TERRACYCLE NEWS

ELIMINATING THE IDEA OF WASTE®

Posts with term Include USA X

Norton Takes Home TerraCycle Contest Win

TerraCycle Include USA Colgate 'Save Water'

For PTA Secretary Lizzie Montgomery, helping Norton Elementary School to win outdoor garden beds, a picnic table and gazebo made entirely out of recycled materials was no easy feat. “I heard about TerraCycle about four or five years ago, but at the time I couldn’t figure out how to participate,” she said. “Our family is big into recycling and we’re glad we could expand it to the entire school community.” TerraCycle is a national organization that aims to combat climate change by upping the public’s recycling awareness. It is a free program that businesses and local organizations can use in order to safely and sustainably dispose of non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle waste. The contest, which began at the beginning of the summer and ended in late September, asked community members to visit the TerraCycle website and vote for the school of their choice as many times as they wanted. The competition was open to all schools in the country. Montgomery, who had never posted on the Cheshire Community Forum on Facebook, began posting daily reminders on the site over the summer, encouraging everyone to vote for Norton. “Up until now, I had no real way of participating in TerraCycle’s competitions” Montgomery mentioned. “They needed a certain amount of pounds in order to even enter the competitions, which is hard for one family to come up with. But if a whole school or community does it, it becomes a little easier.” Norton Elementary School’s Principal Kelly Grillo is excited to share the win with her students and staff. “I am personally very grateful for Lizzie Montgomery for all of her efforts to make this win possible,” she said. “She has made TerraCycle a part of our school community. We will continue to support this initiative as we are dedicated to doing our part to reduce litter that would otherwise end up in a landfill or incineration facility. Our students and staff will enjoy the new additions to our campus and are proud that we are making a difference for our environment.” TerraCycle’s programs use waste materials that typically would have no value and turn them into products that can be resold or reused for something else. While not everything can be recycled, TerraCycle’s website has a hefty list of what can be, including different wrappers and various plastic containers that any student would find in their lunchbox. “We put collection boxes in each classroom,” Montgomery explained. “When you collect a certain weight of items you can have it picked up and you get points associated with what was brought in, and then you can utilize the points for different things through TerraCycle.” For this particular contest, votes were tallied by the number of people who specifically voted on TerraCycle’s website for their school. Montgomery’s dedicated efforts to remind Cheshire residents to vote every single day was a big help in Norton’s success. “I thought it would start to get really annoying and people wouldn’t like it,” Montgomery said. “But when it was over, people came up to me and said that the only reason they remembered to vote was because of me, so I guess it helped.” The installation date is unknown, but Montgomery still has big plans for Norton. “They will have a contest in the spring for a new playground,” Montgomery said excitedly. “So Norton will be back participating in that later on.” Find out more about TerraCycle online at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US.

How to Clean Your Toothbrush

TerraCycle Colgate Include USA

Allowing a toothbrush to dry between uses is effective for killing most bacteria that may be on them, however, some strains of bacteria can continue to thrive even in dry conditions. Preventing this build-up of bacteria is an important reason to clean your toothbrush regularly, similar to a dish cloth or sponge. If you’re sick, you may want to clean the toothbrush daily or even twice daily until the illness subsides to avoid re-infecting yourself. Having a member of the family who refuses to keep the toilet lid down while flushing is another great reason to regularly clean your toothbrush (as keeping the lid up allows the fecal matter to spray up into the air and onto surrounding surfaces, like toothbrushes sitting on the sink counter, yuck!). Use one of the methods below to reduce or remove the bacteria on your toothbrush.

Cleaning the Toothbrush with Peroxide

You Will Need:

Hydrogen peroxide
Water
A cup

Steps to Clean the Toothbrush:

1. Put the toothbrush in the cup with the brush head facing down. 2. Fill the cup with enough hydrogen peroxide to fully cover the brush head. 3. Allow the peroxide to fizz until finished. 4. When the peroxide has finished fizzing, the bacteria has been killed and the toothbrush can be removed from the cup.

Cleaning the Toothbrush with a Denture Tablet

You Will Need:

A denture tablet
Water
A cup

Steps to Clean the Toothbrush:

1. Place the toothbrush in the cup with the brush head facing down. 2. Fill the cup with water. 3. Drop a denture tablet into the cup. 4. Allow the denture tablet to fully fizz. 5. When the tablet has finished fizzing, the toothbrush is clean and can be removed from the cup.

Cleaning the Toothbrush with UV Light

There are toothbrush holders made now that have a UV light inside and will kill the bacteria on your toothbrush as soon as you store it away in the holder. Doing this can drastically reduce the need to clean your toothbrush, though we do still recommend the occasional cleaning with one of the cleaning solutions mentioned above as well to fizz away debris between that can gather between the bristles (even if that debris is bacteria-free). These devices can be found online or occasionally in some supermarkets.

Additional Tips

Store your toothbrush in an upright position to allow the moisture to drip down from the brush head so that it has the best chance of fully drying out between cleanings, which will kill many types of bacteria.
The American Dental Association recommends replacing a toothbrush every 3-4 months as this is the usual amount of time for the bristles to become worn and therefore less effective.
Clean your used toothbrush, then keep it with your cleaning supplies for tasks like scrubbing grout lines.
Many toothbrushes can be recycled! Colgate brand toothbrushes can be turned in to the Terracycle program, and other types of toothbrushes may be eligible for recycling through the Preserve program at Whole Foods in the U.S. according to Recycle Nation. Nylon toothbrush bristles can be pulled out of any type of brush for recycling at an appropriate facility.
For your next toothbrush, consider buying a bamboo handle brush that can be composted. There are many varieties of this brush available in major supermarkets now (Thank you Colgate!).

This is the first truly waste-free bar in Brooklyn - and possibly America too

TerraCycle Include USA ZWB

From wine corks to liquor bottles with non-recyclable caps to soapy dishwater that ultimately drips back into the water supply, restaurants generate an amazing amount of waste on a daily basis – and one small Brooklyn wine bar is looking to stem the tide.

According to the Green Restaurant Association, the average dining destination creates 100,000 pounds of garbage per year. Restaurateurs can divert 90% of that from the landfill with the proper recycling and composting program, the organization says, but Rhodora has taken the concept even further, completely eliminating all waste from its operations.

And to be clear, that means everything. No single-use plastics, no products or packaging that can’t be recycled, upcycled, or composted, and no trash in the kitchen, the dining room...or in the bathroom. Wines are natural and low-intervention, from small farms, and the menu – inspired by the conservas tapas bars of the Iberian Peninsula – is short and sweet, just tinned fish and seafood, pickles and charcuterie, cheeses and simple salads, with ice cream for dessert.

Rhodora is the work of the Oberon Group, a local restaurant group with a focus on community and sustainability, and though it’s the first zero-waste bar in Brooklyn, and likely the first in the US as a whole, it’s not the first in the world. The UK’s Silo, which opened in Brighton in 2014 and relocated to London just this fall, served as an inspiration, and the chef there helped the Rhodora team navigate through unfamiliar waters.

As Grub Street reports, they sought out cheeses sans wax rinds, breads that could be delivered by bike, and oysters that would come in a closed-loop delivery system – i.e., in packaging that goes back to the supplier to be reused. There’s a composter for food scraps, and as for that bathroom issue, there's TerraCycle, a New Jersey recycling company that handles hazardous waste – one of their collection boxes has been installed in the facilities. The idea here, the team says, is a straightforward one: to set a standard for others to follow. “The food world has traditionally done such a poor job of being environmental stewards,” Oberon deputy director Halley Chambers told Grub Street. “If we can build a model of a sustainable trash-free relationship, suppliers can start replicating it.”

Repeat After Us: Not All Plastics Are Municipally Recyclable (Especially the Ones in the Bathroom)

TerraCycle tom szaky Include USA Paula's Choice

Most of us are familiar with recycling as a way to prevent litter and save resources. We look for the blue bin in public, many of us have curbside recycling pickup, and some have access to drop-off points provided by a municipality or local retailer. But as the world is waking up to the fact that most of our public recycling is not recycled, confusion abounds.

The focus on recycling has largely been on items generated in the kitchen or related to food and beverage (think aluminum cans, glass bottles), but the bathroom in particular is filled with products and packaging that are not municipally recyclable. All that plastic can be recycled, right? Not always, and infrequently.

Plastic personal care containers host a range of resin identification codes (not “recycling numbers,” as many believe) that indicate what type of plastic a container is made of. Because local programs accept different types of plastic, what’s recyclable in one town may not be in the next. This can be very confusing to consumers who want to do the right thing.

These are resin identification numbers (not “recycling numbers,” as many believe), and not all containers with these numbers can be recycled.

But the fact is very few items generated in the bathroom, many entirely made up of plastic, fall into the curbside recyclable category. The small sizes of the caps, pots, wands, trays of makeup and tubes of skin care fall through the cracks at recycling facilities. In addition, multi-compositional packages (i.e. metal spring in a plastic pump top, tube made of layers of plastic and foil) require separating and processing that your municipal recycler does not have the capability to handle.

Plus, nearly every color of plastic that isn’t clear or white (most beauty packages) is considered non-recyclable, because colors cannot be turned into any other color, which makes them undesirable in the market for raw material. With the high collection and processing costs for most personal care and cosmetics, landfilling and incineration are considered the easiest, least costly options.

Of course, this is at the expense of the environment, and the demand for accessible recycling options for cosmetic and beauty care products is recognized around the globe. Paula’s Choice, a premium beauty brand, is one of the latest companies to team up with TerraCycle to create a national recycling program to fill the gaps in the current system.

We’ve partnered on a free recycling program for all Paula’s Choice Skincare packaging. Image via TerraCycle.

Those familiar with TerraCycle know we believe everything is technically recyclable, having proven items such as cigarettes, chewing gum, and even dirty diapers can be repurposed into material for new products. The technology is there. But by sponsoring a national solution, beauty brands working with us also support an end-market for the material, ensuring the beauty and cosmetics empties are cycled around and turned into something new.

Not all plastics are considered recyclable, but personal care and cosmetics products are updating their offerings to address our desires to recycle more and reduce our impacts. By choosing brands committed to this ethos, you support companies and manufacturers stepping up to change, drive a shift away from the “business as usual” of non-recyclability, and create a more beautiful beauty industry overall.

Nulo Challenger

TerraCycle Include USA Nulo

Nulo presents its Challenger dog food line to the super-premium category. It is designed to set a new standard for ultra-high-meat, low-carb, grain-inclusive offerings. The product line leads with five meats and achieves up to 90 percent animal-based protein. Legume and potato free, the food is formulated with an organic grain platform utilizing the healthiest grain combination possible to deliver an excellent source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. The packaging comes with premium Aplix enclosures on all sizes and is included in Nulo’s partnership with TerraCycle that provides customers with a free program to recycle their bags. Challenger is sold only through brick-and-mortar stores. nulo.com

8 everyday items that contain secret plastics and how to avoid them

TerraCycle Include USA

From sheet masks to sequins, Vogue tracks down the products you need to look out for when attempting to cut down on plastic.

We all know that plastic bottles and disposable coffee cups are bad for the environment. But the truth is, plastic is everywhere. Scientists have found microplastics in the air, water, beer, seafood, and salt; a study published in Environmental Science & Technology in June 2019 suggested we eat between 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year — and breathe in even more. When it comes to fashion, it’s the plastic in our clothes that we need to worry about. One load of washing can release up to 700,000 microfibres according to a study from November 2016 (although estimates from other studies are significantly higher). And research from August 2019 found that the delicate wash cycle — despite its deceptive description — is even worse for the environment, shedding on average 800,000 more microfibres per load. But there are other, rather surprising everyday items that also contain plastic. Here, Vogue rounds up what you should be looking out for, and how to avoid it. 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 such as Natura’s bamboo sheets, which have 100 per cent plant-based origins. 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. Sequins Though 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 dress for the festive season. 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. 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 teabags 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. 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, but they also aren’t biodegradable and 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. 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 advancements for a few years. In the meantime, organisations such as TerraCycle have set up recycling schemes specifically for crisp packets. 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 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.

Carbondale nonprofit hosts America Recycles Day event

TerraCycle Include USA ZWB

CARBONDALE. Il. (KFVS) -Keep Carbondale Beautiful is asking citizens to bring new ideas on ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle to the America Recycles Day event, on Nov. 14, at the Carbondale Civics Center.

The event will starts at 7:00 p.m. with presentations followed by a brainstorming session.

The nonprofit is looking for people with some tricks to share, and others who want to move closer to a zero waste lifestyle.

The amount of single use plastics has risen in the last few decades. Yet, market changes have restricted the opportunities to recycle.

KCB director Sarah Heyer said, “What’s needed is a two-pronged approach: first, avoid single-use containers by re-using bags and rejecting excess packaging. And second, maximize recycling."

The event will cover ways to do both, with help from SIUC Sustainability and Terracycle recycling.

For more information, contact Keep Carbondale Beautiful at keepcb1326@gmail.com or 618 525 5525.

Arizona Music Pro Serving Music Scene for 25 Years

TerraCycle Include USA D'Addario

We were starry-eyed 20-somethings when we opened Arizona Music Pro,” said Meg Roederer from the full-service musical instrument company in downtown Flagstaff. “We had the entrepreneurial spirit. And here we are 25 years later – we are so grateful.” In 1994, Lance and Meg Roederer opened Arizona Music Pro (AMP) shortly after they both graduated from Northern Arizona University. Each brought different strengths to the business: Lance possessed the music background and business experience while Meg’s communications and marketing degree helped establish and promote the mission and goals. But, as the couple set out, they did not envision what would be one of their major challenges as young entrepreneurs. “The biggest challenge we had was managing the growth,” said Lance Roederer during the 25th anniversary celebration on Oct. 4 at the one-stop music shop. The business owner, whose music talents earned him an NAU scholarship and chair in the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, hired staff and added managers to handle the unexpected growth. Within two years, the couple moved the business into a larger building just one block west of the original AMP location on Route 66. AMP still resides at the second location and has become a landmark on “The Mother Road” in the sizeable building that was once the Flagstaff Greyhound Bus Depot and later a NAPA Auto Parts store. Today, Lance attributes much of AMP’s success to the supportive staff, including General Manager Rich Neville, Store Manager Vince Abeyta and others. The team of trained experts with more than 75 years of collective industry experience offers advice for instrument rentals and lessons as well as musical instrument sales to clients throughout Northern Arizona. “Music education was a core component of what we wanted to do,” said Meg. “We continue to strive to do that with our many educational services.” AMP supports music education with donations to schools, organizations and festivals, recognition of young music students through its annual trophy program and lessons, studio time and helping to make instruments affordable for schoolchildren. The business also arranges workshops to inspire and motivate adult musicians. “We’ve given away $4,000 worth of prizes,” Lance said at the anniversary event, where those gathered enjoyed live music by local band Naughty Bits. “I’m pleasantly surprised that our manufacturers stepped up to provide the prizes for our 25th anniversary celebration.” Winners took home a Taylor GS mini acoustic guitar, a Fender Stratocaster guitar, Kala Ukuleles, a Mackie Freeplay PA System, PreSonus studio monitors and more. Industry manufacturing representatives from Roland, Boss, Shure, Mackie and PreSonus were on site to provide demonstrations and offer advice during the event. At the same time, musicians could recycle and replace old instrument strings with D’Addario NYXL or Nickel Bronze Acoustic strings. Old strings collected were recycled through Playback, the world’s first instrument string recycling program sponsored by D’Addario and TerraCycle, the international recycler of hard-to-recycle waste. “We’ve been searching for a solution for old string reuse after installing a new set on a guitar, so it’s great that D’Addario and TerraCycle are helping dealers confront this issue,” Lance explained. “Recycling these strings, regardless of brand name, will help to greatly minimize our store’s landfill contribution.” Arizona Music Pro serves Flagstaff’s diverse music scene, from rockers to classical and everything in between, said Lance. “We love what we do and are excited to celebrate 25 years of doing business as Flagstaff’s music store – thank you, Flagstaff!” FBN

Second Annual Zero Waste Summit Coming in March

TerraCycle tom szaky Include USA

The Second Annual Zero Waste Summit will convene March 24 to 26, 2020 at N.J.I.T in Newark, N.J. The Summit will continue the collaboration of strategy and Zero Waste goals to enable sustainability, profitability and resource optimization across the supply chain. This meeting will deep dive into linking regulations, policies, design, and permitting with reusable and reclaimed materials, link emerging waste technologies and consider the impacts for the digital economy on sustainability and waste. Its mission is to move towards Zero Waste goals and increased sustainability without sacrificing profitability. Key topics will include:

Emerging Technologies for Waste Mitigation
Recycling Technologies
Trends in E Waste and Organics Disposal
Zero Waste Supply Chain Optimization
Sustainable Packaging and reuse
Using water multiple times and mitigating wastewater
Manufacturing in a shared services and circular economy
Developing & Enabling Fed/State/Local waste mitigation policies
Monetizing waste and excess material across the value chain

Speakers include:

Tom Szaky, CEO, TerraCycle
Franklin L. Mink, Ph.D., President, MAI LLC , Former Director USEPA Health & Criteria
Gary Oppenheimer, Founder/Executive Director, AmpleHarvest.org
Tony Schifano, Founder, Antos Environmental
Clare Miflin AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Certified Biomimicry Professional
Sarah Currie-Halpern, Co-Founder, Think Zero LLC
Dave Gajadhar, Chairperson, Companies for Zero Waste
Dave Levine, President, American Sustainable Business Council
Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership- invited
Richard Riman, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers University
Stephanie Joy Benedetto, CEO, Queen of Raw
Lisa Morales-Hellebo, Co-Founder, The World Supply Chain Federation

Saie is the Clean Makeup Brand You're About to See Everywhere

TerraCycle Include USA Saie

Clean makeup has a bad reputation. Saie wants to change that.

It's true that clean makeup has come a long way in the last five years. It's even come a long way in the last year alone. While we're more invested than ever before in finding beauty products that are safer for our bodies and the environment, that often comes at the sacrifice of performance, pigment, and payoff. There are plenty of clean makeup swaps for products you've traditionally loved like lipstick, eyeshadows, and creamy blushes and highlighters. But mascara? As a diehard mascara junkie, I can confidentially say that most clean mascaras are...fine. They lengthen and define but often flake and fail by the end of the day. Saie is here to change that.

Saie (pronounced say) was dreamed up by founder and CEO Laney Crowell. Formerly an executive at Estée Lauder, Crowell tapped a team of seasoned cosmetics veterans and wellness-focused influencers to help with product development, sustainability, and branding. Beauty giant Unilever then got on board and invested in Saie. The result is an initial launch of four products (mascara, tinted lip balm, an eyelash curler, and two shades of brow gel) tailored to the beauty lover who doesn't have time to do a full face beat. While most clean makeup products are cost prohibitive, all Saie's products will be priced under $25. There will be new launches from the brand every six weeks—so get your makeup bag ready. Saie's clean makeup ingredient standards are rigorous. Not only are there over 2,000 ingredients they won't ever touch, they're also proud to formulate without phenoxyethanol, an alcohol-based preservative used by many other makeup brands that call themselves clean. The ingredient, often used as a safer alternative to parabens, is potentially allergenic and irritating.

The star of show is Saie's $24 mascara. When I met with Crowell, she explained that most clean mascaras are water-based. When that water inevitably evaporates the formula starts to flake. Which is why clean mascaras have a bad reputation of ghosting before the day is done. Saie's formula is packed with oils that actually stay wet. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it's not. The formula does dry down but not all the way, which means the inky black color stays malleable on your lashes and doesn't flake. The formula is more defining and lengthening than volumizing, but you can pack on several layers to get thicker lashes without risking clumps. Plus, the brush is genius. The rubber bristles are perfect for separating each lash, and there's a rounded spiky tip that goes one step further to help you get those annoying inner lashes.

The $16 liquid lip balm comes in one universal shade of mauve and is formulated with sustainably-sourced beeswax. It's also worth noting that every ingredient in the brand's formulas are biodegradable. The product packaging is 100% recyclable and the lip balm tube is made from post-consumer plastic. If you want to recycle any of the brand's products after you're done using them, just shoot them an email. They'll send you a shipping label so that no product ever gets thrown in the trash. Crowell assured me that they're working toward fully sustainable packaging and are currently partnered with TerraCycle and Carbon Credit Capital.

There are two brow gels in the line, each priced at $18. One is clear and one is a faint light brown shade that is universal as long as you don't apply 20 layers of pigment. They're perfect for sweeping quickly over brows for a little definition. The $18 sturdy lash curler comes in the brand's signature lilac shade.