By Gary A. Jones, director, EHS Affairs, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association

  Despite what many may think, the concept of sustainability is not new and has been evolving for decades. To some extent, the roots of sustainability were born with the conservation movement that was spearheaded by President Teddy Roosevelt, who worked hard to establish the national parks system. Since then, the focus of sustainability has grown to encompass an examination of just about all aspects of daily life and a search to find approaches, products and services that have a positive impact on the planet.  

Sustainability background and emergence of the circular economy

  Modern sustainability emerged in the mid to late 1980s with the publishing of a report titled “Our Common Future,” also known as the “Brundtland Report,” in 1987 by the UN’s World Commission for Environment and Development, chaired by former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The report defined the principle of sustainable development as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”   There was a period after the release of “Our Common Future” before the sustainability movement became a hot topic for the printing industry. The question about what is a “green printer” began in earnest in the mid 2000s and reached a crescendo near the end of the decade. In response, the printing industry created and launched the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (www.sgppartnership.org), an independent third-party certification program addressing sustainable print manufacturing.   During the last decade, sustainability in the print industry focused on the packaging and point-of-purchase displays market, with many print customers requiring their products to be both sustainable and manufactured in a sustainable fashion. Then, in 2018, a sustainable tsunami hit the world, with tremendous ramifications.   Two events focused targeted attention to the issue of sustainability. First, National Geographic launched a campaign to reduce waste from plastic products, such as single-use bags and straws, called “Planet or Plastics?” The National Geographic initiative not only included an awareness campaign about plastics pollution but also addressed investments in research programs and partnerships.   The second action, and perhaps the one that had the greatest impact, was China’s implementation of its Blue Sky program that set strict regulations about the scrap material imported into the country. Over the last decade, China has accepted a wide variety of wastes from many countries in the world – including the United States, Canada and Europe – for recycling. It only was able to use a small fraction of the material received, and the rest was either landfilled or left to accumulate. To combat the overwhelming amount of waste that could not be recycled, China outright prohibited certain materials from being imported, and for those they were willing to accept, it set an extremely low contamination rate of 0.5%. The targeted materials for ban included plastics, scrap paper, certain metals and textile materials. China continued to set bans around additional materials and may completely ban all materials.   This positive leap for China to achieve its national environmental health goals has caused major repercussions for the rest of the world. The ramifications for the US have been particularly impactful as approximately 40% of the total materials collected for recycling were being exported to China. While other countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Korea are willing to take some wastes, the amount they can process is not large enough to absorb what China was accepting. These countries, along with other Asian countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, have been closing their doors to these waste products.  

Push for a circular economy

  The actions taken by China and other countries highlighted the limitations of the linear economy. The linear economy is characterized by the take-make-dispose approach to producing products and services. This approach tends to consume finite resources to produce products which end up in landfills or incinerators. The launching of a new model was seen – the circular economy. The circular approach, as envisioned by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system. The circular economy incorporates renewable energy and is based on three principles: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.   The illustration in Figure 1 offers a clear illustration of the differences in material flows between linear, reuse and circular economic models. Achieving a circular economy is not an easy path to take as it is difficult to fully eliminate waste. Some products, such as those made from renewable resources, readily are adapted to the circular economy model while others are more challenging. There are many practical barriers to establishing a closed-loop economy. However, changes toward closed-loop or circular economy operations are achievable within specific sectors, companies or product categories.   One business strategy for closing the production-use-disposal scenario includes shifting from selling products that the consumer owns and eventually disposes of to providing a service with an agreement in which the products remain the responsibility of the manufacturer to repair, replace, refurbish or repurpose. This shift in ownership incentivizes the manufacturer to design for less waste, produce a more durable product and create loyalty with their customers.   For example, a recent assessment by Ricoh concluded that by 2050 there will be an insufficient supply of many virgin materials at a reasonable cost to support its manufacturing needs. As a result, Ricoh has revised its business model using life-cycle analysis as the basis for decision-making and establishing a series of “Resource Smart Solutions” for product design and manufacturing, re-use, collection, maintenance and materials recovery. Since the company owns 60% of what it sells, it can engage its customers in new business solutions derived from a circular economy approach.  

Government action

  Many argue that government intervention is needed to both encourage and instill a more sustainable environment. Several approaches have been proposed, using the circular economy model, to address reaching this goal. Approaches under consideration involve the imposition of mandates to use a specified amount of recycled materials in products, banning the use of certain products and implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. EPR programs are designed to shift the waste management cost or physical collection partially or fully from local governments to producers.   EPR as a concept is not new in the US, with almost every state having some type of producer responsibility laws covering consumer products such as automobile batteries, electronics, mobile phones, paint, pesticide containers, carpet, thermostats and pharmaceuticals. Several states have enacted landfill bans which have had an increasing positive impact on product recycling.   Packaging and paper have not escaped the grasp of EPR. Many provinces in Canada and many countries in the European Union have had EPR programs extending to packaging or printed paper for many years. So far, none have been enacted by a state or local government. However, that may soon change with the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and California.   Maine’s legislation has come the closest to being enacted. It was debated in this year’s legislative session, but failed to pass. Maine’s legislation would see producers with more than $1 million in annual gross revenue paying into a managed fund, with participating municipalities then eligible to be reimbursed for recycling and disposal costs. The costs imposed would be done on a sliding scale of how “readily recyclable” a material is and those that are difficult to recycle would be charged a higher fee. Unless there is a special session called, it will not be considered again until next year.   While there has been activity, virtually all government legislative and regulatory activity has occurred at the state and local level. The combination of the National Geographic focus on plastics, including ocean plastics, and China’s Blue Sky program and its ramifications spurred many state and local government entities to ban the use of certain types of plastic-based products.   Many states have implemented bans on plastic bags, plastic straws, polystyrene food containers and other single-use plastic products. Likewise, some corporations have initiated their own programs. A good example is several large hotel brands are eliminating the use of individually packed toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, etc. in guest rooms.   Some states have taken the approach of focusing on setting requirements for certain types of packaging. For example, California has established, through legislative action, a program that sets requirements for state-controlled food service packaging. This new program requires state-owned food service facilities, those operating on state-owned properties or those under contract to a state agency to dispense prepared food using food service packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable.  

Marketplace responses

  There are bright spots. Emerging trends around both the use and manufacturing of alternative substrates that are easier to recycle is on the rise. While there is a movement to increase infrastructure recycling using existing technology and new technologies such as chemical recycling, it will be some time before it comes online and sufficient capacity exists to relieve the downward pressure.   Some brands are shifting away from plastic to paper-based products. Several examples include using paper-based material to replace six-pack rings or the recent announcement by Procter & Gamble Beauty that it will start offering both Old Spice and Secret brand deodorants in all-paper, plastic-free, tube packaging. There is no mention if the paper tube is recyclable.   For textiles, there is movement to use cellulosic fibers, recycled poly, organic cotton and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton, which is a cotton sustainability program. For labels that are being used on PET-based containers, there is a move to use labels that are compatible with the recycling process and for other plastics, work is being done on polymers that are more compatible to both mechanical and chemical recycling.   It also is important to understand that, in addition to new substrates and recycling technologies, there are companies exploring reductions in packaging and package-free options. Lightweighting a package is not necessarily new, along with concentrating certain products to reduce package size. The new options being explored involve selling a single product where the package can be reused multiple times with the subsequent purchasing of super concentrated product that is reconstituted by the consumer.   A corollary to this approach is refillable packaging, where the consumer returns to the store to refill their individual container from bulk dispensing units. Package-free options already are being explored by smaller grocery stores where products are not sold prepackaged.  

How this impacts the printing industry

  For those facilities involved in packaging and labels, the sustainability and circular economy movement is real. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Target and Unilever have adopted sustainability goals related to the reduction of packaging materials. While attention has been focused on the use of plastics and packaging, increasing attention has been turning to the fashion industry. The drum beat to reduce the impact of “fast fashion” is increasing and getting louder every day. The effect is hitting both the products being produced for customers and the manufacturing operations.   The pressure on brands to address the waste associated with their products has been growing and will only continue to increase. A second, and possibly most important, impact of China’s Blue Sky program is felt around the country as municipalities have stopped or suspended local recycling programs.   With China no longer accepting most of the US-generated recycling, the market has disappeared. With the approaches that many brands and other companies are taking to address these issues, those that are producing products, packaging, labels and other supporting material need to understand they could have their businesses severely interrupted and threatened. Imagine the impact if someone’s primary business was producing packaging or labels and the company’s number one customer decided to offer its products as package free.   With the focus on textiles, packaging and paper waste increasing, printing operations need to become engaged on several fronts. They need to become educated about the changes occurring with respect to new substrates, advances in recycling technologies and recycling services, such as those offered by TerraCycle. This education provides the ability to offer solutions when requested by the customer.   Establish a dialog with customers to educate them about the current and future changes being driven by pressure from consumers, consumer groups, environmental organizations and government regulation. Given the economic pressures being applied to local municipal recycling programs, it is almost certain that there will be additional government regulation imposed on those that produce products, even if they are currently readily recyclable.   The benefit of having this type of dialogue is it allows the printing operation to gauge the understanding and options being considered by the customer. Customers are not monolithic. Some are proactive, while others will wait until circumstances dictate action on their part. If some of the ERP laws come to fruition, understanding the impact of various substrates and alternative options that are more readily recyclable would enable customers to pay less of a fee due to their ability to be recycled.   The education about the changing landscape also allows printing operations to understand the possible changes occurring and potential shifts by their customers to new substrates or the abandonment of current substrates. There are a host of issues that need to be considered, including performance, cost, printability, waste, etc. Understanding how to work with these new or “new to you” substrates will allow for a competitive advantage and allow for a fast response to changes in demands from customers.  

Conclusion

  The building of a circular economy is not going to be easy. There are many considerations that need to be evaluated as the linear model and the mindset associated with it will be difficult to transform. Nevertheless, the physical realities of the linear model have reached a tipping point as the world has quite simply run out of places to put the waste generated by modern society. Landfilling waste is not a solution as it is just long-term storage and more eloquent solutions are mandatory.   The path forward for many products is not clear. The key to expanding the circular economy is the engagement of consumers, business, academia and government to provide the demand and proper incentives to find solutions. With government now adopting circular economy legislation, more consumers demanding solutions and some brands adopting circular approaches across their value chain in order to mitigate reputational, supply chain, financial, environmental and regulatory risk, printing operations will need to adopt new business models that align with an emerging reality that discourages waste and encourages resource efficiency with design and innovation. This means they need to become more cost efficient, incorporate renewable technologies and resources, partner with like-minded suppliers and engage with emerging approaches to remain relevant and competitive.

Environmental educators Meredith Fish and Jenna Livernois can’t stand cigarette butts on their beaches. And they despise plastic litter tumbling along dunes, the tideline and public places of Dare County.   After storms, they’ve filled buckets full of plastic debris they’ve found on the beach – things that all too often end up in the sea where they can negatively impact or kill marine life. Year round, they teach visiting public-school students about the environment and how to protect it, and they are always on the lookout for new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.   This season, visitors to Jennette’s Pier will notice a new and improved recycling center on the south side deck of the pier house. Fish and Livernois put together the Recycle MORE Center over the winter for everyone to use. It was paid for with a grant from the North Carolina Aquarium Society.   Fish, who grew up on the Outer Banks, said the new center is accessible at any time.   “I want everyone to know they can come by and drop off their stuff,” Fish said. She and Livernois also encourage the hundreds of summer campers they teach each week to recycle more.   The new Recycle MORE Center expands the kinds of recyclables Jennette’s already collects, including cigarette butts and monofilament fishing line. Most standard curbside mixed recyclables are accepted in the blue can, Fish said. The bin with the black label collects plastic film, the red is for Solo cups, and yellow is for a variety of things such as fruit squeeze pouches, razor products and packaging, oral care products and small products such as lip balm.   Livernois said plastic film includes Ziploc bags, plastic grocery bags and plastic wrap. “Anything that passes the stretch test but isn’t crunchy sounding,” she said. Plastic wrapping, such as the kind around a case of water or Gatorade, can be taken to your local grocery store, Fish said. “They have so much from their pallets they send it back on their trucks,” Livernois said.   All of the pier’s recyclables are shipped to TerraCycle, the same facility that recycles the cigarette butts collected on the Jennette’s Pier property. The center also has a regular brown can for “regular old trash,” Fish said.

Heard any interesting recycling facts lately? We asked recycling innovator TerraCycle, to tell us the three most important facts about recycling they know. Chances are, you don’t know them yet. If you’ve never heard the amazing story of TerraCycle – where have you been? Founded by CEO and visionary Tom Szaky in 2001, this company is all about sustainability, innovation and making the world a better place. They’re the creators of the #RecycleEverything and #KeepOnRecycling movements. Today the company embodies its slogan, ‘eliminating the idea of waste,’ and has developed programs that recycle the most difficult materials imaginable, from PPE to batteries. TerraCycle operates all over the world, making recycling accessible, useful and profitable.   So, they know a thing or two about recycling facts, stats and tips. This month, we’ve been investigating what residents think they know, but actually don’t know – about recycling. There’s a lot of misinformation, skepticism and ignorance out there! We turned to Sue Kauffman from TerraCycle for some answers. Here’s what we discovered.  

3 Recycling Facts That No-one is Talking About

  We were curious – what 3 facts about recycling do people know nothing about?  

Fact #1: Recycling Combats Climate Change

• “Recycling directly counteracts climate change. The recycling rate is 35% in the United States and this keeps 184 million metric tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing 39 million cars from the road. If the recycling rate was higher, even more climate change accelerating greenhouse gases would be removed from the equation.”

If anyone ever asks you why you recycle, now you can tell them that it combats climate change. Once we end wish-cycling and get the system in North America working correctly again, it will make a positive impact on the rate of global warming.  

Fact #2: We Are Terrible at Recycling

• “According to the EPA, around 75% of the American’s waste can be recycled but we only recycle about 30% of it.”

This is a recycling statistic that we’re quite familiar with here at Recycle Coach. Our municipalities need to advance business and residential recycling education to improve recycling contamination rates, and increase how much waste is recycled.   People think they’re doing the right thing, but the reality is that wish-cycling is rife and not enough people are invested in recycling. There is upwards of 50% room for improvement.  

Fact #3: Aluminum Cans Are Recycled Fast

• “On average, an aluminum can will be back on a store shelf just 6 weeks after you throw it in the recycling bin. This amount of waste adds up, too. The average person goes through more than 25,000 cans in their lifetime - but a recycled aluminum can conserve 95% of the energy and water required to produce an aluminum can from virgin material.”

Now that’s a fast recycling process! When you recycle cans, you’re saving the environment and sustaining an industry. It’s one of those closed loops that TerraCycle loves to create.  

Why Do Residents Believe False Recycling Facts?

  Next, we asked TerraCycle why people tend to believe so many fake recycling facts and stats. Why do residents think they can’t get any better at recycling? Why don’t they realize the impact 1 can could make? Do they really believe that recycling doesn’t make any difference?   The Response:   “Many Americans are aware to some extent that the United States is the world’s largest producer of waste. With only 4% of the world’s population, the U.S. still manages to produce 30% of the planet’s total waste.   Convenient “facts” that are either cherry-picked or outright false allow people to carry-on unsustainable habits and permit them to believe that they’re making less of an environmental impact than they actually are.   A good example of this are misleading recycling symbols that contribute to “wish-cycling”, a counter-productive habit where consumers toss anything with a recycling symbol in their blue bins without first confirming that the item is recyclable in the municipality.   Much of this material, especially plastics other than #1 and #2 which are the most commonly accepted, will not be recycled and risk contaminating otherwise recyclable material, clogging recycling machinery and leading to a loss of resources, time, and money.”  

How Can We Teach Residents Accurate Recycling Facts?

  Finally, we asked TerraCycle if there was anything we could do to rectify what people think they know about recycling today. How do we fix this huge knowledge gap? The Response:   “Much of the responsibility to educate residents falls to their municipalities. Since China stopped accepting much of the world’s recyclables in 2018 due to contamination fears, these education efforts have ramped up in almost every state as local recyclers now contend with the same issues.   No matter the outlet of information, it is important to not overload residents with too much at once. Many towns have begun education campaigns that focus on small steps first, like how greasy pizza boxes or plastic shopping bags cannot be tossed in the blue bin. Building on these minor lifestyle changes, we can help to increase the rate of recycling and cut-down on wish-cycling.”   It seems that to reach residents with important recycling facts and statistics, a smart approach is needed. There, we’re 100% aligned! Our team creates custom campaigns that focus on a particular problem a municipality is dealing with directly, in order to resolve it piece-by-piece.   Using modern technology, we believe accurate recycling facts will find their way into cities, neighborhoods and families. Technology can be the bridge that closes this gap.   For now, remember the 3 most important facts of the day, according to recycling innovator, TerraCycle: Recycling combats climate change, we’re terrible at it, and a single person’s impact can save the world – even if it’s just a can-do attitude.   Municipalities: learn this by heart.

Mars Petcare is a global company comprised of more than 50 brands that serve pets across the world through nutrition, health, research, technology and veterinary expertise. The company’s driving force is its strategic purpose of A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™ and nutrition philosophy which reflects a respect for pets and the importance of the foods Mars Petcare makes.   The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition is the research and development engine for Mars Petcare and a world-leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and health. WALTHAM developed the company’s guiding principles for pet food and nutrition.   These principles include: putting the pet’s needs first through advancing knowledge in pet nutrition; never compromising on making safe, quality foods using credible and caring science; driving good feeding practices by providing information, education and services; and listening to owner’s needs. WALTHAM also shares its key findings with the scientific community and industry associations, enabling pets and pet owners around the world to benefit from its work.   “At Mars Petcare, we don’t just talk about making A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, we live it every day,” said Mark Johnson, president of Mars Petcare North America. “Everything we do is grounded in our desire to make pets happy, healthy and welcome, from our products and services to our partnerships and investment into leading research and development.”   In line with contributing to a better world, Mars, parent company of Mars Petcare, has committed to multiple initiatives to reduce the impact the company’s products and manufacturing practices have on the environment. As part of its sustainable-in-a-generation plan, Mars announced at the end of 2015 that the company achieved its goal of sending zero waste to landfill from direct manufacturing at all 126 of its production facilities around the world.   To encourage recycling of materials that can’t be handled by municipal recycling, Mars Petcare UK recently teamed up with TerraCycle on a recycling program in which pet owners drop off used pet packaging at designated locations to be recycled. Mars Petcare’s goal is to redesign all its packaging to be 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.   Additional initiatives focus on water stewardship, land use, improving the working lives of people in the company’s value chain and increasing access to the products and information that help maintain healthy lifestyles. The company estimates it serves more than 400 million pets across the globe and positively impacts the lives of billions of people and their pets.

The world's first plastic-free PPE is set to help millions of people around the globe tackle the spread of Covid-19 while protecting the planet.   International campaign group A Plastic Planet and packaging innovators Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging have developed clear plastic free visors to protect staff without adding to plastic pollution.   The REELshield Visor is recyclable and home compostable, CE-certified, made from FSC paper board and PEFC cellulose from wood pulp.   Production    With demand for PPE set to increase as the government seeks to unlock Britain’s economy further, Plastic Free PPE provides much needed equipment which does not pollute the planet.   Some 761 million pieces of PPE, predominantly made from plastic, have been distributed across the UK alone since February 2020. During this time, images of discarded plastic PPE on beaches or in the marine environment have become increasingly common.   To help meet demand for protective equipment, more than a million REELshield Visors can be produced each week.   Three Oceans and delivery service Yodel, who are working alongside the NHS to deliver tests, have all placed orders.   Sustainably sourced, the lightweight visors are designed to ensure comfort with an adjustable headband which can accommodate corporate branding.   Collaboration    To ensure a circular process, A Plastic Planet have partnered with Terracycle where staff can use a dedicated bin after use. Terracycle will then collect the visors and recycle or compost them.   A Plastic Planet, Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging are also collaborating with Augment Bionics to supply the visors to charities in East and South Africa. Plans to manufacture locally in the US are also underway.   The Plastic Free PPE range is the first protective equipment to receive A Plastic Planet’s Plastic Free Trust Mark accreditation.   Campaigners believe the move will tackle two of the world’s most pressing issues simultaneously: high demand for protective equipment and plastic pollution.   Protection   Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, said: “No-one wants to compromise the safety of employees and the public; but the plastic PPE visors are used once and then exist for centuries, polluting our planet.   “We wanted to lead by example and show that we can protect ourselves and protect our planet. We can no longer sacrifice nature without consequence. The public back a green recovery from the pandemic because quite simply, we cannot self-isolate or vaccinate against the climate crisis.”   Liz Bonnin, science, wildlife and environmental broadcaster added: "PPE is vital for the protection of health care workers and to reduce the transmission of the virus. But it doesn't have to be made from fossil fuels.   "Covid-19 will be part of our lives for some time, and as lockdown rules ease, demand for PPE is only going to increase. Considering the plastic pollution crisis we are still battling, and the lessons we are learning from this pandemic about the need to work with nature instead of against it, Plastic Free PPE can help to protect us without further damaging the planet."

The ‘world’s first’ plastic-free coronavirus visor that can be composted in your back-garden has gone on sale at 50p a mask.   The Plastic Free PPE REELshield, sold in cases of 150 for £75, consists of an adjustable headband made from responsibly-sourced paper and a transparent visor made of cellulose extracted from woodpulp.   Once used, the designer’s say it can be disposed of with organic waste.   The US Composting Council adds there is ‘no risk’ of compost spreading coronavirus as it will decay in the heat and humidity within three days.   International campaign group A Plastic Planet and packaging experts Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging developed the PPE to reduce plastic pollution.   ‘No one wants to compromise the safety of employees and the public, but the plastic PPE visors are used once and then exist for centuries’, said Sian Sutherland, the campaign group’s co-founder.   ‘We wanted to lead by example and show that we can protect ourselves and protect our planet.   ‘We can no longer sacrifice nature without consequence. The public back a green recovery from the pandemic because, quite simply, we cannot self-isolate or vaccinate against the climate crisis.’   The PPE has been CE-certified by the European Economic Area, meaning it has been extensively tested to ensure it meets the same standards as the plastic alternative.   It has also received a Plastic Free Trust Mark from one of its designers, A Plastic Planet.   The PPE will be made available to businesses this week. Some have already been snapped up by delivery company Yodel and fish product business Three Oceans.   It can be purchased either by individuals, or by companies looking to make larger orders, a spokesman said.   For those concerned about composting, there will be a dedicated service where used PPE can be taken away in a specialist bin.   The stock will be collected by TerraCycle and taken to a site where it will be recycled or composted.   Factories stand ready to produce more than a million plastic free PPE kits every week, with plans to start manufacturing more in the US and distribute it across Eastern and Southern Africa.   The US Composting Council says there is ‘essentially no risk of transmitting the disease through composting.   ‘The virus is not a living organism, but a protein molecule covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat),’ they said.   ‘Since the virus is not a living organism, it is not killed but decays. The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies: Between three hours (airborne droplets) to 24 hours (porous surfaces like fabrics or cardboard) to 72 hours (hard smooth surfaces like plastic).   ‘In any case, it will definitely not survive the weeks or months in your compost pile, even a not-very-active one.’   An estimated 761 million pieces of PPE have been distributed across the UK since February 2020.

Better Natured™, a Henkel professional-level hair care and styling line created with a synergistic blend of naturally-derived* ingredients, has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle® to make the packaging for their line of hair care products nationally recyclable across the United States. As an added incentive, for every shipment of Better Natured packaging waste sent to TerraCycle, collectors earn points that can be donated to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. “We are so excited to be partnering with TerraCycle to give our community of hair creators a way to close the loop and divert packaging waste away from landfills, once they’ve squeezed every-last-drop out of their Better Natured hair care products. We believe a cleaner world starts with all of us, and by partnering with TerraCycle we’re empowering our community to help do their part to recycle materials that can’t be easily recycled curbside,” said Better Natured Senior Marketing Manager, Christie Belfiore. Through the Better Natured Recycling Program, consumers can now send in their Better Natured hair care packaging waste to be recycled for free. Participation is easy: sign up on the TerraCycle program page at http://www.terracycle.com/better-natured and mail in the empty hair care packaging using the provided prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. “Hair care products are a staple in the daily routines of countless consumers,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “The launch of the Better Natured Recycling Program represents an exciting opportunity to divert a large category of waste from landfills and empower consumers to demonstrate their respect for the environment, not only through the products they choose to include in their beauty regimen, but also by taking an active role in how the packaging is disposed.” Better Natured strives to make the world a better, more beautiful place by partnering with notable environmental leaders like Keep America Beautiful. Through their sponsorship of the Great American Cleanup initiative and the creation of local community murals, Better Natured is doing their part to help communities become clean, green and beautiful places to live in. The brand is also working closely with the How2Recycle organization to help standardize labeling to clearly communicate recycling instructions to the public to make sure their packaging is recycled appropriately. Through the launch of the Better Natured Recycling Program, in association with TerraCycle, the spent packaging from the Better Natured line of hair care products will be diverted from the landfill and properly recycled. Ultimately, by 2025 Better Natured is committed to making 100% of their packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable. The Better Natured Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization, and builds on Henkel’s existing relationship with TerraCycle. For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit http://www.terracycle.com. *Global ISO Standard 16128 defines naturally-derived as a plant or mineral derived material and water which is found in nature and has undergone limited processing. In the Better Natured Haircare & Styling line, the percent naturally-derived ranges from 86% - 99%. ** Purely Science refers to the clean synthetic ingredients necessary to ensure the efficacy and stability of the formula.  

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 UN World Oceans Day has switched format to be an online event that is open and free to all. On 8 June from 10am to 5pm EDT (UTC−04:00), the event will be streaming live. It is produced in partnership with non-profit Oceanic Global and aims to raise global awareness about the abundance the oceans provide, and individual and collective duty to use its resources sustainably.   At 12:40PM, Ellen Cuylaerts, curator of the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition, will be joined by the contest’s judges: Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, and John Thet, to announce this year’s winners.   The full day’s schedule is below. In order to attend and get updates from the event, please register.     SCHEDULE 10:00AM Opening Remarks High-level speakers will open UN World Oceans Day with remarks on the 2020 theme “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean”. Speakers H.E. António Guterres. Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande. President of the General Assembly *Remarks: Cara Delevingne * 10:20AM The State of the Ocean Speakers will provide an overview of the state of the ocean and highlight the inter-linkages of the problems we face, as well as opportunities we can harness. Speakers Sylvia Earle. President & Chair, Mission Blue Bill McKibben. Co-Founder, 350.org João Miguel Ferreira de Serpa Soares. Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs & United Nations Legal Counsel 11:00AM “Spotlight Solutions” for the Ocean This segment spotlights current projects offering innovative solutions that address the themes of the eight interactive dialogues of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference. Moderator Lucy Biggers. Climate and Sustainability Correspondent, NowThis Speakers Peter Thomson. United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Francis Zoet. Co-Founder & Director of Operations, The Great Bubble Barrier Ahmad “Aki” Allahgholi. Founder & Managing Director, Coralive.org Olivier Ceberio. COO and Co-Founder, Resolute Marine Michael Selden. Co-Founder & CEO, Finless Foods Jossie Jasmin. Dive shop Manager & Instructor at Amun Ini Dive Bigs Eggert. Owner of Amun Ini Dive Dirk Rosen. Founder & Executive Director, Marine Applied Research and Exploration Elisa Morgera. Professor of Global Environmental Law, Strathclyde University Law School & Director, “One Ocean Hub” Jim Ritterhoff. Executive Director, FORCE BLUE 12:00PM The Cousteaus: A Multigenerational Conversation on Ocean Exploration The Cousteaus will provide a multigenerational perspective on our evolving understanding of the ocean across time, highlighting certain innovations in science and exploration that have shaped our relationship with the ocean. Speakers Jean-Michel Cousteau Celine Cousteau Fabien Cousteau 12:20PM OceanX: Innovation, Technology and Deep Sea Exploration The segment will highlight exciting developments in the world of science, technology and exploration, with a particular focus on deep sea exploration, opportunities for future discoveries and the rapid progress in this field. Speakers Mark Dalio. Founder & Creative Director, OceanX Edith Widder. CEO & Senior Scientist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc. 12:40PM UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Winners Announcement of the finalists and winners of the 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition. Curator Ellen Cuylaerts. Freelance Underwater and Wildlife Photographer and Curator, 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Judges Jim Standing, Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, John Thet Remarks: Ellie Goulding   1:00PM The Blue Economy and Private Sector Impact This panel discussion will shed light on how the private sector is engaging communities to develop solutions for a healthy ocean. Moderator Curtis Brainard. Managing Editor, Scientific American Speakers Tom Szaky. Founder & CEO, TerraCycle Michael W. Lodge Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Dave Ford. Founder, Soul Buffalo & Co-Founder, Ocean Plastics Leadership Network Melissa Garren. CEO & Founder, Working Ocean Strategies Deeper Dive One Ocean Foundation 2:00PM Communities Innovating for a Sustainable Ocean Panelists will provide examples of community-driven innovative approaches to effecting positive change in our relation with the ocean, highlighting key lessons learned. Moderator Andrea Thompson. Associate Editor for Sustainability, Scientific American Speakers Gayatri Reksodihardjo–Lilley. Director & Founder, Indonesian Nature Foundation (Yayasan Alam Indonesia Lestari - LINI) Julia Kumari Drapkin. CEO & Founder, ISeeChange Asha de Vos. Founder & Executive Director, Oceanswell Shanta Shamsunnahar. Program Coordinator, MPA Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bangladesh Deeper Dive Christophe Bailhache. Photographer & Filmmaker, Co-Founder of Underwater Earth 3:00PM Youth Driving Innovation Youth from around the world will share their solutions to drive innovation, engage their community and bridge generational gaps for a healthy and sustainable ocean. Moderator Jack Harries. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Speakers Forbi Perise Eyong Nyosai. Greening Forward Lilly Platt. Environmentalist and Global Youth Ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition, WODI &Youth Mounds. Founder of Lilly’s Plastic Pickup. Dylan Vecchione. Founder, ReefQuest Foundation Callie Veelenturf. Marine Conservation Biologist; Founder, The Leatherback Project and Rights for Nature World Ocean Week Remarks Remarks on World Oceans Week and the efforts of the Friends of World Oceans Day (FOWOD) community. Speakers Francois Bailet. Senior Legal Officer, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Lea d’Auriol. Founder & Executive Director, Oceanic Global 4:00PM A Concert for our Ocean The Day will conclude with a celebration of the ocean through live performances from musicians around the world!  

Campaign group A Plastic Planet has launched the world’s first plastic-free PPE in a bid to assist the fight against coronavirus polluting the environment.     Since February 2020, 761 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been distributed across the UK, most of which are made from plastic and have already been found littering beaches and marine environments across the country.   International campaign group A Plastic Planet and packaging companies Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging have come together to develop the first clear plastic-free visors to protect staff without contributing to plastic pollution.   Terracycle will provide a service where staff can use a dedicated bin for used PPE which Terracycle will then collect to recycle or compost the visors.   Three Oceans and delivery service Yodel who are working alongside the NHS to deliver tests have already placed orders for the equipment.   The campaign group has said they hope that this PPE will help to tackle two of the world’s most pressing issues: high demand for protective equipment and plastic pollution.   Sian Sutherland, the co-founder of A Plastic Planet, said: ‘No-one wants to compromise the safety of employees and the public; but the plastic PPE visors are used once and then exist for centuries, polluting our planet.   ‘We wanted to lead by example and show that we can protect ourselves and protect our planet. We can no longer sacrifice nature without consequence. The public backs a green recovery from the pandemic because quite simply, we cannot self-isolate or vaccinate against the climate crisis.’   Liz Bonnin, science, wildlife and environmental broadcaster has also said: ‘PPE is vital for the protection of health care workers and to reduce the transmission of the virus. But it doesn’t have to be made from fossil fuels.   ‘Covid-19 will be part of our lives for some time, and as lockdown rules ease, demand for PPE is only going to increase. Considering the plastic pollution crisis we are still battling, and the lessons we are learning from this pandemic about the need to work with nature instead of against it, Plastic Free PPE can help to protect us without further damaging the planet.’

  BRANDENBURG, Germany, Jun 03 (IPS) - The UN will commemorate World Environment Day 2020 on Friday June 5The COVID-19 insurgence has highlighted the need for multilateral cooperation among sustainability stakeholders. As the journey towards achieving Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is fraught with imminent global challenges, global environmental leaders agree that now is the time to act collectively for nature, leaving no one behind.   The shortage of sustainability knowledge in Africa is particularly appalling, and it seems the continent is oblivious to the world's agenda. This is evident through the data-based analysis of Africa's lack of progress towards achieving sustainability.   In response, Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, educator, sustainability advocate, academic associate with SDSN, and a scientific committee member of the 2018 ICSD at the Earth Institute, Columbia University, swung into action.   She founded The Green Institute, a sustainability education organization in Nigeria, and authored an indigenous sustainability text, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science (Springer, 2020).   The Green Institute confronted this challenge in Africa through the instrumentality of home-based solutions of education, innovation, and advocacy. One pertinent question arose and resonated with Dr. Akinsemolu all through her efforts towards bridging the knowledge gap of sustainability in Africa.   How can we bring the Agenda of Sustainability to indeed become the people's Agenda in Nigeria and Africa? Having entered a new decade, unless Africa embraces a virtuous cycle of sustainability, she will decline in a vicious cycle of poverty, social injustice, and environmental degradation.   To change this, her organization went further by organizing a virtual summit aimed to mobilize sustainability leaders to share their expertise in the face of a global pandemic.   On June 5, 2020, the Green Institute, in collaboration with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation), will host Jeffrey Sachs (SDSN) and over 25 renowned sustainability experts from across the globe, at a virtual symposium Time #ForNature for World Environment Day, a United Nations awareness campaign for environmental protection, held annually since 1974.   The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is biodiversity. This hallmark event organized by a sustainability organization is a confluence of sustainability leaders in various fields endeavored at assembling individuals and organizations towards achieving sustainable development in Africa and beyond.   Armed with a plethora of speakers, the virtual symposium incorporates diverse fields of human endeavors ranging from sciences to arts, botany to engineering, health to et cetera.   The virtual symposium is also launching the indigenous sustainability text titled The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science, authored by Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu. "Everyday anthropogenic activities are responsible for the problems of our planet, and there is a need to salvage the situation through creativity, innovation, and critical thinking," Dr. Akinsemolu stresses in her book.   She offers a detailed and step-by-step guide to understanding sustainability and discusses best practices to establish a more harmonious and balanced approach to living. In the words of Prof. Marc A. Rosen (Ontario Tech University), "The book enriches a global movement while highlighting efforts in Africa."   Alongside the author is world-renowned sustainability leader Prof. Jeffrey Sachs who will be speaking on Building Resilient Health Structures to Combat Novel Diseases: A Case of COVID-19.   Sachs was twice named as Time magazine's 100 most influential world leaders and was ranked by The Economist among the top three most influential living economists.   Among the topics discussed at the summit are biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable building, urban innovation, minimal living, eco-feminism, waste management, renewable energy and others.   Over a century of civilization, humans have founded and established values that regulate human societal behaviors. With a new sustainable agenda spanning for the next decade, Dr. M. Evren Tok will explain the impacts of values and morality in sustainable development.   As the Associate Professor at the College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation), the Assistant Dean for Innovation and Community Development and Lead Project Investigator for a Qatar National Research Priorities Program on Localizing Entrepreneurship Education in Qatar, Dr. Tok has extensive experience in building disruptive mechanisms in education and learning in post-graduate studies.   He is the founder of the first MakerSpace in Qatar Foundation, built around the concept of Green Economies, Social Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.   The development of the world economy has consistently been at loggerheads with the environment. How can we simultaneously achieve economic growth and environmental wellbeing? Prof. Marc Rosen, Prof. Manfred Max Bergman (University of Basel), and Samson Ogbole (Farm Lab) strongly argue that both the environment and the economy could thrive simultaneously.   One of the essential directions for ensuring a shift in progress towards Agenda is education. The right to education is a fundamental human right that every nation aspires to fulfill. In an age of sustainability, what changes to our educational system are pivotal towards achieving sustainable development?   Ruba Hinnawi (Qatar Green Building Council) and Noah Martin (Georgetown University) will discuss the educational transformation that must occur if we are to transition towards sustainable development. The visual artist Data Oruwari will reveal the role that arts play towards achieving sustainability.   As the saying goes, "One is too small a number to achieve greatness." The Green Institute has partnered with various international organizations that share the same commitment towards achieving sustainable development.   Organizations such as the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (a member of Qatar Foundation) and the Sustainable Solutions Development Network have been instrumental towards the success of The Green Institute.   The Nigerian organization behind the global summit believes that although SDG 17 is the last of the SDGs, it is by no means the least.   Ironically, it serves as an overarching framework for the successful implementation of the remaining 16 goals. To this end, The Green Institute continually extends its hand of partnership to collaborate with other organizations in achieving sustainable development.   The participating organizations include the UNEP, UNDP, Qatar Green Building Council, Qur'anic Botanic Garden, Farm Lab, Human Future, Springer Nature, Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, University of Basel, the Open University UK, TerraCycle, Design Future(s) Initiative of Georgetown University, United Nations Development Program, and the Green Maasai Troupe Doha Qatar.   For more information, full schedule and registration: www.greeninstitute.ng/wed2020