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How To Reduce Plastic Waste: 8 Items You Didn’t Know Contained Plastic
1. Sheet masks
Individually wrapped sheet masks are a plastic double-whammy. The mask itself is often made from nylon or polyester, while the pouches they’re packaged in also contain plastic combined with aluminium, which is difficult to recycle. If you want to dispose of your sheet masks properly, look for organisations such as waste management company TerraCycle, which specialises in hard-to-recycle materials. Meanwhile, switch to masks made out of biodegradable materials, like Natura’s bamboo sheets, which have 100 per cent plant-based origins.2. Wet wipes
Also often made from polyester, wet wipes are another huge problem for the environment, ending up on beaches and in oceans, and releasing microplastics into the water supply as they break down. Make sure you don’t flush them down the toilet, and opt for biodegradable wipes from brands such as Natracare and Jackson Reece. When it comes to face wipes, kick the habit completely by using flannels and reusable cotton pads instead.3. Sequins
Once made out of metal, most sequins are now made out of PVC and are non-biodegradable. Luckily, companies such as the Sustainable Sequin Company are producing sequins made from recycled plastic, but until these are available on a mass scale, it’s probably best to avoid buying a new sequin party dress.4. Sanitary pads
Sanitary pads are made from up to 90 per cent plastic, according to Friends of the Earth, with the material found in every layer. Tampons, while made out of cotton, also contain plastic in the applicator and the string. There are now a number of more eco-friendly alternatives on the market, such as those found at Freda and Flo, including pads made out of renewable materials, reusable pads and Mooncups.5. Teabags
When enjoying a cup of tea, you wouldn’t expect to be drinking microplastics as well. But according to a study from September 2019, a single teabag made out of plastic mesh can release 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics. Even a teabag made out of paper contains a small amount of plastic used to seal it. Instead, opt for plastic-free teabags, such as those made by Clipper, which are biodegradable or compostable, or try drinking loose-leaf tea.6. Chewing gum
Did you know that chewing gum can contain polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate? Those are forms of plastic, FYI, and were introduced as alternatives to chicle, its former main ingredient found in sap from Mesoamerican trees. Not only is polyvinyl acetate also found in PVA glue and polyethylene found in plastic bags, neither are biodegradable, and they can end up in the stomachs of animals. There are plenty of plant-based gums available on the market, such as Chewsy and Simply Gum for a much more eco-friendly choice.7. Crisp packets
Crisp packets are made of layers of metallised film in order to keep the contents fresh, which means they usually can’t be recycled because of the mixture of materials involved. Research is currently being done into alternative packaging, such as synthetic nanosheets using non-toxic materials; but as New Scientist reports, a long regulatory process means that we won’t see these advances on shelves for a few years. In the meantime, organisations such as TerraCycle have set up recycling schemes specifically for crisp packets.8. Drinks cartons
While you might assume that drinks cartons are made out of cardboard, they are also coated with up to 20 per cent plastic to prevent leakages, as well as 5 per cent foil, according to Recycle Now, making them more difficult to recycle. Make sure you check whether your local authority can recycle drinks cartons, and opt for glass bottles where possible as a more sustainable alternative.Get a new gadget over the holidays? Don't just toss your old device
Get a new gadget over the holidays? Don't just toss your old device
Maybe you got a holiday tech upgrade with a new phone or laptop. But what you do with old devices matters.
A United Nations report in 2017 sounded the alarm on the waste associated with technology, with 45 million tons of e-waste tossed in 2016 — and only about 20% was recycled.
If all the valuable metals were collected from those electronics, it would be worth $55 billion.
“This problem is burgeoning, it’s getting bigger and bigger,” says Steven Dege with TerraCycle, a company that specializes in hard-to-recycle materials. “And as our population grows, it’s continuing to get bigger and bigger, and if we don’t tackle it or start to develop means or ways to recycle these items, it’s going to become a massive, massive issue later on.”
Dege recommends you find a local electronics recycle location.
Consumer Reports says you can also donate your old device to a charity or nonprofit.
Dell and Goodwill have a partnership that allows you to drop off your old technology at some Goodwill locations.
Apple and Amazon may give you a credit or gift card for old electronics.
Sprint buys phones from any carrier.
Best Buy also has a number of recycling options.
But before you do any of that, make sure you protect your data first.
“The No. 1 thing that everybody should do is wipe your information off the phone, off your computers, laptops, things of that nature,” Dege says. “You don’t want that information to get anywhere, to go anywhere, other than yourself.”
Your best bet on making sure you properly wipe a device is finding a YouTube instructional video specific to that brand and model.
Bristol schools got new board, superintendent in 2019: Year in review
Republican incumbents Jen Dube and Kristen Giantonio retained their seats and were joined by fellow Republican John Sklenka. Democratic incumbent Karen Vibert retained her seat and was joined by newly elected Democrat Shelby Pons. All five will serve four-year terms.
Elected to two-year terms were Republican newcomers Eric Carlson and Alison Wadowski, along with Democratic incumbents Chris Wilson and Thomas O’Brien.
On Nov. 18, Dube was elected board chair, Giantonio was elected vice chair, and Wadowski was elected secretary.
“I think it’s great that we won the BOE,” said Republican Town Committee Chair Jeffrey Caggiano, who recently ended a school board term himself. “The BOE has been led by Democrats for the past 38 out of 40 years. That’s a long time. We have a dedicated group of people that will lead for the kids.”
The unusual division of board members into four-year and two-year terms in 2019 stemmed from a City Charter change back in 2013 to limit the board members to two four-year terms each, starting with the 2015 election.
That in turn led to a concern that eventually all nine board members could be term limited at the same time, resulting in a whole new, totally inexperienced group coming on the board at once and facing a steep learning curve.
So in 2018 the commission came up with the staggered term alternative, with alternate groups of board candidates coming up for election to four-year terms every two years. For that to work, this year some of the candidates had to run for a two-year term.
The year brought big changes in administration too. On June 30 Susan Moreau retired as superintendent and was succeeded by Catherine Carbone, who had been deputy superintendent.
“Dr. Kate Carbone is a very familiar face. She was the principal of Chippens Hill Middle School from 2006 until 2013, during which time Chippens Hill was named Middle School of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools,” Moreau said at that time.
At the same time, Michael Dietter moved into the role of deputy superintendent, and Kimberly Culkin took over his former role as director of special services.
Progress on renovating the old Memorial Boulevard School into an arts magnet for grades six through 12 continued in 2019, even as the project’s price rose from $54.8 million to $63 million. In December, the City Council and Board of Finance approved the price hike. Sixty percent of the cost will be paid by the state.
Deputy Superintendent Michael Dietter, who chairs the school building committee, said the cost increase stems from “issues present in this building that is over 100 years old, and the costs that are associated with the removal and remediation of environmental issues.”
However, the primary driver of the additional cost is a change in practice by the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review, he said. “They’re requiring that we remove all hot materials in the schools. Previous practice was to allow encapsulation, so we would do limited remediation and then we would encapsulate any environmental concerns that were there. We can no longer do that.”
The new removal requirement “has driven up the cost because that material has to be taken out of the building and then replaced,” Dietter explained. “And then we have the additional oversight of the state Historical Preservation Council, which is asking that anything that is removed is replaced with something that replicates what was there.”
Memorial Boulevard was the city’s high school when it opened in 1922. In 1967, it became a junior high school and then a middle school, until it closed at the end of the 2011-12 school year.
The renovation is still its preconstruction phase. The architect, Farmington-based Quisenberry Arcari Malik, has estimated the new school could be open by August of 2022.
In July, Mountain View Elementary School was the top winner in an online contest for a new playscape.
Colgate, ShopRite, and TerraCycle, a recycling company that specializes in hard-to-recycle waste, ran the contest, in which the school that got the most online votes would win a colorful new playscape made from recycled materials, with a retail value of $55,000.
“It really was a team effort with a lot of people in the community voting,” said Principal Mary Hawk said. “The police department, City Hall, everybody was emailing us and saying ‘we’re voting,’ so it’s really everybody’s playscape.”
It was a big moment for Mountain View when the playscape was finally installed in October. The school’s previous 30-year-old, rusting playscape had been damaged by vandals and what was left had to be demolished in 2018, leaving mostly just a pile of dirt behind the school.
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students had their own playscape, the PTO had been raising money for some smaller playground items, and ESPN volunteers had painted a number of colorful game areas on the blacktop over the summer. However, the older children didn’t have much in the way of equipment to play on until the contest prize arrived.
Lavazza and TerraCycle recycle over 156 million pods
Lavazza Professional has recycled over 156 million FLAVIA Freshpacks through their ongoing “Recycle Your Freshpack Program,” created in partnership with TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams.
Through the recycling program, businesses serviced by an authorized Lavazza Professional distributor were invited to take part in making their workplace more sustainable by diverting single-serve Freshpacks from landfill. To participate, businesses registered at www.recycleyourfreshpacks.com, collected their empty FLAVIA Freshpacks, downloaded a shipping label and returned the waste to TerraCycle for recycling.
“We have come a long way over our 10-year relationship with TerraCycle and we look forward to continuing to help our customers recycle our FLAVIA Freshpacks and reduce their environmental impact,” said Richard Bond, global senior manager sustainability.
“Since TerraCycle was founded more than 15 years ago, we’ve worked with companies like Lavazza Professional to make recycling as convenient and effective as possible,” said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky.
“This milestone demonstrates that by offering a simple solution to waste, a significant impact can be achieved that not only preserves the environment, but makes the world a better, cleaner place.”
The Recycle Your Freshpack Program is especially popular among Fortune 500 companies seeking to lessen their ecological footprint.
RESPONSIBLE BEAUTY
The new decade is already being billed as The Climate Decade. But what if we could have our glam products and not have a negative impact on Mother Earth? Now we can.
Pod People
Mindful of the ugly side of the beauty world, Proctor & Gamble has started what we hope will be the start of a packaging revolution: Olay Pods. You get to put a cool jar on your dresser. (What would our beauty rituals be without our pretty bottles?!) Instead of tossing it out when your done, just switch out the seriously-way-less-plastic-waste interior refill pods. Your beauty regimen will thank you; US.PG.com.
Topping Up
Join the refill revolution. Bathing Culture, already a natural-leaning brand, is a company putting cool retro 1960s pump refill bottles in their stores filled with “forest by the seaside after a rain”-scented Mind & Body Wash. No store near you? Opt for an environmentally conscious multi-refill pod. Since it’s a unisex scent, you only need one dispenser on your bathroom counter, saving yet another bottle; BathingCulture.com.
Subaru’s New Corporate Report Reveals Why They Are More Than A Car Company
2020 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek
Subaru of America (SOA) CEO Tom Doll believes its success of 11 consecutive years of record sales comes from being more than a car company. Subaru promises four things beyond building quality all-wheel-drive vehicles.
Diversity
Subaru has been about diversity since the 1990s when they reached out to the LGBTQ community when no other company would touch the issue. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles are woven into the fabric of the Camden, N.J. automaker and the reason SOA has received one-hundred percent on the Human Rights Campaign Equality Index year over year.
Subaru encourages volunteers
Volunteerism
Subaru doesn’t just say its important to give back to the communities where they do business, they encourage and practice volunteerism. To support its employees, Subaru of America offers a dynamic volunteer program with an average of 160-plus events each year they can choose from. A majority of them take place during the workday, and Subaru even offers paid time off for employees to volunteer.
Green Initiatives
Subaru’s work with the National Park Foundation demonstrates its commitment to the planet. Subaru believes who we are is what we leave behind, which is why the automaker has environmental programs established to reduce its footprint and give back to the planet. Some other initiatives include: LEED-Certified Facilities, Bulk Oil and Bulk Coolant Programs, TerraCycle recycling program, Returnable Shipping Container Initiatives, Leave No Trace, and the Reman Program.
Giving back to local communities
Being more than a car company has a foundation built on the automaker’s “Love Promise” offered through its dealer network that gives customers an opportunity to pump dollars into their communities. Across the U.S., SOA develops partnerships that align with its values,.
Subaru’s partnership with organizations like ASPCA has affected the lives of over 10,000 animals. The automaker also has the “Make a Dogs Day” campaign, they have teamed up with Make-A-Wish, Adopt A Classroom, Center for Pet Safety, Meals on Wheels, National Park Service, Philidelphia Cherry Blossom Festival and other charitable organizations around the U.S.
Where will Subaru expand its reach in the future?
Subaru says they will improve in all the areas above, and they will work to reach the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They will also plant 500,000 trees in California regions impacted by wildfires over the next four years, as part of the Forester Reforesting program, and they will partner with REI to place a TerraCycle container in each of its 154 stores.
2020 Subaru Forester
Subaru brings you vehicles like the 2020 Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Ascent known for their all-wheel-drive, safety, and utility. But they believe their success also comes with the responsibility to continue being more than a car company.
Photo credit: Subaru USA