While Illinois State University students have access to basic recycling services, they may not be aware of the next step in reducing landfill waste: terracycling.   According to ISU Director of Sustainability Elisabeth Reed, TerraCycle is an organization that accepts unconventional recyclables like chip bags and granola bar wrappers.   “Depending on the products, these items are broken down and recycled into numerous ‘new’ products,” Reed said.   ISU students can drop off accepted items at designated locations in Bloomington-Normal.   In order to accept a particular product at a drop-off location, Reed said volunteers must open a “brigade” for the product by registering for the program through TerraCycle.   Though many top-selling brands offer brigades, Reed said access is limited.   “Unfortunately, the majority of the brigades for these popular products are not open, so we are unable to start a new brigade here at ISU,” Reed said.   St. Luke Church and Common Ground Grocery in Bloomington accept donations anytime.   Reed said ISU Office of Sustainability interns collected red solo cups for TerraCycle at football games last semester.   “This semester, we are working to create various drop-off locations across campus for markers and highlighters as well,” Reed said.   Students can learn more about terracycling by visiting the TerraCycling website, joining the Student Environmental Action Coalition on campus or following @sustainisu on Facebook and Instagram.

While Illinois State University students have access to basic recycling services, they may not be aware of the next step in reducing landfill waste: terracycling.   According to ISU Director of Sustainability Elisabeth Reed, TerraCycle is an organization that accepts unconventional recyclables like chip bags and granola bar wrappers.   “Depending on the products, these items are broken down and recycled into numerous ‘new’ products,” Reed said.   ISU students can drop off accepted items at designated locations in Bloomington-Normal.   In order to accept a particular product at a drop-off location, Reed said volunteers must open a “brigade” for the product by registering for the program through TerraCycle.   Though many top-selling brands offer brigades, Reed said access is limited.   “Unfortunately, the majority of the brigades for these popular products are not open, so we are unable to start a new brigade here at ISU,” Reed said.   St. Luke Church and Common Ground Grocery in Bloomington accept donations anytime.   Reed said ISU Office of Sustainability interns collected red solo cups for TerraCycle at football games last semester.   “This semester, we are working to create various drop-off locations across campus for markers and highlighters as well,” Reed said.   Students can learn more about terracycling by visiting the TerraCycling website, joining the Student Environmental Action Coalition on campus or following @sustainisu on Facebook and Instagram.

There's more and more pressure -- both internally and externally -- for companies to help the environment. But it can help companies, too

    Recycling isn't just about protecting the planet; it's also about profit. With market rates for recycled plastics at all-time lows, companies can build new products out of used ones for a fraction of the cost of fresh materials. A McKinsey analysis found that plastics reuse and recycling could produce up to $60 billion in new profits by 2030, or almost two-thirds of the plastic industry's potential profit growth. For entrepreneurs, that's a win-win. Cheaper and more widely available recycled materials mean lower production costs. Building products from recycled materials is also a brand differentiator, particularly with the growing cohort of socially conscious consumers. Which companies are getting ahead by giving products a new life? Four firms stand out:

1. Patagonia

Long known for its environmental stewardship, Patagonia goes beyond donating money or even company time: The outdoor apparel brand's Worn Wear program buys back used Patagonia products and resells them online. What sets Worn Wear apart from other used clothing programs is its educational component. Patagonia brand ambassadors travel around the U.S., showing people how to repair their own gear. It also posts product care guides online that explain how to sew up seams and patch tears. Consumers see product education as an added value. Minimize your carbon footprint and build brand loyalists by helping customers trade in or extend the life of their purchases.

2. Pela

Pela, which makes ecofriendly smartphone accessories and sustainable products, skipped straight from packaging to product recycling. Founder Jeremy Lang was inspired to start the company after seeing piles of plastic waste floating in the pristine waters off Hawaii. To that end, Pela created the world's first fully compostable phone case. Customers who don't compost can send their old cases back to Pela, who recycles the cases for them. What about the millions of other plastic phone cases that get thrown away each year? Pela announced at CES an expansion to its Pela 360 program, which is to accommodate all phone cases, no matter the manufacturer. If you've got a plastic product, why not let customers do double duty as suppliers? Making people feel like part of your initiative is the single best way to scale it.

3. Procter & Gamble

Consumer packaged goods, by their nature, have a short life cycle. From toothpaste to dish detergent, products that make our home lives comfortable tend to be disposable. What can be done to keep them out of the trash? Procter & Gamble has partnered with TerraCycle's Loop e-commerce platform to tackle that very question. Loop is a sustainability program that cuts down on waste by using refillable and recyclable packaging. Hair care brand Pantene is introducing shampoo and conditioner bottles made from lightweight aluminum. Tide's Purclean plant-based laundry detergent will feature a stainless steel bottle instead of its conventional plastic one. Crest Platinum mouthwash will be sold in refillable glass bottles.

4. Coca-Cola

It's barely 2020, but Coca-Cola already has big plans for 2030. By the next decade, the beverage giant plans to make all its bottles and cans fully recyclable anywhere in the world. What's more, it expects to build those bottles out of at least 50 percent recycled material. For a company the size of Coca-Cola, that's a herculean task. To get there, it's investing around the world in recycling awareness. Although recycling programs exist in nearly every country, many consumers are still unsure which materials can and can't be recycled. Take your cue from Coke: Start with your product's packaging. Not only is the container the portion sure to be thrown away, but it's generally easier to build containers out of recycled materials than it is goods like computers or clothing. Doing the right thing doesn't have to be costly. Through recycling, reusable packaging, and consumer education, plenty of companies are protecting their profits by protecting the world. Keep production costs down and customer satisfaction up by giving new life to old products.

The statistics are sobering. Virtually every piece of plastic ever produced still exists and there is more microplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way, according to Earth Day Network, Washington, D.C. It is thus little wonder that 100,000 marine creatures die every year from plastic entanglement—and those are the ones that are found, according to Ocean Crusaders, an organization based in Australia that specializes in waterway cleaning. These same creatures consume the plastic, which we humans then consume from our dinner plates, meaning there’s plastic in us too. Containers and packaging constitute 30% of all waste, per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the large amount that isn’t recycled is dumped into landfills or is incinerated, leaving behind noxious air pollution. It’s a compounded problem that continues to mount, with forecasts predicting that the amount of plastic will increase fourfold by 2050. But moves are afoot to change this dire state of affairs. Retailers and consumer packaged goods companies are looking for new ways to provide products that eliminate or vastly reduce packaging, such as proliferating bulk food sections and experimenting with processes that use less plastic. Scientists are also devising ways to make CPG packaging compostable or 100% recyclable while circular systems are being developed in which consumers refill containers for commonly used household items. But to make change happen on a big scale, everyone needs to be on board. Urged on by consumers that are increasingly decrying excessive packaging that is perceived as being wasteful at best, and reckless at worst, many American companies, which are also not happy with the present state of affairs, are looking for solutions to what is becoming a very grave problem of crisis proportions. The solutions are complex and multifold. “When you think about the myriad products, and the ways consumers use them, we need lots of solutions,” says Meghan Stasz, VP of packaging and sustainability for the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Arlington, Va. Reducing packaging is important not only to minimize the effect it’s having on the world but also to improve public perception. The people who care most about packaging waste are millennials and Gen Zers, who are increasingly the customers of tomorrow. “Packaging has become a hot topic of late because shoppers are becoming more concerned about their impact on the environment, especially younger shoppers,” says Tory Gundelach, VP of retail insights for New York-based consulting agency Kantar. “And more and more, they’re happy to put their dollars behind the companies that align with them.” According to research from Kantar, nearly two-thirds of millennials and Gen Z consumers say they prefer “brands that have a point of view and stand for something.”

The Circular System

The solution to plastic and packaging reduction that’s perhaps gaining the most traction is the system of refillable, reusable containers. Loop—which offers products in reusable glass and steel containers that are delivered to and picked up directly from consumers’ homes—launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a year ago. It has since debuted pilot programs in New York and Paris. Developed by Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle, Loop has the backing of CPG giants such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle, as well as smaller companies such as Nature’s Path. It offers about 100 brands and is constantly adding more, including private label items. “We treat small companies the same as large ones,” says Benjamin Weir, business development manager of North America for TerraCycle. “We help them expand and show them that packaging is a great way to differentiate.” Photograph courtesy of TerraCycle The more brands involved, the greater consumer adoption of Loop is likely to be, he says, because shoppers will be able to meet all their needs at one store—or through one e-commerce site—“and we can capture as much of their basket as possible.” Here’s how Loop works: Customers purchase products through its website, and when the products are depleted, they leave the empty packages on their doorstep for free collection by UPS, a Loop/TerraCycle partner, which returns them to Loop for sanitization and reuse. Each container requires a deposit, which is refunded upon its return or at the end of a subscription. Items that can’t be reused, such as diapers, can be collected for recycling. Retailers are joining the Loop throng too. The Kroger Co. and Walgreens are credited as founding retailers in the U.S. “Our commitment to innovative solutions on our path to Zero Hunger Zero Waste aligns perfectly with Loop’s mission to create a convenient circular packaging platform for consumers,” Jessica Adelman, president of The Kroger Co.’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation, has been quoted as saying. Being involved with Loop is almost the cost of doing business today, says Virginie Helias, chief sustainability officer of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble. “Nine of 10 consumers now say they have a more positive image of a company when it supports a social or environmental cause, and half say they make purchase decisions based on a shared belief with the brand,” she says. Procter & Gamble is committed to making huge changes, and it fully backs the Loop system. “The idea of getting rid of disposable packaging and replacing them with beautiful, durable, refillable packaging is a huge idea and we are very committed to make it work,” Helias says. All of the companies involved with Loop are faced with a new and exciting challenge: creating new packaging. This packaging is much more durable, plastic-free and is good-looking enough to sit on any home’s counter.

In—and Out of—the Loop

Companies need to step up and take responsibility, says Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York: “If you introduce a package, your responsibility has not ended, and it should not be the responsibility of the consumer. [Companies] need to say they’re responsible for packages through the end of their life. That’s what’s powerful about a program like Loop.” Gundelach of Kantar supports a program such as Loop because it takes that responsibility away from the consumer. “It’s more likely to resonate than asking the shopper to do it themselves,” she says. And while this isn’t a perfect solution—she points to the emissions from the pickup vehicles, for example—Gundelach believes it’s a step in the right direction. “To do this on any meaningful scale is extremely complicated and takes the partnership of many different parties, but I think this is a longer-term solution,” she says, adding that companies in the CPG industry will have to reach some agreements that they will use the same sort of process. The losers in the Loop system could be the retailers, who may see sales declines for products that are now delivered by the modern-day “milkman.” But Stasz of GMA doesn’t anticipate that, noting that she “can’t imagine it would have more of an effect than e-commerce.” While the e-commerce model is phase one for Loop, eventually consumers will be able to shop for Loop in the stores of the company’s retail partners. This should start in 2020, Weir says, and is phase two. This program will be implemented through retail partners such as Kroger. It will go live in Kroger and Walgreens at 25 to 50 stores in a condensed geographic area. At these stores, consumers drop their used packaging in a Loop bin and pick up a new product in reusable packaging from the shelf. This would be a pay-as-you-go model vs. the e-commerce program, which offers consumers the option of subscription on demand. Consumers “will be able to shop and act as normal and have the option for durable, reusable packaging,” Weir says. He could well be right. According to GMA, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans say they’d be very likely to buy goods in refillable packages.

The Product Line

CPG companies are making their own mark on plastic reduction. Two years ago, Pepsi launched Drinkfinity, a reusable bottle/recyclable pod system for flavored water. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is making a bottle from recycled marine plastics; Colgate unveiled a new recyclable toothpaste tube; Nestle committed to 100% reusable and recyclable packaging by 2025; and Unilever has vowed a 50% plastic reduction by the same year. London-based Unilever is also going out on many different limbs. In the Philippines, it launched the Hair Refillery, a shopping mall pilot that lets consumers refill bottles from brands such as Dove and Tresemme. In the U.K., Cif cleaning spray is now sold with refill cartridges that consumers put in existing bottles and fill with water. The trigger heads on the original spray bottles are designed to be used thousands of times. And in Chile, Unilever is piloting an app-powered, intelligent dispensing system that uses electric tricycles to deliver laundry detergent to homes. Companies are either reducing the plastic (using less per product), finding a plastic that can be 100% recycled or exploring alternatives, which include bioplastics produced with bacteria, seaweed, corn, mushroom rot, wood pulp and even shrimp shells. However, CPG companies are still facing some backlash because they’re still producing single-use products. “We’re continuing to see a major commitment by the CPG companies to improve their packaging,” says Stasz of GMA. “That means different things to different companies. To packaging design, to new kinds of materials, to delivering products to consumers in new ways and in new formats. From research we did this year, all the largest 25 CPG companies in the world have made public commitments that 100% of their packaging be recyclable or compostable by 2030 and some as soon as by 2025.” Recycling in itself has become a problem. In 2018, China stopped accepting U.S. imports of recyclable materials, and across the U.S., recycling is becoming more expensive. So much so that many towns and municipalities to eliminate curbside recycling programs. This is all the more important because recycling is becoming a big issue: Less than 14% of plastic packaging—the fastest-growing form of packaging—is recycled, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Eighty-seven percent of Americans told GMA they are very concerned about single-use plastics and packaging waste. It’s vital that more emphasis be placed on recycling, says Melissa Craig, senior manager of packaging sustainability for Unilever North America, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Unilever’s new packaging is designed with PCR (post-consumer resin), but in order to have sufficient PCR, “we need everyone contributing to the circular economy, which means ensuring everyone is recycling. The more we can get consumers to recycle, the greater the supply of PCR for packaging so we can use less virgin plastic.”

At the Store Level

Retailers also play a big part in reducing the amount of plastic packaging waste by taking a stance. Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe’s announced it had removed nearly 4 million pounds of plastic from its stores last year. This included the introduction of biodegradable bags for flowers and greetings cards, removing excess packaging and switching to recyclable trays for fresh meat. Walmart has committed to incorporate at least 20% PCR content in the packaging of its private label line by 2025. This, the retailer says, will also be 100% recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable. The Bentonville, Ark.-based chain is also encouraging suppliers to eschew all PVC (polyvinyl chloride) by 2020. Minneapolis-based Target will eliminate expanded polystyrene foam packaging from private label products by 2022, and Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco ditched PVC clamshell packaging, which not only can’t be recycled but also releases toxic chemicals into the environment as it degrades. So it’s no surprise that Whole Foods Market is making a difference too. Its changes include switching to smaller bags for produce; replacing hard-plastic rotisserie chicken containers with bags that use about 70% less plastic; eliminating polystyrene/Styrofoam meat trays; and using salad boxes made of 100% commercially compostable material in its prepared foods department.

Away From Home

More is happening abroad. South Africa’s Pick n Pay grocery chain is experimenting with “nude zones,” where consumers fill their own containers with produce laser-etched with codes. Metro in Quebec started allowing customers last spring to fill their own reusable containers with meat, seafood, pastries and ready-to-eat meals, and Ekoplaza in Amsterdam now carries more than 700 products in plastic-free packaging, which looks like plastic but is actually made from all-natural, biodegradable materials. In the U.K., Waitrose has introduced packaging-free aisles; Tesco has asked its suppliers to look into packaging solutions and vows to have only recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025; Iceland is getting rid of plastic packaging for its entire private label line and has also committed, over the next five years, to using recyclable paper versions of food trays to enable it to become plastic-free by 2023; Sainsbury’s is halving its packaging by 2020; and the Co-op says a whopping 80% of its products will be “easy to recycle” by 2020. In Europe, there have been many moves to reduce plastic. Americans are simply less concerned than Europeans, says Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst for GlobalData Retail in New York. “Americans have more of an ambivalent attitude toward environmental issues and this results in less pressure on the industry to institute change,” he said. “Regulation is likely more lax in the U.S. than in some parts of Europe, where recycling is now mandatory for householders.”

Bulk Foods Bulk Up

What can make an enormous difference in the amount of packaging waste a store produces is having a bulk department. At Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, bulk food sections are large and even larger in new and remodeled stores. In some locations, bulk accounts for a massive 30% of a store’s selections. However, as anyone who’s ever used them can attest, refilling containers—particularly liquids—can be time-consuming and messy. Neil Stern, senior partner with McMillanDoolittle, Chicago, thinks bulk sections have their place in stores “where the customer is sufficiently committed, such as stores offering a broad selection of natural/organic products.” However, he says, conventional stores may need to offer more convenience and experience, such as “some sort of concierge service,” where customers would drop off their containers to be refilled and pick them up at the end of their shopping trip. Around the world, packaging-free stores are opening up, aimed at reducing the swathes of plastic and heightening consumers’ awareness of this problem. The trouble is, are these stores catching on yet, or are they just attracting the ultra-eco-conscious? In New York’s Brooklyn, there’s Precycle and in Vancouver, British Columbia, there’s Nada, where customers can use their own containers or buy them. There’s also The Refill Shoppe in Ventura, Calif.; the Filling Station in New York; and Zero Market in Denver, which sells personal care and home products. Lyndsey Manderson, co-founder of Zero Market, is planning to open a second, larger location to sell food.

 The Supply Chain Situation

The picture painted of plastic packaging is not a complimentary one, but plastic does have its place and is used for a reason. It helps preserve food and protect food during its journey to store shelves. The supply chain is responsible for a lot of packaging, says Gundelach of Kantar. “The brands aren’t adding packaging just for fun, but more times than not the packaging is designed for the end shopper [and] how is that product making it through the supply chain.” However, because of geography and distance, U.S. supply chains, especially for perishable products, can be more complex and demanding than those in Europe. “This pushes a lot of companies into using plastic to protect products,” says Saunders of Global Data. “Plastic is also a relatively cheap and lightweight solution, which helps keep distribution costs down, something that’s vital in a low-margin sector where the consumer demands low prices and value for money,” he says. “In Europe, this remains an issue but the more compressed supply chain makes it easier for many operators to look to alternatives.” Susan Selke, director and professor for the School of Packaging at Michigan State University in East Lansing, says there could be problems if packaging is reduced because it could lead to more product waste if the interior goods are damaged. “There are generally more environmental costs associated with that product waste than benefits associated with less packaging,” she says.

At NRDC we choose quality goods and services that reflect our values and support companies that align with our mission. Even with the best of intentions it can be difficult to understand who to purchase from and what to look for.   Upon reading a recent study, we found pyramid shaped tea bags, like the ones we were using, are leaking billions of microplastics. We decided investigate further the impact of bioplastic in the hopes of findings a better option.

What is bioplastic?

It is made from plants or other biological materials, and most commonly created by converting sugar from corn or sugarcane to polylactic acids (PLAs).

Is bioplastic compostable?

Bioplastic, even if it is certified ASTM D6400 compostable, cannot be composted at home and most municipal composting facilities rarely accept or are able to process this type of material. For it to biodegrade it takes a very specific environment of 122 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity.

How is bioplastic disposed of?

Ideally, the bioplastic item is sent to a compatible compost facility. The more likely routes though are the item is either:

• Tossed in municipal recycling. Here bioplastic will contaminate the petroleum-based plastic that is in the process of being recycled causing the entire batch to be sent to the landfill or incinerator.
• Ending up in our ocean. Once there, it will not biodegrade instead it will break down into micro-sized pieces, lasting for decades, and presenting a danger to marine life.

Who is our new tea supplier and why?

We decided to begin purchasing from Numi Tea because their company:

• Aligns closely with the NRDC Catering Policy which means catering purchases (like tea) must reduce damage to the environment, exploitative labor, and food shortages for others. More specifically Numi Tea:
  • Creates tea that is Fair Trade Labor Certified and Certified Organic.
  • Is a Certified B Corporation. This means it meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
  • Purchases carbon offsets for its corporate office, staff travel, and tea, spice and herbal materials shipments.

How do we dispose of our new tea?

In Vision 3 of the NRDC Sustainable Operations Plan, we make a commitment to achieving zero waste. With this in mind, it is very important we understand the post-consumer life of the tea: The natural hemp-based unbleached filter-paper tea bag can be composted in at home bin or by any commercial facility. The outer packaging can be discarded in a TerraCycle box. While we try to avoid purchasing items packaged or made with hard to recycle material that requires TerraCycle, Numi Tea’s outer packaging is printed with soy-based ink, packaged with no plastic shrink wrap, and made from 85 percent post-consumer waste. By purchasing goods that utilize post-consumer waste we are helping to support the recycling industry.

Seeing Your Purchases Through a New Lens

Take a look around your home and ask yourself if your purchases support your health and the health of planet. One of the first steps could be learning more about materials in your home that are hiding hazardous chemicals. Together, as consumers, we can begin to prioritize purchases that support the future we want.

At NRDC we choose quality goods and services that reflect our values and support companies that align with our mission. Even with the best of intentions it can be difficult to understand who to purchase from and what to look for.   Upon reading a recent study, we found pyramid shaped tea bags, like the ones we were using, are leaking billions of microplastics. We decided investigate further the impact of bioplastic in the hopes of findings a better option.

What is bioplastic?

It is made from plants or other biological materials, and most commonly created by converting sugar from corn or sugarcane to polylactic acids (PLAs).

Is bioplastic compostable?

Bioplastic, even if it is certified ASTM D6400 compostable, cannot be composted at home and most municipal composting facilities rarely accept or are able to process this type of material. For it to biodegrade it takes a very specific environment of 122 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity.

How is bioplastic disposed of?

Ideally, the bioplastic item is sent to a compatible compost facility. The more likely routes though are the item is either:

• Tossed in municipal recycling. Here bioplastic will contaminate the petroleum-based plastic that is in the process of being recycled causing the entire batch to be sent to the landfill or incinerator.
• Ending up in our ocean. Once there, it will not biodegrade instead it will break down into micro-sized pieces, lasting for decades, and presenting a danger to marine life.

Who is our new tea supplier and why?

We decided to begin purchasing from Numi Tea because their company:

• Aligns closely with the NRDC Catering Policy which means catering purchases (like tea) must reduce damage to the environment, exploitative labor, and food shortages for others. More specifically Numi Tea:
  • Creates tea that is Fair Trade Labor Certified and Certified Organic.
  • Is a Certified B Corporation. This means it meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
  • Purchases carbon offsets for its corporate office, staff travel, and tea, spice and herbal materials shipments.

How do we dispose of our new tea?

In Vision 3 of the NRDC Sustainable Operations Plan, we make a commitment to achieving zero waste. With this in mind, it is very important we understand the post-consumer life of the tea: The natural hemp-based unbleached filter-paper tea bag can be composted in at home bin or by any commercial facility. The outer packaging can be discarded in a TerraCycle box. While we try to avoid purchasing items packaged or made with hard to recycle material that requires TerraCycle, Numi Tea’s outer packaging is printed with soy-based ink, packaged with no plastic shrink wrap, and made from 85 percent post-consumer waste. By purchasing goods that utilize post-consumer waste we are helping to support the recycling industry.

Seeing Your Purchases Through a New Lens

Take a look around your home and ask yourself if your purchases support your health and the health of planet. One of the first steps could be learning more about materials in your home that are hiding hazardous chemicals. Together, as consumers, we can begin to prioritize purchases that support the future we want.  

In late 2019, PepsiCo set a new target for 2025 to reduce the use of virgin plastics for its beverage brands by 35% through the increased adoption of recycled content and alternative packaging. Here, Roberta Barbieri, Vice President Global Sustainability, PepsiCo, elaborates on the strategies the company is using to reach its ambitious sustainable packaging goals.   Packaging World:   Why did PepsiCo feel the need to up the ante with its announcement of a goal of reducing the use of virgin plastics across its beverage portfolio by 35% by 2025?   Roberta Barbieri: We share concern over the growing threat that plastic packaging waste poses, and we recognize the significant role we can, and must, play in working to change the way society makes, uses, and disposes of plastics. Last fall we announced a new target to reduce 35% of virgin plastic content across our beverage business by 2025, which equates to the elimination of 2.5 million metric tons of cumulative virgin plastic. This is another step forward in our journey toward a world where plastics need never become waste.   Does this change or replace any previous goals?   It does not. The target we announced builds on our other packaging goals for 2025: to make 100% of our packaging recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable and increase our use of recycled content in plastics packaging to 25%.   What will the use of alternative materials entail? Will it include the use of biopolymers?   Among the alternative materials to be used, beginning this year, bubly will no longer be packaged in plastic, and Aquafina will be offered in aluminum can packaging in U.S. foodservice outlets. Brand tests will also be conducted this year on the move to aluminum cans for Aquafina in retail.   Regarding biopolymers, as more carbon-efficient technologies like bio-based packaging scale, we’ll consider how this can further support our reduction targets.   In 2011, PepsiCo announced work on a 100% plant-based bottle. What is the status of that technology?   PepsiCo is continuing to invest in the development of more sustainable plastic packaging materials. Plant-based packaging is a more resource and carbon-efficient way of making plastic than through the use of oil-based polymers, providing a pathway for PepsiCo to improve the environmental impact of its packaging. We have been continuing to look for ways to scale the technology.   In 2011 and into 2012 we were able to produce a small number of 100% bio-based PET bottles, but that technology didn’t scale to be an effective solution for our packaging needs and business. Most recently, we’re working with industry partners as part of the NaturALL Bottle Alliance and through that work plan to develop fully recyclable plant-based plastic for use in our bottles, made from renewable feedstocks like sustainably farmed trees or agricultural residues that will not diminish food resources and will be less carbon-intensive than oil-based PET.   We are also innovating to transform our snack packaging to be more resource efficient. In India, Chile, and the U.S. in 2018 and 2019 we tested industrially compostable thin-film packaging for snack products that will biodegrade over time if disposed of in well-managed composting facilities. We worked with technology pioneer Danimer Scientific to develop this material, and together, we’re also developing a next-generation film that we aim to be fully biodegradable regardless of how it is disposed.   How will you avoid the discoloration and haziness associated with 100% rPET when you roll out your 100% rPET LIFEWTR bottle—a bottle known for its aesthetics—in the U.S.?   Just as we do with our 100% rPET Naked Juice bottle, PepsiCo will select the highest-quality rPET we can source for the LIFEWTR bottle. In 2020 and beyond we’ll have more brands around the world move to 100% rPET plastic packaging. As of Q1 2020, all our Lipton bottles in the Netherlands and Belgium will be 100% rPET.   How do you plan to overcome the lack of availability of recycled materials in order to meet your goals? What needs to happen to increase recycling rates and availability, especially when so many other major CPGs have made commitments similar to PepsiCo’s?   There simply isn’t enough recycled content in the supply chain today to enable us to reach our goals, and the only way to make more is to drive higher recycling rates. This is why we are investing to boost recycling rates and have also formed new partnerships to help develop enhanced recycling technologies.   Because higher recycling rates mean a greater supply of recycled plastic, we are investing in recycling infrastructure and consumer education with key partners, and we have joined a range of partners to help build new systems that we believe will make plastics use more sustainable.   PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation are accelerating efforts to boost recycling rates across the world. Between July 2018 and July 2019, we pledged over $51 million globally in partnership initiatives, with a specific focus on some of the areas with the poorest infrastructure and highest risk of contributing to plastic pollution. Investments include The Recycling Partnership, Circulate Capital, Global Plastic Action Partnership, TerraCycle, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Recycling with Purpose, and Recycle Rally.    PepsiCo’s new goals include the expansion of your SodaStream business. How do you intend to do this?   We have been working to create a portfolio of options that go beyond the bottle, meeting consumers’ individual needs and putting smiles on their faces, whether they’re at home, away from home, or on-the-go. At the heart of the Beyond the Bottle strategy is SodaStream. Over its lifetime, one SodaStream bottle can avoid the use of thousands of single-use bottles. Through the expansion of PepsiCo’s SodaStream business, an estimated 67 billion plastic bottles will be avoided through 2025.   Can you provide a very brief overview of the Hydration Platform?   The hydration platform is a connected ecosystem built to reflect how people drink water today that is made up of three components: a beautifully designed hydration dispenser, a companion, user-friendly smartphone app, and a personalized QR code sticker for reusable bottles that allows consumers to be effortlessly recognized by the dispenser. This ecosystem allows users to set their own daily hydration goals and automatically tracks their way to meeting them. Additionally, it tracks their environmental impact with a unique count of plastic bottles saved with each pour as well as over time saves unique preferences (like favorite flavors and carbonation levels) for future use.   Has the platform been launched yet? If so, what have been the results?   With our partners and customers, we’re continuing to test and optimize all aspects of our hydration platform—including branding. In fall 2019, we began rolling out our units in a beta test to select locations where there is a high demand for plastic waste reduction. We’re also working with travel and hospitality partners to bring our hydration platform to people who want to stay hydrated while they’re on the go.

It’s that time of year when many of us want to be starting something new—whether it’s a job, workout routine, or getting rid of some household items and making space for bright beginnings. While I’m all for freshening up a living room with a newly acquired rug or standing lamp, there’s never been a more urgent time to conscientiously consider how we buy our goods and what we do with them once their lives are over. That’s why we’ve rounded up New York City’s best options to recycle and dispose of common household goods.   “Keep in mind the waste hierarchy: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle,” says Nicole Grossberg, co-founder of the Zero Waste NYC Workshop Series, held monthly on various topics, all focused on how we can better shift our daily practices to produce less waste. “If you’re going to recycle an item, make sure that you’re recycling properly and not ‘wish cycling’. It counts to go the extra mile to make sure you are disposing of something properly.”   There’s another reason to be proactive about our waste: New York City’s residential recycling rate is just 18%, an abysmal number for a major city. (Seattle and San Francisco’s rates are three times ours.) Until New York does its part to mandate certain recycling programs like food waste, it’s up to us to pick up and recycle the slack.   Organic waste, both food and yard scraps, makes up a third of our city’s waste stream. When left in the trash that’s sent to landfills, the rotting rubbish emits methane, a more noxious greenhouse gas than carbon monoxide.   GrowNYC and their compost drop-off sites are hoping to change that. With over 150 residential food scrap drop-off sites, this is one of the easiest changes you can make in your life when it comes to living greener and disposing of your household waste in a meaningful way.   There’s also a curbside compost collection option if you live in one of these districts where you may have noticed small brown bins next to your regular trash and recycling ones. But the city has yet to make good on its promise to mandate composting, so GrowNYC is the foolproof way to get your compost into the right hands, regardless of where you live in the city. “There’s a gap in the education piece of the brown bins,” says Grossberg, “but the dropoff program is amazing. That’s what I utilize, I make it part of my routine.”   GrowNYC has another great drop-off component, for textiles! They note that “NYC residents discard nearly 200,000 tons of textiles every year, at a cost to taxpayers and our environment.” (One of the reasons why we should only purchase 3 new items of clothing a year.) So while there aren’t as many as drop-off locations for textiles as there are for compost, you’ll find one at each Greenmarket across New York, currently totaling 30 sites. There’s even an option to get a refashionNYC collection bin placed in your office or apartment building (as long as it has ten or more units).   Another local option for getting rid of your clothing, shoes, and accessories is to donate or sell them to second-hand shops like Buffalo Exchange, Housing Works, Beacon’s Closet, or smaller ones in your neighborhood. One important thing to find out before dropping your clothes at these locations is if your items aren’t sold, will they be properly donated to be recycled as textile waste?     The Freecycle Network is a grassroots movement run by volunteers in communities all over the globe, based on the idea that people want to give and receive things for free (from clothing to electronics to art supplies to furniture). There’s a large Brooklyn community that all are welcome to join for free. As you let go of furniture on this site, you may even find your next item here too! “We often forget about the upstream and how things are produced,” says Grosberg. “The production of that item (a couch, for example) is probably using coal and oil in the factory to produce it. You’re affecting the supply chain when you choose to buy used items.”   Other organizations that may provide free pick-up service in your neighborhood are Habitat for Humanity, Housing Works, and The Salvation Army.     Unfortunately, unlike other textiles such as clothing, towels, and linens, most rugs and carpets contain materials that aren’t recyclable or are made of multiple materials that can’t be pulled apart. New York doesn’t have a simple solution for properly recycling rugs yet, but there are a few places to do research if you have a large area rug or wall-to-wall carpet.   Carpet Cycle in New Jersey is finding uses for post-consumer carpets and may be able to pick up your residential carpets. And Earth911 provides more insight into the types of recycling centers that may take carpets or carpet pads.     DonateNYC is my favorite New York City-based tool when it comes to finding places to drop off more miscellaneous items in close proximity to my apartment. Especially for so many of us who don’t have cars, it’s the perfect solution to skipping the movers or renting a truck yourself. They have a directory based on an address you type in of where you can donate or receive pretty much anything from automotive supplies to home appliances to books.   One of its partners, Big Reuse in Brooklyn, will accept donations of appliances and home renovation supplies, and offer a “deconstruction” service whereby professionals will come and dismantle a kitchen or bathroom slated for renovation, often at no or low cost to resell at the shop.   There are also many of DonateNYC’s bins set up in residential and retail buildings. They even host classes multiple times a day all over the city on topics such as mending clothes, write helpful resources, host drop-off days for specialty items, and have developed a new event, ReFashion Week NYC 2020, coming up in February that I’m excited to attend.   For all your old toothpaste tubes and personal care items like toothbrushes, haul them to the Package Free Shop in Williamsburg and Chelsea Market, which use uses TerraCycle. The Park Slope Food Coop accepts a few random items too, like toothpaste and Brita water filters.     There are a couple of easy and responsible ways to get rid of those pesky dead batteries or overused electronics that have probably been hanging around your apartment for some time.   To get rid of batteries and other hazardous waste like paint, hold on to your dead AAs until the city hosts one of its biannual SAFE Disposal events, hosted by NYC’s Department of Sanitation, which happen in the spring and fall. These events accept electronics too.   For electronics recycling year round, a few options include Staples, which accepts all those extra cords, chargers, and cracked tablets you don’t know what to do with. The Package Free Shop in Williamsburg and Chelsea Market uses TerraCycle to collect electronics, too.   You can also ask your employer to sponsor electronics recycling through TerraCycle, so you could bring in home electronics on your morning commute.   While the options for recycling and repurposing goods is expanding, it’s key to keep zero waste as a goal, even if it’s just about making micro improvements to your daily routine. “In general, it’s becoming more of a conversation, even trendy, if you will,” says Grossberg. “That gets me excited. As much as I think we have a long way to go, I’m seeing so much interest. It gives me a lot of hope.”   You can attend the next Zero Waste NYC Workshop on Wednesday, January 22nd at LMHQ in Downtown Manhattan. Click here for tickets.

We were just as surprised as you are when we noticed the luxury beauty brand being sold at everyone’s favorite down-home store. So immediately after adding to cart, we went on the hunt to see what other cool brands were lurking on the dot com. Behold, that very Gucci perfume, plus 12 other beauty favorites we can’t wait to get our hands on (for less, no doubt).