than with access to the latest tech to enhance their education programs.” The contest, previously known as the Staples Canada Recycle for Education Computer Lab Contest, is now in its seventh year and has awarded 70 environmentally conscious schools the latest technology to empower students to learn and nurture their passion for the environment. The contest is held in collaboration with Earth Day Canada, a national charity that works directly with thousands of schools to provide environmental resources and support. “We’re thrilled to be working again with Staples Canada to inspire innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the creative initiatives taking place in schools across Canada,” said Deb Doncaster, president of Earth Day Canada. “We’re eager to help ensure the contest reaches as many schools as possible, and provide support throughout the judging process.” Staples Helps Schools Make a Difference Staples is committed to helping schools make a difference by offering several easy recycling programs: · Canada School Recycling Program: Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Staples Canada encourages schools across the country to participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit www.canadaschoolrecycling.ca batteries to reduce the amount of electronic waste in landfills. Drop off the batteries collected at any Staples store. · Writing Instruments: Staples stores nationwide have partnered with TerraCycle® to collect and recycle used writing instruments. Schools are encouraged to bring in used writing instruments to any Staples store and help provide a second life to these writing instruments by turning them into upcycled and recycled products such as park benches, waste bins and more.

Remember in school when you learned about the three “R’s? You know…reduce, reuse, recycle? (In case you forgot!)   Our kids are learning all about this too, but it’s changed. Recycling isn’t just putting your cans and bottles in the blue bin. Nope, you can recycle things now that we never dreamed of recycling when we were little, like bread bags and soft plastics.   But there are still things we can’t recycle. Things like pizza boxes, Styrofoam (sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t), juice boxes, milk boxes, coffee pods, batteries, art supplies, baby food pouches…you get my drift. So many of our every day products still end up in the trash, the landfill. And we used to want to be recycling heroes when we were younger! Remember? We all wanted to be a part of a big change. Why not now?   I FOUND A WAY.   There is a company called Terracycle. They are kick-ass revolutionaries who are making a difference in a big way.   I discovered them because my husband and I were given a coffee pod system. We LOVE coffee and my my husband really loves espresso. As much as I would love to have a proper espresso machine in my kitchen, the counter space just isn’t there. So this was a very thoughtful gift, and we love it. The only thing? The pods it uses are not recyclable AND they don’t sell a reusable pod (trust me, I looked).   Hmmm. I’m not going to lie, this did deter me from using it for a while, so I kept making pots of coffee because I felt bad throwing out pods EVERY SINGLE DAY. I mean, seriously. I was honestly surprised in this day and age, that a company would make a product that creates so much garbage AND that we couldn’t recycle it! For real, I was shocked.   AND THEN I FOUND TERRACYCLE ZERO WASTE BOXES.   They sent me a box where I happily chuck my used coffee pods and once the box is full, I mail it back to the company where they recycle all the parts. I feel amazing, and I don’t have to do any of the work. Win-win.   Yes, it costs. But is it worth it? I think so. Wouldn’t you rather pay a nominal fee than feel guilty every time you had a coffee? I drink a lot of coffee.   Terracycle sorts and shreds the pods, and here’s what happens to the separate parts:   Plastics are cleaned, pelletized, and turned into a variety of recycled materials, from plastic lumber to recycle bins. Metals are sent to be smelted /recycled. Coffee grinds are separated and sent to a composter who uses them on farmers fields.   How awesome is that???       In this day and age, this is the stuff that matters. And it really should. We can do something about it, and it doesn’t have to be difficult.       My Zero Waste box holds about 250 pods…I think it has about 50 in it, so we have a long way to go before we send it back.       I also love involving the kids in recycling, even if it’s something they’re not using right now. It’s important they know we care about the environment and that we’re doing something to protect it.       Oh-and if you think it begins and ends at coffee pods, you should check out their website! They have zero waste boxes for coffee capsules, drink pouches, hair nets, action figures, ink and toner, oral hygiene items, and so much more. It’s awesome!   Let me know if you end up getting one, I would love to hear about your experiences-and if you involve your kids!  

Admit it: Hiding in your home’s junk drawer is an ancient flip phone that composed your very first text. Deep in the bowels of your hall closet is your long-dormant, 2002-era PC clone. And down in your basement? You’ve likely stashed a clunky TV plus a DVD/VHS player (for that sweet VHS collection you’re also hoarding). This stuff is called e-waste, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in America. But only 25% of the estimated 2.37 million tons of electronics we’ve chucked so far was properly recycled—which is a dirty shame, because there are valuable materials (hello, gold!) in all those tiny circuits, as well as toxic elements like mercury that seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater.  All of which means that ethical homeowners should learn the right way to get rid of e-waste. Try these steps in lieu of just chucking your defunct gadgets in the garbage—then pat yourself on the back for doing your small part to clean up the world. Apple also has its own buy-back plan, which enables customers to return electrical products in decent condition either in store or online. The tech giant will then make sure that your old item is either recycled responsibly, or repurposed to make a new product. And for the real dinosaurs… Face it, you’re going to make precisely $0 selling your pager, 1990s fax machine, or home phone. TerraCycle’s Recycling Program offers a sustainable solution to this growing problem with an E-Waste Zero Waste Box Program. Simply buy a Zero Waste Box (the smallest, at 10 inches by 10 inches by 18 inches, costs $82), collect your outdated junk and ship it to TerraCycle for recycling. Apart from decluttering your digs, you can enjoy the satisfaction of having done at least a small good deed for the environment.