According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate over 250 million tons of trash annually, or 4 to 5 pounds per person per day. Only about 25% to 30% of it is recycled; the rest is incinerated or buried in landfills, where it can often end up polluting the environment and leaching into the soil and groundwater supply.   It’s a reality that TerraCycle finds unacceptable.   Founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a student at Princeton University, Trenton-based TerraCycle is a social enterprise on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. “We pick up where municipal recyclers leave off and recycle the things they don’t, including coffee pods, cigarette butts, chip and snack wrappers, clothing, shoes, contact lenses and much more,” said TerraCycle North American Public Relations Manager Sue Kauffman. “We collect over 150 waste streams and are adding more every day.”   Different towns have their own rules for recycling, often driven by economics. “If recyclers can sell the processed waste at a profit, they’ll recycle it – if not, they’ll either incinerate it or divert it to a landfill,” she said. “Thanks to over 200 million individuals actively recycling through TerraCycle, we’ve recycled over 7.7 billion pieces of waste, diverted millions of pounds of valuable resources from landfills all over the world, and donated nearly $45 million to charity to-date.”   A Range Of Recycling Solutions   Recycling 97% of the waste it receives and composting the remainder, TerraCycle promotes the opportunity for consumers to “reuse, upcycle, and recycle” in a variety of creative ways:  

• Free Recycling Programs – Sponsored by corporate partners such as Arm & Hammer, Colgate, Gerber, Gillette, Herbal Essences, Solo, Swiffer and other well-known brands, TerraCycle’s free recycling programs enable consumers to recycle specific branded products or entire categories of products at no cost. “Simply go to our website, pick a recycling program, register and ship the targeted waste stream to us using the free shipping labels provided online; based on the weight of the shipments, recyclers earn ‘TerraCycle points’ that can be converted to cash and donated to schools, charities and nonprofits of their choice,” said Kauffman, who noted that points can yield big dividends. “Through the ‘Free Recycle Playground Challenge’ that Colgate runs in conjunction with ShopRite each year, for instance, the school that collects the most oral care waste will win a new playground constructed from the recycled plastic they sent in and valued at $50,000,” she said. In addition to being free and easy, “it’s exciting to see schools starting their own Green Teams, learning about sustainability and participating in our recycling opportunities to earn more points.” Among new items recently added to their recyclable list are the packaging associated with L.O.L. Surprise! dolls and products by Reckitt Benckiser (makers of such brands as Mucinex, Enfamil and MegaRed). “In addition, in association with Gillette, we recently added disposable razors to our list, which represents the first time that there’s been an outlet to recycle disposable razors, blade cartridges and plastic packaging in the U.S.,” Kauffman said.

 

• Zero Waste Boxes – Through this program, consumers can purchase everything from a pouch to a pallet to reuse difficult-to-recycle waste that can’t be recycled through one of TerraCycle’s free programs or through regular municipal recycling. Boxes are specific to a variety of different product categories, from alkaline batteries and light bulbs to printer cartridges, paint brushes, plastic bags, shoes, vitamin bottles and dozens more options. “Once consumers send their waste in to be recycled, it will be weighed, processed, shredded, melted into pellets and ultimately sold to companies who use it to make other things,” Kauffman said.

 

• Loop – Launched in January 2019, Loop is a groundbreaking e-commerce platform that’s reminiscent of the milkman of yesteryear. Through the exclusive program, consumers can receive the products they use every day in durable, reusable containers that were designed for Loop by partners such as Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and others. When finished, consumers return the packaging for cleaning and refill, completing a no-waste loop. “While TerraCycle recycles plastic and other items to make the Earth a cleaner place, our new Loop program strives to not create waste in the first place,” Kauffman explained. “Response to this program has been so strong that we’ve already expanded it to other states beyond New York and New Jersey.”

  Offering Creative Circular Solutions   Headquartered in a refurbished facility where contents are made largely from recycled items – “my desk is an old door and office partitions are crafted from old soda bottles,” Kauffman said – TerraCycle has tapped into a growing need and is helping to make sustainability a mainstream movement. Following heightened media attention concerning the magnitude of America’s waste, as well as China’s 2018 decision to restrict imports of the megatons of trash they’d been processing/recycling for us for decades, “American consumers are definitely paying more attention to this issue than ever before,” Kauffman said. “The best way to elicit change is by voting with your dollars and buying from companies with a strong sustainable process. In the case of the companies that have partnered with TerraCycle, we’re able to work together to offer creative and efficient circular solutions to waste that don’t include the landfill.”       Nearly 20 years since its founding, TerraCycle now operates in 21 countries, has won more than 200 awards for sustainability, and was named No. 10 in Fortune’s Change the World list, out of 52 companies. For Kauffman and her 300 colleagues, working at TerraCycle is a labor of love. “We’re all extremely passionate here, creativity is so high, and new ideas are blossoming every day,” she said.   “It’s wonderful to celebrate Earth Day in April and we celebrate it for the entire month,” Kauffman concluded, “but the way we see it at TerraCycle, Earth Day should be every day.”   TerraCycle is located at 1 TerraCycle Way in Trenton and can be reached at (866) 967-6766 or by visiting www.terracycle.com.

Have you ever thought about what happens to your used makeup remover wipes, your shampoo bottles and face washes once you’re done with them? Well, these pieces of garbage we stop thinking about after throwing them out end up in our oceans and landfills, just like the less pretty pieces of garbage we use. Waste doesn’t just impact our environment, but people too.   Worldwide¹, the cosmetics industry produces over 120 billion units of packaging. This is just taking into account the cardboard you purchase your beauty products in -- and it contributes to the loss of 18 million acres of forest each year. Cosmetic packaging may be nice to look at, but sooner or later we won’t have very fresh air to breathe and enjoy our products if we continue in this direction.   Here’s another stat² for you: Taking into consideration the plastic our products come in, it’s estimated that by 2050, 12 billion tons of plastic will fill our landfills (to paint a picture for you, that’s equivalent to 35,000 Empire State Buildings). According to the Community and Environmental Defense Services³, “landfills can… pose a severe threat to the health of area residents, lowers the value of nearby homes, pollute ground and surface waters, increase heavy truck traffic on local roads, and create a drain on tax dollars.” So, even if you aren’t a tree-hugging hippy, as you can see, we have a bit of a problem.   What are us beauty lovers to do? Clearly, aesthetics are meaningful to us, otherwise, we wouldn’t care about pretty packaging, pretty vanities, and pretty skin. If you’re interested in knowing how you can do a little part amidst this big problem; through supporting eco-friendly cosmetic companies, to recycling your packaging for other uses, read on!   How to Reuse Packaging   1.Keep the mini bottle for travel Instead of trashing my mini body butters after using them, I clean them out and refill them with my bigger body butters for when I travel. This way I am using products I already have instead of purchasing more minis and saving on plastic!   2.Reuse the packaging you prefer Can you ever have enough spray bottles? For plants, for hair, to split up your favorite facial mist and have one handy in your purse and on your vanity. Instead of tossing that spritzer you really like, put some water in it and use it for your plants!   3.Samples Sometimes I don’t get to use cosmetic samples to their advantage because the little packets they come in are non-resealable. So, I squeeze them in my washed old cosmetic jars and get more use out of them!   Companies that Recycle Empty Beauty Products  

1. Most cosmetic companies only accept packaging from their brand, but some have gone above and beyond and accept packaging no matter the brand! Origins, for example, will accept packaging from any brand in its stores and will recycle the packaging for you.
2. In partnership with Garnier, TerraCycle allows people to ship their empty beauty products to them for free! Learn more about this program on their website.
3. Another brand, Lilah B., provides a shipping label with each purchase so that you can send back your empty Lilah B. products for them to recycle for you properly.
4. The Body Shop continues to make big plans for its packaging; making people as they relate to waste their primary focus. To read more about what they’ve done with Community Trade and what they plan on doing, check out their website!

  Ways You Can Help  

1. If you’re interested in going above and beyond, you can shop at brands like Elate Cosmetics, who create their packaging using bamboo. On their website, Elate says “bamboo is a self-regenerating natural resource,” making it more sustainable than other forms of woods. Bamboo can also be used for ecological purposes. Additionally, Elate bamboo palettes are reusable.
2. Instead of buying mini shampoos, conditioners, etc. opt for using a bar form of each! Yep, you can use bar soap face wash, shampoo, anything! This cuts back on waste through minimizing packaging (and is travel-friendly!). Several brands create bar products, such as Lush, The Body Shop , and even random brands on Amazon.

Instead of makeup wipes, consider purchasing the Face Silk or the Makeup Eraser ! Both only require water. The Face Silk lasts for 200 uses, and the Makeup Eraser lasts for three to five years.

4. Recycle packaging when you can. Research places like the ones listed above, and do your part to the best of your advantage!

  What you choose to do with your money is ultimately your personal choice. However, it’s better to be aware of the environmental and social impacts our choices have. In the saturated world of ever-changing beauty trends and beautiful new eye palettes, science claiming new and better ingredients, and consumerism, it’s hard to remember our environment and people who suffer at the hands of waste. Consider vowing to be a more conscious buyer and research each item carefully before buying, in the long run creating a better world for you and everyone involved (plus saving money along the way!).    

Many brands are continuing their focus on sustainability despite the strains placed on them by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the setbacks businesses are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic, many fashion and beauty brands are continuing their focus on sustainability for Earth Day 2020.   Sustainability has arguably become the most important issue in fashion over the last few years and many emerging and established brands are shifting their manufacturing processes and charitable outreach to meet the demands of their customers to be more eco-friendly.   Many fashion brands are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by launching sustainable collections, such as A.P.C. and Baja East, which are going into their archives and utilizing deadstock fabric in new pieces, while others like Fabletics and Naked Cashmere are launching their first sustainable collections.   Here, WWD rounds up how 16 fashion and beauty brands are celebrating Earth Day 2020.   1. Seven For All Mankind   Seven For All Mankind is launching an environmental platform in May tied to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The brand is unveiling Sustainable For All Mankind, a commitment to ensure more than 50 percent of product will be created from sustainable properties by 2023. The brand will introduce a way to track progress on materials and manufacturing.   The label is launching its 080 jean collection, reissuing the style released in 2000 to now be made with sustainable organic cotton and recycled elastane.   2. A.P.C.   Contemporary fashion label A.P.C. is continuing several of its sustainable practices for Earth Day. The brand is offering its latest collection of patchwork quilts and quilted pillows made from leftover textiles created by longtime collaborator and designer Jessica Ogden.   The brand is also continuing its other sustainability commitments, including its Recycle for Credit and Butler Program. The recycling program allows customer to bring in their used A.P.C. items to be exchanged for store credit. The brand sends the used clothing to its recycling facility where it is broken down into fibers and reused in other garments.   The Butler Program allows customers to bring in their old jeans to be exchanged for a new pair at half-price. The old pairs will be mended, washed and marked with the initials of the prior owner.   3. Baja East   The fashion label is utilizing archival and leftover fabric from the last six years to create a collection of pajama sets and pillows produced in Los Angeles.   The collection includes deadstock fabric in floral and animal prints and ranges in price from $75 to $95.   4. Billabong   Billabong is teaming with Dr. Seuss Enterprises for an Earth Day collection that takes inspiration from the iconic children’s book, “The Lorax.” The collection of T-shirts, board shorts, and sweaters is produced using recycled and sustainable materials. Prices range from $17.95 to $59.95.   5. Boscia   Plant-based beauty brand, Boscia, is teaming with TerraCycle for a permanent recycling program. The program asks customers to mail in three to five empty, full-size Boscia products to be recycled. The brand will then send the customer a full-size bottle of its Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask.   6. Cuyana   The leather accessories brand is continuing its mission of sustainability by launching a line of leather-care products to help customers preserve their leather goods so they can keep reusing the items. The line includes a leather spot cleaner and a leather conditioner — both priced at $12 — which help clean and restore used leather.   7. Diesel   The fashion label is launching its Respectful Denim collection for Earth Day, which utilizes 40 percent less water in the production process. The collection offers three denim styles for men and one for women that range from $298 to $348.   8. Eberjey   The intimates line has released two prints — pineapple and watermelon print — for its Giving PJ Collection. For every set purchased, the brand plants a tree through its partnership with One Tree Planted.   9. Fabletics    Fabletics is celebrating Earth Day with its first eco-conscious collection of athleticwear made from recycled materials. The collection of sweaters, shorts, T-shirts and sweatpants ranges in price from $34.95 to $69.95.   10. G-Star Raw   The denim label is tapping a group of fashion designers and artists — couturier Karim Adduchi, fashion designers Lisa Konno and Ferry Schiffelers, visual artist Victor de Bie, hat maker Yuki Isshiki and artist Iekeliene Strange — to create one-off pieces using denim waste materials to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The creations range from couture-inspired dresses to intricate headpieces. The pieces were slated to be on display at an upcoming exhibition, but the brand had to cancel its plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   11. Kenneth Cole   Kenneth Cole is updating three of its best-selling sneaker styles — Maddox, Kam and Liam — with sustainability in mind for Earth Day. The updated styles are designed with materials like 100 percent recycled polyester laces, 100 percent recycled neoprene, rice husk, recycled rubber grindings and micro-suede, among other recycled materials.   12. Naked Cashmere   The fashion brand has launched its first ever recycled cashmere collection, which is made from post-consumer yarn that has been shredded and re-spun into 100 percent cashmere yarn. The collection includes tank tops, shorts, sweaters and pants ranging in price from $100 to $245.   13. Pangaia   Sustainable fashion label Pangaia has teamed with SeaTrees, an environmental organization, to help restore coastal ecosystems. For every product sold on the Pangaia web site, the brand will plant one mangrove tree in the West Papua region of Indonesia.   14. R+Co    The hair-care brand launched its Super Garden CBD Shampoo and Conditioner on April 1 in celebration of Earth Month. The products are the first time the brand has used post-consumer resource packaging, which is said to decrease plastic consumption and use of fossil fuels in the manufacturing process. R+Co will also be transitioning its existing packaging to this material in the coming year. The products retail for $36 each.   15. Ren Skincare   The beauty brand is donating 15 percent of profits on Earth Day to the Surfrider Foundation, which works to protect beaches across the country.   16. Teva   The shoe brand launched a sustainability initiative earlier this year that will have 100 percent of shoe straps produced with recycled plastic. This commitment is said to prevent nine million plastic bottles and 172 tons of plastic from going into landfills this year.   For Earth Day, the brand is hosting a sweepstakes where a winner will receive a pair of Teva sandals and a $2,000 donation to an environmental organization made in their name.  

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, and it will be one like none since the event started. On this milestone, rather than looking back on decades of work and the climate emergency imminent today, Mother Earth has largely paused.   Through the COVID-19 pause, we’ve seen a silver lining in unprecedented environmental changes. In Los Angeles air pollution is at a 40-year low due to drastically fewer cars on the road; China’s levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide were down as much as 30%, according to NASA.   The picture paints an even more clear and dire call for climate action, the theme for the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day.   “Earth Day 2020 will be far more than a day,” say Earth Day organizers. “It must be a historic moment when citizens of the world rise up in a united call for the creativity, innovation, ambition, and bravery that we need to meet our climate crisis and seize the enormous opportunities of a zero-carbon future.”   Change, however, comes not from citizens nor governments alone. Business plays a key role, too.   And the natural products industry is known for leading environmental initiatives within for-profit organizations. So, in honor of the 50^th Earth Day, we share 50 ways the natural products industry is making Earth Day every day as it prioritizes planetary health as much as it does human health. In no particular order, here are ideas on how your business can help heal the Earth, too.  

1. Source lower-on-the-food-chain fish, which takes pressure off of larger, less abundant species such as tuna. Patagonia Provisions sources their mackerel from Northern Spain, where family-owned fishing vessels use hook and line catching methods rather than nets to eliminate bycatch.
2. Help grow biodynamic agriculture by sourcing from farms that are Demeter Certified Biodynamic. Biodynamic agriculture helps nourish the farm’s soil and ecosystem using holistic practices. Refer to Alaya Tea and White Leaf Provisions—two biodynamic-supporting companies—to learn more. (Psst … Alaya Tea also uses compostable packaging for their teas.)
3. Commit to offset 100% of your carbon emissions, like Numi Tea and HelloFresh. Numi will use a combination of emissions reductions and offsets to achieve net zero carbon in the next three years; HelloFresh will offset carbon emissions in 2020.
4. Certify carbon offset claims through Climate Neutral, a 2019-launched seal that ensures companies measure their emissions, reduce what they can and offset the rest. Klean Kanteen is one such company that holds the Climate Neutral certification.
5. Seek compostable packaging solutions by getting involved with OSC2, a natural industry coalition that, among other initiatives, aims to source a high-functioning and compostable packaging—particularly to replace hard-to-recycle plastic films. You’ll be in good company with brands like Clif Bar, Seasnax, YumButter and many more.
6. Get involved with the organization One Tree Planted, like Mushroom Revival and Genuine Health. One Tree Planted supports reforestation efforts by—you guessed it!—planting trees around the world for about $1 per tree.
7. Try launching a limited-edition product that raises awareness about your brand’s environmental initiatives, like Alter Eco, which produced special packaging for its Deep Dark Salted Brown Butter Organic Chocolate with a message on the front: “This Bar Protects Trees.” The bar points to Alter Eco’s aggressive agroforestry initiatives in South America.
8. Power your manufacturing facility entirely by solar, such as GrandyOats, which makes over a million pounds of granola each year thanks to 288 hard-working solar panels.
9. Lobby state and federal governments for issues that your brand believes in, such as MegaFood, a brand that recently helped draft legislation for New Hampshire to update soil conservation laws.
10. Bake environmental and social activism into your brand’s mission, such as Dr. Bronner’s, a company that has long advocated for industrial hemp reform, animal advocacy and much more.
11. Enable seaweed-growing initiatives, which help reduce ocean acidification, and may sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Atlantic Sea Farms, a kelp company based in Maine, helps local fishing communities start their own profitable seaweed farms.
12. Focus on reducing food waste by incorporating undesirable produce into your product, such as Barnana, a company that “saves” blemished and unsightly bananas from the landfill by turning them into snacks.
13. Take a note from Rind, a dried fruit company that doesn’t discard the rind of the fruit, as small food scraps can add up to serious food waste.
14. Upcyle underused ingredients in the food system like Regrained, a snack company that transforms “spent” grain from breweries into delicious and nutritious bars and puffs. Also check out Regrained’s new Upcycling Association to learn more.
15. Find a more environmental solution for non-recyclable packaging like LesserEvil, which sells its popcorn and other snacks in packaging from NEO Plastics. NEO incorporates an organic additive into its film packaging that helps plastic break down faster in the landfill. With NEO’s additive, studies show plastics degrade 33.4% over a 451-day period, versus a conventional package, which exhibits 1.1% degradation.
16. Set ambitious climate goals like Evian, a French water company that in April 2020, became carbon neutral by reducing emissions by 25% and offsetting the rest by partnering with the tree-planting organization, Livelihood Funds.
17. Prioritize regenerative agriculture like EPIC, a brand with a longstanding partnership with The Savory Institute, which works to rebuild the soil through holistic animal husbandry.
18. Verify your products are free from the harmful and overused herbicide glyphosate by exploring The Detox Project’s Glyphosate Residue Free certification, such as Chosen Foods, Uncle Matt’s and many more brands.
19. Help convert conventional farms to organic acreage, such as Annie’s, which is slated to finish converting 34,000 acres in South Dakota to certified organic acreage this year.
20. Showcase how consumers can reuse your product’s packaging such as Unwrapp’d, whose jars make ideal storage containers. Unwrapp’d is also partnering with an organization called Compost Colorado, which picks up compost bins filled with food scraps, and replaces it with a clean bin filled with more progressive products.
21. Encourage home gardening and urban food production such as Back to the Roots, which donates grow kits to elementary school classrooms to teach children the value of growing healthy food themselves.
22. Power your sourcing facility by a methane digester, such as Straus Family Creamery. The company transforms manure into energy, and reduces methane emissions by more than 1,600 metric tons of CO2e each year.
23. Ditch the single-use plastic water bottle, such as Pathwater and JUST Water do, which use aluminum and paper, respectively.
24. Explore being a Certified B Corp company, which legally requires businesses to consider both purpose and profit in their bottom line. Join companies such as Greyston Bakery, Stonyfield Organic and many more.
25. Help support honeybee research and health by donating to bee-focused nonprofits like the Xerces Society and Project apis m., such as Beekeeper’s Naturals and Bloom Pure Raw Honey.
26. Practice supply chain transparency such as Quinn Snacks, which showcases each supplier of every ingredient on their website, right down to the sunflower lecithin. Supply transparency helps hold your brand accountable when it comes to mindful sourcing.
27. Help consumers get more comfortable eating low-resource insect protein, such as Chirps and Exo Protein, by incorporating this novel ingredient into familiar foods such as nutrition bars and chips.
28. Clean up your home or office lawn care regimen by using nontoxic fertilizers, such as Sunday.
29. Source dairy from farmers who practice rotational grazing with their herd, such as Maple Hill Organic.
30. Swap out your office’s conventional cleaning products (think: dish soap, window spray) with natural alternatives such as Counter Culture, which uses probiotics to clean surfaces rather than harsh chemicals.
31. Incentivize your employees to commute to work in a more environmentally friendly way, such as by bike, carpool or public transportation. Also consider giving your employees a free bus pass, like Justin’s does.
32. Partner with Preserve—which makes toothbrushes and razor handles out of recycled plastic—to help consumers give their containers new life, such as Pacifica.
33. If your product necessitates a hard-to-recycle squeeze pack, such as Happy Family Organics, partner with TerraCycle to make recycling easier for your consumers. Consider sending recycling envelopes to consumers free of charge.
34. Donate 1% of your profits to accredited environmental organizations by partnering with the organization 1% for the Planet, like Pukka Herbs.
35. For products that feature fabric, seek out materials that contain a Global Organic Textile Standard certification (GOTS) to ensure eco-friendly textile manufacturing across your supply chain, like Maggie’s Organic.
36. Swap out conventional eggs and butter in your product for pasture-raised eggs and butter. Consider Vital Farms, which partners with family farmers around the country for sourcing.
37. Source Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and cocoa in your product formulations, such as Chocolove, to prove to consumers that ingredients come from farms that passed rigorous environmental requirements.
38. Host company-wide volunteer outings with your team to help out a sustainable project in your community, such as a beach cleanup, trail building, planting trees, or helping weed at a community garden.
39. Conventional palm oil can harm the environment by pushing out wild animal habitat. Source sustainable palm oil for all your products. Palm Done Right, produced by Natural Habitats, is a good resource to reference.
40. Install natural snack vending machines and no-waste drink dispensers in your office, such as a Bevi machine, which slashes single-use packaging by adding bubbles and flavors to tap water.
41. Educate your consumers about your sustainable practices. Share what you do on social media and on your website to get them excited about taking environmental action.
42. Celebrate biodiversity by using lesser-known ingredients in your product, such as Bluebird Grain Farms. This company sells underused ancient grains einka and emmer farro, which nourish the soil by adding essential nutrients.
43. Source boxes and labels made from 100% recycled paperboard to reduce virgin paper needs, such as Davidson’s Organics. Bonus points if you use soy-based inks.
44. Replace your office’s lighting with LEDs instead of incandescents, which use 90% less energy.
45. Restore native wetlands and prairies—massive carbon sinks—even if it’s in your backyard, like Kettle Chips. The company introduced native plants to their nearby wetlands and prairies, which have drastically improved the habitat for birds, salmon and other animals.
46. Protect water sources around the world, like Lotus Foods. Lotus’ “more crop per drop” initiative (also called System of Rice Intensification), among other benefits, improves rice yield while requiring less water, and builds a robust rice root structure.
47. It’s a simple fix, but ensure recycling and composting are available in your office.
48. Encourage plant-based eating by making delicious vegan products, or incorporating vegetables into traditional patties, such as Applegate Farm’s The Great Organic Blend Burger, which blends mushrooms with turkey.
49. Go fair trade. Whether you choose to support Fair Trade Certified, Fairtrade International, Fair for Life, or another certification, caring about the treatment of your farmer suppliers is an integral part of sustainability, like Traditional Medicinals, which understands fair sourcing is key.
50. Go organic. The USDA Organic certification is the most rigorous, government-regulated agricultural standard the United States has. And with widening acreage, supply is easier than ever to find.

With more consumers than ever purchasing their household essentials online, Procter & Gamble is expanding its Eco-Box portfolio to include more of its Fabric Care brands. Now available in this award-winning packaging format are Tide Original, Downy, Gain, Tide purclean, Tide Free & Gentle, and Dreft. Go here   for more information on this innovative package, which was a Diamond Award Finalist in Dow’s 2019 Packaging Innovation Awards.   The Eco-Box format remains primarily an e-commerce play, and Eco-Box products arrive on the consumer’s doorstep as a sealed, shipping-safe, corrugated box—with no wasteful outer boxing or padding needed. In other words, it’s a perfect execution of what the Amazons of the world are clamoring for: SIOC (Ships in Own Container). Inside is a sealed bag of ultra-concentrated liquid laundry detergent or fabric conditioner that can accommodate about 100 loads of laundry with 30% more cleaning per drop. It also includes a No-Drip^TM tap. According to Cincinnati-based P&G, this packaging format requires up to 60 percent less plastic than traditional packaging.   “This is one of those things that started small for us,” says Todd Cline, P&G Section Head, Global Fabric Care R&D. “The idea was to create the optimal product and package for e-commerce, something that ships in its own container with no additional packaging needed and that protects a liquid product from the standpoint of leak resistance. But it also had to delight the consumer using it. And in the time that Tide Original has been in this format, we’ve seen really great response from consumers, 80% of whom indicate they would rather use this than traditional bottles.”   P&G remains guarded in identifying suppliers of packaging materials or machines that have made the concept come alive. But one bit of new news is that, according to Cline, “we now have a system set up with TerraCycle to permit recycling of the inner bladder and the dispensing tap.”

Beauty brands are struggling to find the balance between sustainability and design. 

When thinking about your last delivery from your favorite skincare or cosmetics brand, how many things did you need to unwrap before you made it to your product? We all love cute and chic packaging but scary to think about all of the excess. Even with so much research that says how plastic is destroying our planet brands aren’t always ready to invest the time and money into 100% recyclable packaging. This, especially if they think it will hurt their chances of profit or aesthetics.       A 2019 Zero Waste report noted more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced globally by the cosmetics industry each year. Unfortunately, not much of that is recyclable. The good news is beauty brands to major conglomerates like Unilever have announced that by 2025 they will halve their use of virgin plastics and commit to using post-consumer recycled plastic or, ‘PCR.’ This would make Unilever the first major global company to commit to an absolute reduction in plastics across all of its brands. Hopefully, many other companies follow suit.   In lieu of Earth Day, here’s everything you need to know about beauty, sustainability and the future.    

What is PCR plastic?

  Post-consumer recycled plastic or PCR is plastic that has already been recycled before and ultimately repurposed. So by recycling your beauty products, cans, oat milk bottles, and cardboard boxes, you’re contributing to the revolving amount of PCR that brands have to use and distribute.  

Recycle, Reuse, but Refuse to do it

  As we mentioned, if we don’t take steps to recycle we can’t change the future of packaging. Our bathrooms and skincare collections are filled with products waiting to be recycled. But, more than have us actually put those bottles and jars in the right bins. Johnson & Johnson once reported nearly 60 percent of people rarely recycle or have never recycled their bathroom products. The conglomerate also once reported that 20% of Americans didn’t recycle because they didn’t have a recycling bin in their bathrooms.  

Clean your recyclables!

  You can’t just throw it and think you’re doing good. Recycling beauty products actually takes a lot of energy on your part. Because not everything is 100% recyclable, you’ll have to take your products apart. Certain face cleansers and shampoos often have the bottle and then an additional pump. In most cases, recycling the bottle is no problem but the pump can be a little confusing since it’s made of mixed materials, its small, and oddly shaped (more on recycling difficult items below). You’ll also need to clean your bottles and remove your labels. While you don’t need to stress yourself out by washing every last drop, spending a good two minutes washing out your bottles and jars will go a long way. If you just toss your recyclables without washing them, there’s a pretty good chance they won’t be able to be sorted when it comes time to be.  

When in doubt, head to TerraCycle.

  TerraCycle is a company that hopes to eliminate the idea of waste. Remember those pumps to your shampoo and face cleansers? This is where TerraCycle comes in. Some things are harder to recycle than others but, TerraCycle won’t take no for an answer. Their goal is to recycle anything and everything and teach you how at the same time. You can drop off anything that is difficult to recycle at a TerraCycle collection site, or mail it to them!   Have a product you’re unsure about? Head to terracycle.com and type in what you have via their search bar. They’ll tell you everything you need to know and what collection program(s) can take your recyclable goods.  

Bottom line: You have the power to change the industry standards.

  Recycling saves energy, space in landfills, and ultimately helps our earth. The most important thing though is the more we recycle, the more opportunities companies will have to create packaging out of PCR plastics and other materials. The future of packaging within the beauty industry is in our hands.   If you have questions about collections within your state or are wondering how to recycle a certain item, visit Terracycle.com. Many beauty brands like Acure,  Burt’s Bees, and Paula’s Choice have their very own programs and incentives!

Happy Earth Day! In honor of the annual event, Us Weekly’s Stylish is rounding up some popular eco-friendly beauty products loved by the stars themselves.   Best of Beauty: These Are the Top Hair, Makeup and Skincare Products of 2020 … So Far.   Ashley Graham, Zendaya, and Jessica Alba. are just a few of the A-listers who love to get a feel for the best beauty products on the market — especially those brands that are devoted to making sure protecting the environment is a top priority.   One of the easiest ways in which we can all work together to save the planet on Earth day and beyond is by choosing makeup, skincare and haircare products that are recyclable, free of damaging toxins, and full of sustainability-sourced ingredients.   Stars Get Real About Their Natural Hair Colors After Salons Close During COVID-19 Pandemic.   Take the following beauty-loving babes, for example. Former Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher. is “obsessed” with Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner, which uses 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its packaging. Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness. is hopelessly devoted to Biossance, an EWG-verified brand focused on sustainability and clean formulas.   As part of Us Weekly’s “What’s in My Bag”. series, Lily Aldridge. and Ali Wong. revealed that they always carry eco-friendly essentials on their person. The former Victoria’s Secret Angel swears by Weleda Skin Food, a NATRUE certified moisturizer formulated using a plant-based formula.   And the comedian is big into Rosebud Salve, a multipurpose, cult-favorite must-have that contains just four ingredients. The balm was formulated in 1892 and is packaged in a cool vintage-y tin. It’s also recyclable, that is, if you’re able to part with the pretty packaging in the first place.   Wigging Out! Stars Are Mixing Up Their Hair Looks With Wigs.   Keep scrolling to find out what eco-friendly products celebs are loving and why to determine which one you should scoop up in honor of the holiday!

Teri Hatcher

Desperate Housewives alum Teri Hatcher starts her daily skincare routine by applying a few drops of The Healing Sap from Orveda. ($150). "I just use a few drops and rub this in well. It feels so good I love this product” she tells Us. The luxury vegan skincare line is 100% recyclable and vegan.

Jessica Alba

On a virtual episode. of The Tonight Show on April 2, the Honest Beauty founder revealed that she uses her brand’s Beauty Prime & Perfect Mask .($20) “every morning.” The beauty line is known for its natural and organic products, which are held to an intense six-step standard.

JoJo Fletcher

At a press event. for the brand in January, the former Bachelorette told Us that she’s in love with Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner. ($37). “I love all of the products in the light moisture collection because that works really well for me,” she said. “But I will use the leave-in all the time.”   The haircare brand uses 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its packaging, as well as naturally derived ingredients whenever possible.

Ashley Graham

The supermodel took to her Instagram Story. last summer to profess her love for aluminum-free and non-toxic Type: A Deodorant. The brand is carbon-free certified by CarbonFund and it uses recyclable mailers to cut down on waste.

Lily Aldridge

In January 2020, the former Victoria’s Secret Angel told Us that she always keeps Weleda Skin Food. ($19) in her bag. The NATRUE certified moisturizer is beloved for the way it smooths even the roughest skin and is safe for the environment. The brand recently partnered with Terracycle. to help recycle product empties.

Ali Wong

The comedian opened up her purse. in June 2019 to tell Us that she always has the multipurpose must-have Rosebud Salve. ($7) on hand. The vegan balm is packaged in a recyclable tin container that can be replaced with a DIY Formula if you feel like getting a little hands-on.

Hilary Duff

The Disney Channel alum is practically the queen of testing clean beauty products. One of her favorites. is Tata Harper Elixir Vitae 2.0., a $450 wrinkle-fighting serum. The majority of the luxury skincare line’s products are housed in glass to make it easy to recycle product empties when it comes time to say goodbye.

Zendaya

The 23-year-old walks fans through her nighttime skincare routine. on her website so they can copy it at home! One of her favorites is The Body Shop Vitamin E Serum-in-Oil .($27). The top-rated formula contains ingredients sourced from Community Trade. so consumers can identify exactly where product ingredients come from and the brand can make a positive impact worldwide.

Olivia Wilde

In a video for Harper’s Bazaar., the Booksmart director revealed that True Botanicals Moisture Lock Overnight Mask. ($75) is one of her go-to skincare products. The hydration-boosting formula comes in glass packaging that can easily be recycled. The brand also features a MADE SAFE seal, which, according to the brand’s website ,  certifies products are made “without 5,000+ toxic chemicals known to harm human and environmental health.”

Jonathan Van Ness

In a video interview. with Byrdie, the Queer Eye star said he swears by Biossance Squalane Vitamin C Rose Oil. ($72). The brand ambassador said, “This oil right here, she is my friend, she is my confidant, she soothes me.” The EWG-verified brand is a plant-based skincare line focused on sustainability and clean formulas.

Kourtney Kardashian

For an everyday glow, the mom of three loves Pai Skincare Rosehip Oil. ($44). The plant-based multitasking blend is vegan and has a Soil Association certification, which means the brand sources ingredients that are grown to organic standards.

Kat Graham

The Vampire Diaries alum told Harper’s Bazaar . that she uses the multipurpose Caudalie Divine Dry Oil. ($49) before going to sleep. The brand is a part of the "1% for the Planet" network and it’s working to reach its goal of planting 8 million trees in 8 countries by 2021.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum  ($185) is an essential part of the Goop founder’s skincare routine, according to her interview with Vogue. The pricey, non-toxic formula contains organic, sustainability-harvested ingredients formulated to help skin looks its absolute best.

With it being Earth Month and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, making conscious beauty decisions is on our minds more now than ever. But things like monitoring our consumption, optimizing our usage, and working toward more sustainable habits is important year round, not just on Earth Day. Now, before you go off thinking we’re suggesting you completely abandon your old ways, hear us out: it doesn’t take drastic measures to make your beauty routine more eco-friendly. There are plenty of tiny conscious beauty tweaks you can make.   “The beauty industry is only behind the food and beverage industry as one of the world’s biggest sources of waste,” said Belinda Smith, the founder of St. Rose. “However, instead of feeling guilty or discouraged let’s do something about it. Small progress every day is a big win and we all need to do our part if we are going to steer this ship around.”   Ahead, we’re sharing a few conscious beauty changes you can make in your everyday life to work toward a more eco-friendly, sustainable routine.  

Do Your Research and Support Eco-Friendly Brands

  We’re not recommending you give up your 10-step skin-care routine, but you can look to include more eco-friendly and sustainable products. “Support eco-friendly brands with sustainable ingredients,” said Allison McNamara, founder of MARA. “You have the power with your dollar to support brands that are doing their part to make a difference.”   You can usually determine if a brand is eco-friendly by looking at its mission. “Being more mindful as consumers is the number one thing,” said Smith. “Choosing better and buying less. Looking to invest in brands that are practicing what they preach.”  

Recycle Empty Beauty Product Contains

  Instead of just throwing your empty beauty products away in the trash, recycling them properly with beauty-specific programs. Unfortunately, many beauty products cannot be recycling in regular blue bins with other cans and bottles. That’s why programs like TerraCycle exist — they allow you mail your empty, typically non-recyclable beauty products to them to be properly repurposed.   To take your efforts a step further, you can look to support brands that partner with recycling programs. Garnier, Love Beauty and Planet, and Göt2b, to name a few, are all partners with TerraCycle and reward customers in various ways for recycling their empty products.   To help your products get recycled, McNamara explained you should clean them out before tossing them. “I know when you’re in the moment it feels like a chore, but anything (beauty, food, etc) with more than 10 percent left in the component doesn’t get recycled,” said McNamara. “Do your part and rinse out your containers.”  

Trade Your Single-Use Cotton Rounds For Reusable Options

  If you use a cotton pad every time you take off your makeup or use a toner, the amount you’re throwing away can quickly add up. To reduce your waste, switch to reusable cotton pads. “Not only are single use cotton pads wasteful, many contain plastics too,” said McNamara. “Invest in a cute acrylic stand and reusable cotton rounds and clean them like you would your towels.” Try The Good Stuff Reusable Cotton Pads.  

Opt for Products Made With Biodegradable Ingredients

  Plastic waste in landfills can take hundreds of years to decompose. So, next time you’re shopping for things like a toothbrush or hair brush, try looking for biodegradable options. For example, WedBrush’s Go Green Oil Infused Brush is made from all-natural biodegradable plant starch that naturally breaks down in a landfill within five years.  

Think About Packaging

  On the list of potential packaging materials, plastic is one of the worst. Glass, on the other hand is endlessly recyclable and is a better option of the two (however, when thrown out or recycled improperly, it can take twice as long as plastic to decompose). Whenever possible, look for zero-waste packaging. This includes items like shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars by Bottle None that come in plastic-free packaging.  

Buy Refillable Beauty Products

  More brands are allowing shoppers to buy refills to their favorite products without needing to purchase an entirely new jar or bottle. For example, OUAI sells refill pouches for their shampoos which uses less plastic than rigid bottles. Outside of the shower, the new brand Gelo Hand Soaps sells refillable, highly concentrated plant-based soap pods that are housed in a 100 percent biodegradable, water-soluble film that activates when combined with water and J.R. Watkins has a hand soap refill pouch, eliminating the need to purchase a new bottle.  

Cut Back on Single-Use Everything in Beauty

  Taking it a step further than just single-use cotton rounds, consider cutting back on single-use everything. “I stopped using sheet masks and face wipes years ago originally because I realized just how wasteful and unsustainable single use beauty products are,” said McNamara.  

American baby food and baby products company Gerber is preparing to start selling organic banana mango purée in a 100% recyclable pouch this May as part of a broader effort around sustainable packaging. The single-material pouch will be accepted for recycling through a national program with TerraCycle, according to the company, which became a Nestlé subsidiary in 2007.   Although the Gerber brand has existed for more than 90 years, it recently went through a transformation, explained the company’s brand manager and sustainability lead Sina Hilbert. That meant establishing a cross-functional sustainability team to work on responsible agriculture, supply chain, and packaging.   “Our big rally cry is moving our entire portfolio to 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025,” Hilbert said.   Environment + Energy Leader caught up with Hilbert to find out how the company is pursuing recyclable packaging in the United States.   Why is Gerber focused on recyclability for packaging?   Everything from the ingredients to the packaging that we’re putting products in can affect the world. Our sustainability initiatives and strategies focus on creating a world that babies can thrive in. Packaging is a huge piece of that.   Consumers tell us what they’re looking for. Today’s consumers are adamant about a more sustainable option.   What are your plans for making Gerber’s packaging more sustainable?   One of the pieces is having a clear roadmap of different projects, from a packaging standpoint, that help us get to our 2025 goal. The launch of our new single-material pouches is a reflection of that.   We partnered with a supplier that was trying to help develop new technology in the flexible plastic space. One of the issues with multi-laminate pouches, the material we use, is how complex it is. It’s virtually impossible to recycle using traditional means.   Developing this single material actually creates value. It’s a bit easier to recycle and has value in a secondary market.   How did Gerber identify this single material for packaging?   This was driven by the identification of the supplier. Working through the trials needed to make a transition of this scale was largely done by our packaging leads across the globe. They brought the technology to us.   We have rigorous standards for any packaging structure we’re using. There was an extensive process to ensure that this was the right material, that our consumers would be able use it as they would any pouch, and that it could hold puréed baby food.   Where does the material go at the end of its life?   We are continuing our partnership with TerraCycle to get these pouches recycled. Our longer-term goal is to help create a stream so they can be recycled curbside.   One of the partnerships we have is with the Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF) project being piloted in Pennsylvania. They’re developing a stream for single materials such as these pouches. It’s small in scale now, but we’re pushing for change, particularly in the US market, so materials like this can be recycled through traditional streams.   What has been the biggest challenge with the recyclable packaging process so far?   The biggest challenge is accessibility. I’ve spent some time in Europe and done research on where the US market is relative to other places in terms of education on what can be recycled, what can’t be, and people’s access to recycling things they think should be recycled.   There are still a lot of hurdles to jump: How do we get municipalities on board? How can we structure our recycling program in this country to be more seamless, and easier for consumers to use and understand. That’s something we still need to figure out.   Has the covid-19 pandemic affected your approach to packaging?   Fortunately, no. We still have our same strategy and goals. In times like this you take a brief pause to reassess, but nothing has strayed off course.   Do you have advice for fellow industry leaders around recyclable packaging?   I’ve learned so much about packaging structures in general. My advice would be to not get discouraged about the current market. Stay true to your ambitions for sustainable packaging, and find ways to achieve them.   Navigating difficulties — whether it’s that the technology doesn’t exist or municipalities don’t take this — we definitely wouldn’t be at the point where we are if we allowed any of those hurdles to stop us. Know that it can be done if we continue to push the industry and CPG in that direction.

Coffeemaker F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. teamed up with international Trenton-based recycling company TerraCycle to offer coffee lovers a free, easy way to recycle coffee pods and espresso capsules.   Through the Coffee Pod Recycling Program, consumers can now send in their used single serve coffee pods and espresso capsules to be recycled for free. To participate, sign up on the TerraCycle program page at www.terracycle.com/gavina and mail in the used pods and capsules using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned, separated by material type, melted and remolded to make new recycled products while the residual coffee is sent to an industrial composting facility. Also, with every shipment sent to TerraCycle through the program, consumers can earn points that can be used for charitable gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice.   “As coffee growers and roasters, my family built our business on a 150-year legacy and passion for coffee that runs deep and spans four generations,” said Lisette Gaviña Lopez, Executive Marketing Director at F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. “Sustainability is at the core of every business decision we make, and as we innovate to meet the changing needs and preferences of our customers, we also look for new ways to minimize environmental impact. Through our partnership with TerraCycle we can now extend our environmental efforts beyond the shelf with a responsible recycling program for our espresso capsule and coffee pod customers.”   “At TerraCycle, we understand American’s love affair with a great cup of coffee – we share the sentiment,” said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle Founder and CEO.  “But through the Coffee Pod Recycling Program, coffee connoisseurs can enjoy their favorite pick-me-up, easily reduce waste, all without sacrificing the enjoyment of their favorite brew.”   The Coffee Pod Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling program, visit www.terracycle.com.