Dive Brief:

• Unilever has committed to halving its virgin plastic use by 2025 by increasing the amount of recycled plastic in the packaging for its products and developing alternative packaging materials.
• The company will also boost its collection and recycling of plastic packaging, aiming for 600,000 metric tons per year by 2025 — slightly less than the 700,000 metric tons the company produces, the company announced in a press release Monday.
• "This demands a fundamental rethink in our approach to our packaging and products. It requires us to introduce new and innovative packaging materials and scale up new business models, like re-use and re-fill formats, at an unprecedented speed and intensity," Unilever CEO Alan Jope said in a statement. 

Dive Insight: Packaging is a major contributor to plastic waste. It represented 36% of all plastic production in 2015 and its share of the waste stream is even larger. A 2017 study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Georgia; and the Sea Education Association found most packaging plastic enters the waste stream within one year of production. Jope's statement explains the extent of the work ahead for Unilever, and any manufacturer looking to substantially reduce virgin plastic use. The company's steps to meet these goals will include:

• Investment and partnerships in waste collection and processing.
• The purchase and use of recycled plastics in its packaging.
• Participation in extended producer responsibility schemes where Unilever directly pays for the collection of its packaging.

Unilever is not alone in making drastic plastic reductions. PepsiCo pledged to reduce virgin plastic in its products by 35% by 2025. Walmart, with its private-label brands, and Keurig Dr. Pepper are working toward full recyclability. Recycling players like Terracycle, with its waste-free e-commerce platform Loop (Unilever and PepsiCo are partners) are working on solutions for reducing single-use or non-recyclable plastic packaging, but so far no radical solutions have scaled. Greenpeace is skeptical that Unilever's Monday announcement, or any of the existing corporate initiatives to reduce single-use plastics in the supply chain, will make a real dent in the fundamental problem. "While this is a step in the right direction, for a company that uses 700,000 metric tons of plastic annually, Unilever’s continued emphasis on collection, alternative materials, and recycled content will not result in the systemic shift required to solve the growing plastic pollution problem," said Graham Forbes, global project leader at Greenpeace USA in a public statement reacting to Unilever's pledge. Just days before the Monday announcement, Greenpeace published a report calling out such corporate efforts as "false solutions" that don't actually move away from the single-use plastic paradigm in any real way. Unilever's actions to date — working on collection in developing countries and creating refillable products in some markets — are not enough, according to Greenpeace. "We encourage Unilever to prioritize its efforts upstream by redesigning single-use plastic and packaging out of its business model, and being more specific about the investment it will be making in reusable and refillable alternatives," said Forbes.

The beauty maker has been hosting a global innovation competition for university students for over 25 years. The 2020 challenge got underway this month and the task at hand is to help create a plastic-free future.

There is still a lot of mystery around recycling. Each municipality accepts different items, making it difficult to figure out what is and isn’t recyclable. A lot of people want to recycle properly, but it can be confusing to know where to start.   This is a rough guide to what is generally considered to be recyclable. Since the rules can vary, I encourage you to check with your local waste management facility or visit their website for more specific information.   aluminum cans Aluminum cans are light like plastic and create fewer emissions when distributed than glass, and, unlike plastic, aluminum is infinitely recyclable without any loss of quality. An aluminum can can go from the curbside bin to the store shelf in as little as 60 days. Aluminum cans are typically used for beverages, so after you’ve finished your drink, tap out the excess moisture, and place the cans in your curbside bin. They don’t need to be crushed.   aluminum foil Aluminum foil is reusable. If you have it, use it until it starts to flake and fall apart. Don’t forget about aluminum pie tins or baking dishes. Wash food scraps off the foil and let it dry, then ball up the aluminum foil until it’s at least 2 inches in diameter. If it’s any smaller, it can get lost and wind up in the landfill.   brown paper Brown paper is recyclable in your curbside bin. It’s also compostable. Before recycling, see if you can reuse it.   butcher paper Butcher paper or freezer paper is coated with plastic. It’s neither recyclable nor compostable.   cardboard boxes With the onslaught of online shopping, we have more cardboard boxes than ever before. These boxes are completely recyclable. You do NOT have to remove the tape and the labels (unless it’s excessively taped all around the box), but you should break the boxes down. First reuse the cardboard boxes as many times as possible. Recycle it only when the cardboard box can no longer be used.   cup lids Cup lids are typically made of plastic #6. You might see “PS- 6” or a “6” inside of a recycle sign. Plastic #6 is not generally recyclable in the curbside bin.   envelopes If you have paper envelopes, be sure to remove the plastic windows before recycling.   glass bottles Glass is infinitely recyclable without any loss of quality. It is recyclable in most munici­palities.   magazines with glossy pages Magazines are recyclable. However, many artists use magazines as part of their art projects. See if you can reuse this material before recycling it. If you have newer magazines, donate them to libraries, waiting rooms, family shelters, nursing homes, etc.   metal lids from glass bottles Lids on glass bottles, like pasta sauce or tahini, are often made from steel. You can unscrew those from the glass bottles and place them in the recycle bin. The lids are large enough that they aren’t going to be lost. Typically those lids are lined with a very thin layer of plastic. Because of the high-temperatures used to recycle metal, it’s burned off.   milk and juice cartons Milk and juice cartons are made from paperboard and coated with plastic, typically polyethylene. Recycling of these items varies across the country.   newspaper Newspaper is recyclable and compostable.   paper cups Coffee cups, like milk cartons, are actually lined with plastic. They’re not compostable, and they’re not recyclable in most locations. In order to recycle coffee cups, waste management facilities have to have special machinery that separates the plastic lining from the paper cup. The lids are plastic #6 and not normally recyclable in most curbside bins, but the cardboard sleeve is!   paper napkins and towels The fibers are too short to be recycled, but they can be composted. Paper can only be recycled an average of eight times before it can’t be anymore. Each time the paper is recycled the fibers get shorter and shorter, so by the time it gets to napkins and paper towels they’re too short.   parchment paper Any paper that is stained with food or cooking oils is not recyclable, so parchment paper is usually out. However, you can reuse parchment paper several times and then ultimately compost it!   photographs Photos are not recyclable.   pizza boxes You cannot recycle paper that has been soiled by food, liquids, or grease. Typically the bottoms of pizza boxes are too greasy to be recycled. So, you’ll want to separate the lid and the bottom of your pizza box. The greasy bottom part of the pizza box can be composted, and the top of the pizza box can be recycled, if it’s grease-free!   plastics Make sure to rinse any food or grease from your plastic, so it doesn’t contaminate the paper in the bins. It doesn’t have to be perfectly clean, but a quick rinse will go a long way. It’s important to note that the symbol for plastic is inside a small recycle sign. This does NOT mean that the plastic is recyclable. Plastic has one of the lowest recycle rates. Only 9 percent of plastic ever created has been recovered, which is why it’s best to reduce our dependence on plastic and opt for reusable items! It’s generally considered that the lower the number of the plastic, the higher the quality and the more likely it is to be accepted for recycling.   §  plastic #1: Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET) is most commonly used for cake trays, soft drinks, and water bottles. Plastic #1 is accepted in most curbside bins. §  plastic #2: High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is most commonly used for cleaning bottles, shampoo and milk jugs. It is normally accepted in curbside bins. §  plastic #3: PVC (vinyl) is used for cooking oil bottles, shower curtains, clear food packaging, and mouthwash bottles. Plastic #3 isn’t normally accepted in curbside bins, but check with your waste management company. §  plastic #4: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is used for bread bags, grocery bags, and plastic film. It is not recyclable in most curbside bins. If it is accepted in your curbside bin, then you need to put all of your plastic film inside of a plastic bag until it is roughly the size of a basketball and knot it at the top. If it’s not accepted in your curbside bin, then you can take your clean, dry plastic film to the front of the grocery store where they usually accept plastic #4 in addition to plastic grocery bags. §  plastic #5: Polypropylene (PP) is used for cheese containers, syrup bottles, yogurt containers and is recyclable in most curbside bins. §  plastic #6: Polystyrene (PS) is most commonly found as Styrofoam. It’s used in takeaway cup lids, packing peanuts, Styrofoam blocks, cups, and takeaway containers. There are a few programs that take clean Styrofoam and turn it into molding, but those recycling options are few and far between. Styrofoam isn’t very valuable, and it’s not recyclable in most locations. §  plastic #7: Plastic #7 is composed of mixed plastics. It’s often not recyclable.   printer paper It is recyclable in your curbside bin.   produce bags Produce bags are either plastic #2 or #4, meaning they can be recycled at the front of the grocery store, but they can also be reused many times!   receipts Receipts are coated with BPA and are not recyclable or compostable. If receipts are placed in the recycle bin they can contaminate the entire bale which means paper towels, paper napkins, and everything else made with 100 percent recycled content may end up contained with BPA. Let’s prevent this by throwing our receipts away!   shredded paper While crumpled and slightly altered paper is recyclable, shredded paper is not. The paper fibers have been shortened too much, and the small shreds can jam machinery and contaminate bales of other materials. Some waste management companies have special programs for recycled paper. They each have different rules for pick up so be sure to follow their requirements.   Shredded paper is great packing material, especially for fragile items. Beyond that, it’s fabulous for compost— especially worm bins!   steel cans Ninety percent of all cans found in the supermarket are made from steel, which is recyclable. Items such as canned tomatoes, chickpeas, or coconut milk are contained in steel cans. You don’t have to remove the paper label from your steel can before recycling; when the cans are recycled, they are subjected to very, very high temperatures that burn off the labels. You need to rinse the cans before putting them in the recycle bin; if you leave food particles in the can, it can contaminate the bale.   You can test whether or not your can is made of steel by using a magnet. Steel is magnetic; aluminum is not.   steel can lids Steel can lids are recyclable, but if you don’t have a smooth edge can opener, you shouldn’t throw them in the bin. Most recycling plants still use workers to help sort material. Before you put anything in the bin,  ask yourself, would I feel safe grabbing this? If the answer is no, don’t put it in the bin. You can take it to a transfer station for separate recycling or you can shove the lid down inside of the steel can and crimp the opening ensuring that the lid won’t escape.

Cities and towns across the country are prohibiting single-use plastic bags while the Garden State’s bill is sitting idle in the Statehouse. After you take a seat at your favorite local restaurant and order drinks, you might notice an up-and-coming movement yet unusual change once you see the straw—it’s made out of paper. While not every restaurant is on board with paper straws, they have become more noticeable in South Jersey and the only option for restaurant goers in Shore towns. Aside from the ridding of plastic straws, the backbone of legislation under consideration is a ban on single-use plastic bags in cities and towns in New Jersey. It all began last summer when bill sponsor Sen. Bob Smith, head of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, and other lawmakers in Trenton proposed a bill to Gov. Phil Murphy to place a five-cent fee on plastic and paper single-use shopping bags. Although Murphy thought the bill was well intentioned, it wasn’t up to par with his standards of a strict policy, and as a result, the bill was vetoed.   Murphy wanted the bill to resemble California’s statewide ban prohibiting plastic bags and a fee for paper bags. Now Smith is amending the bill that would ban single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, polystyrene food containers and possibly paper bags from all restaurants and retailers in the state. Violators could potentially be charged a fine of up to $5,000 for each offense. If the bill were to be approved, it would make New Jersey one of the top states (aside from Hawaii, which has a proposed Senate bill of banning nearly all plastic items from restaurants) that has the toughest statewide plastic and Styrofoam ban in the country. While legislation stays inoperative in the Senate for now, towns in South Jersey have already taken the first step toward an anti-plastic state, and Shore towns specifically have already put the ban into effect this past summer. Avalon’s ban (eliminating the practice of merchants using single-use plastic bags, plastic utensils and Styrofoam containers) went into effect in June—prime season for vacationers. The ban is a part of the Avalon Clean Water Initiative which attempts to remove plastics from waterways. Scott Wahl, Avalon’s business administrator, says there has been a lot of positive feedback from businesses regarding the ban, even though they’re feeling the brunt of the change. “The biggest adjustment for the merchants was discussing with their suppliers alternatives that would satisfy the terms of the ordinance,” he says. “Some of these other materials, in some cases, are more expensive but all of the merchants understand what we are trying to accomplish and become a greener community.” As for the general public, Wahl says the majority of people understand and are in acceptance of the legislation. The town has implemented Terra Cycle containers at select locations in the borough to drop plastic bags, which are sent to a company that guarantees every bag will be recycled. It’s typically assumed that throwing plastic bags into the recycling bin will automatically get recycled, but they are usually sent to the general waste system because of recycling parameters (a plastic water bottle with a lid cannot be recycled, for example). Wahl mentions that Avalon hasn’t seen any issues so far with the ban in place, but realizes there’s potential to modify the ordinance if excessive hardships were to occur on businesses. The council would consider new products that could help the businesses financially. Similar to Avalon, Stone Harbor, Somers Point, Longport, Ventnor City, Brigantine, Long Beach and more Shore towns up the coast imposed laws ranging from a ban of retailers handing out plastic bags/utensils to consumers or imposing fees for plastic bags. Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council and vice chair of the board of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, says that while the New Jersey Food Council supports the promotion of sustainability efforts, members also support sound environmental policy. She believes that towns and cities are taking the wrong approach. “About 50 or so municipalities throughout New Jersey, including South Jersey coastal towns, have enacted or proposed competing disposable bag bans or fees with different requirements, definitions and effective dates that include all types and sizes of retailers, small businesses and restaurants,” Doherty says. “This has created an onerous and unworkable patchwork of local ordinances for all merchants who have established businesses in these communities throughout the state. It also causes confusion amongst customers who shop retailers in different towns.” Because of the competing bag ordinances, the New Jersey Food Council has called on local town officials to support a consistent statewide single-use bag resolution. “No one wants 565 different town ordinances regulating how consumers shop,” Doherty says. “We believe reducing waste statewide is a good thing but a zip code should not dictate disposal bag policies.” Doherty also says there should be one exception to this ban, and it involves raw meat. For food safety reasons, plastic bags should be used to separate and prevent poultry, beef and other food items from damaging or contaminating other produce. Other organizations have a strong opposition to the plastic ban. The American Plastic Bag Alliance (APBA) represents the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry in the U.S. and acts as the “defense” against the bans and taxes across the nation. The APBA has had a keen eye on Trenton’s legislation and has engaged in conversation to bring to light consequences legislators and the public might not be aware of when it comes to banning plastic bags. “We’ve got tens of thousands of workers here in the United States that manufacture plastic bags,” Matt Seaholm, executive director of the APBA, says. “So if you were to ban the products and there’s no longer a market for them, as you can imagine their jobs could potentially go away.” A statewide litter study was conducted last year by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and it was found that of the total materials that make up the litter stream, only 0.8 percent are from branded plastic bags. “Even if you were to ban those products entirely, the best case scenario is that you’re going to reduce the litter stream by that [0.8 percent] and at the same time you’re going to increase costs on retailers and the customers by millions and millions of dollars,” Seaholm says. Dennis Hart, executive director of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, is involved with polystyrene (Styrofoam), food containers, straws and plastic cups and agrees with Seaholm that there should be a common ground that won’t have such an impact on the economy. The Chemistry Council is promoting recycling and new ways to enhance recycling of these materials. “If [lawmakers] were to ban the polystyrene food containers, right away schools in New Jersey would be in a tremendous hardship,” Hart says. “A lot of the public schools in New Jersey already were hit with state aid cuts in the last year’s budget, and they’re struggling. They’re doing layoffs; they’re trying to see how they’re going to balance their budgets. If they had to replace their cafeteria polystyrene trays or food containers with cardboard or something else, the cost would be tremendous for them. “Food service is a marginal business,” he continues. “They’ve already been hit this year with minimum wage increase, higher corporate business taxes; it’s difficult enough to do business in New Jersey. You add more cost to a marginal business and it’s definitely going to be seen on the bottom line.” Aside from these potential effects, towns are continuing to put in legislation in lieu of the state’s final decision. Last month, Collingswood approved several sustainable-focused ordinances from a ban on single-use plastic bags to prohibitions of public smoking/vaping and vehicle idling. While the ordinances still have a public hearing and delayed effective date, Mayor Jim Maley says the Collingswood Green Team has been working long and hard to develop this legislation. “For the last year, year and a half, we’ve been doing a pretty active education campaign especially at our farmer’s market trying to encourage people to bring their own bags,” he says. “In fact, we’ve kind of got the farmers [to] ask if you want the [reusable] bag just to try to remind people. Now this [ordinance] is the next step that makes it more official.” So while the bill continues to be revised and await approval, towns will continue to move forward or consider putting the plastic bag ban into effect. “This is the future; using recyclable products to help the environment. People used to throw trash out of moving vehicles and smoke in airplanes. Both sound preposterous now,” Wahl says. “Many states, towns and private entertainment locations are joining this movement and we need to be stewards of the environment, to the best of our ability. We can do better than bringing home a sandwich in a plastic bag and then tossing the bag away—and we are.”

What must Cleveland and Northeast Ohio do to become more sustainable? For the past decade, hundreds of concerned and involved citizens and organizations have gathered in Public Auditorium for a day each fall to tackle this question. Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is the brainchild of Mayor Frank Jackson, who enlisted David Cooperrider of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University to organize the event based on his Appreciative Inquiry approach to understanding and addressing significant leadership challenges to bring about positive change. Since 2009, a number of committees and organizations have launched out of the annual summit to address specific areas such as alternative energy, trees, neighborhoods, clean water, and clean air. “Overall, this is an important year for sustainability in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio,” says Matt Gray, chief of sustainability for the city of Cleveland. “At the summit and throughout the year, we are celebrating 10 years of progress but also working as a community to identify those key areas that require communitywide support to accelerate progress over the next one to three years.” Plans for this year’s meeting, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, include acknowledging the successes resulting from one of the first concerted efforts in the country to evaluate sustainability for a city and region, while keeping the central focus on looking forward to consider all of the work that still needs to be done. Key topics that will be addressed at the summit include:

• Clean and Renewable Energy: Transition toward 100% renewable electricity while fighting poverty and creating opportunity;
• Circular Economy: Address recycling challenges while also laying the groundwork to become a national leader in the circular economy;
• Trees and Green Space: Providing access to trees and vibrant green space for all Clevelanders;
• Vision Zero and Transportation Equity: Advancing safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation throughout Cleveland;
• Clean Water: Build off the success of Cuyahoga50 to create greater access to our most valuable asset – water;
• The Movement: Looking beyond 2019, what's next for engaging Clevelanders in sustainability and climate action.

The summit will feature keynote speakers for each topic, including Richard Ezike, senior policy associate at the Urban Institute and an expert on mobility and equity; and India Birdsong, the new CEO at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, who will discuss transportation equity. Covering the circular economy will be Nik Engineer, North American president of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation; and Michael Waas, global vice president of brand partnerships for TerraCycle. Participants will also work together in groups to contribute their ideas and possible solutions. “From the beginning, Sustainable Cleveland 2019 has been built from the ground up, by Clevelanders from all walks of life,” Gray says. “We’ve made significant progress, but much work remains. This summit is critical to getting the phase of creating a more sustainable Cleveland off on the right foot.”

EcoGeneration founder David Gardiepy (right) filters through plastic recycling for a resident.

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Keep Golden Isles Beautiful’s annual School Recycling Challenge kicks off this week, offering the community a chance to participate in a non-traditional recycling effort that will reduce landfill waste.   The recycling challenge will take place until Oct. 18, and the public is invited to bring oral care products, cereal bags and pens, markers and highlighters to participating schools. Those plastic items will be collected, weighed and sent to a recycling center.   “By recycling these used items that are normally tossed in the trash, we are able to make an immediate impact on waste reduction,” said Lea King-Badyna, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful executive director, in a statement.   The collected items will be taken to TerraCycle, an organization focusing on non-traditional recycling and eliminating the idea of waste.   “Again this year, the streamlined process makes it easy for participating teachers and schools to concentrate their challenge efforts and contributions towards community stewardship,” King-Badyna said. “We hope schools will find the experience so easy and fun that they will continue recycling non-traditional items via TerraCycle or our office even after this year’s challenge is over.”   TerraCycle melts down the plastic into pellets and reforms those into low-grade plastic products.   The collected items from each school will be weighed, and the schools that collect the most will win prizes. Last year, schools collected a record total of 155 pounds of items, said Christy Trowbridge, executive assistant of Keep Golden Isles Beautiful.   The recycling challenge aims to not only reduce waste in landfills, Trowbridge said, but also educate students about the importance of recycling. This message is also provided to all third grade students in Glynn County through a Keep Golden Isles Beautiful program called “Is Trash Really Trash?”   “It’s been nice to kind of tie this challenge in with that program,” Trowbridge said.   A Hello GoodBuy community grant supports the recycling challenge, and the Episcopal Church Women of Christ Church Frederica have donated to cover the cost of shipping the items.   Thirteen schools are participating in this year’s challenge, and community members wishing to donate can contact Keep Golden Isles Beautiful at info.kbgib@gmail.com or 912-279-1490 to verify a school’s participation and arrange to drop collected items by the school.

Harvest Snaps is bringing back, by popular demand, two limited edition holiday flavors: Salted Caramel Red Lentil Snack Crisps and Cinnamon Brown Sugar Red Lentil Snack Crisps. Baked (never fried!), these indulgently crunchy, veggie-first snack crisps feature non-GMO red lentils as the first ingredient and are only 130 calories per serving, making them a deliciously better-for-you alternative to traditional holiday treats. They also pack 6 grams of plant-based protein and 3 grams of fiber in every serving, are certified gluten-free, and completely free of artificial flavors, colors, cholesterol, and the common allergens soy, nuts, wheat and eggs. Sold in festive 3-ounce bags, Harvest Snaps’ Holiday Snack Crisps are currently available for retailers to order and planned to be in stores this November. All of Harvest Snaps’ packages are part of the TerraCycle recycling program, an initiative led by Calbee North America to help reduce waste and give back to charity.   For more information from Calbee North America: calbeena.com

Recently, there has been a notable shift in consumer mindset from “What’s better for me?” to “What’s better for us?”   Today’s “mindful mindset” represents consumers’ focus on the bigger, broader picture and what’s best not only for a person, but also for their family, the community and the world. Customization and personalization still matter and appeal to consumers, but there is a growing and increasingly ingrained sense of responsibility when purchasing products, especially in regard to sourcing, sustainability, social accountability, health and wellness.  

The mindful mindset: From ‘me’ to ‘we’

  Consumers are increasingly holding businesses to new standards, expecting companies to look beyond what’s merely good for the bottom line and consider what’s good for employees, customers, communities and future generations.   This shift started with millennials and has become an industry priority—especially among the emerging Gen Z demographic. Gen Z, composed of people born between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, is increasingly concerned with how businesses are run and how they incorporate the idea of mindfulness. A recent report from McKinsey noted that Gen Z consumers are “mostly well educated about brands and the realities behind them, […] and try to learn the origins of anything they buy.”   This “good for we” philosophy is gaining momentum with Gen Z around issues such as zero-waste initiatives, climate-positive efforts and fair labor practices. And these trends aren’t specific to Gen Z.   Such examples of mindfulness play out across the attitudes and behaviors among various age groups. In that same report, McKinsey found that 70% of respondents across generations “try to purchase products from companies they consider ethical.” And Technomic’s 2019 Value and Pricing Consumer Trend Report indicated that the definition of what constitutes value is also changing to include more aspects of quality and service.

The product development and merchandising approach: From ‘yours’ to ‘ours’

  Those who make and sell products to consumers are thinking collectively, too, aligning with their customers and partners. Accordingly, product development and merchandising processes are increasingly collaborative with different and transformative partnerships between consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and retailers. The connections between individual, consumer, purveyor and retailer are stronger today than even just a few years ago.   As a result, production processes around sourcing, product development, packaging, transportation, merchandising, storage and waste are being reevaluated to determine if these areas are meeting more collective standards.   A shifting mindset and a more comprehensive approach to products and processes are reflected in the strategy of one global company with a history of innovation in the CPG industry: Procter & Gamble (P&G). P&G describes this as being “a force for good and a force for growth.” While sustainability has been a priority for decades at P&G, the concept of doing what’s right has expanded in definition and implementation in recent years.   “Now more than ever, consumers expect brands to take action in solving some of the most complex challenges facing our world today,” said Virginie Helias, chief sustainability officer for P&G. “At P&G, we have a responsibility to be a force for good and a force for growth. We work hard to enable and inspire a positive impact on society and the environment.  We do this by innovating across products and packaging, making responsible consumption irresistible and mainstream for the 5 billion consumers we serve each day.”  

Making the connection: The eco-footprint within the retail footprint

  Consumers want to do the right thing. They want interconnectedness and positive change, but they also seek more information about the products they use, eat and drink.   Retailers can help make this connection at the store level by educating shoppers and employees about sustainable products and usage, and offering information about the mutual commitment to doing the right thing for consumers, the world and the future. This can be done in a number of ways, including educational point-of-sale signage via social media or other forms of digital communication, sampling or tastings, or retailer educational classes that are focused on improving health, wellness and lifestyle. Store team members should be educated about the sustainability of products in the store in order to serve as on-site ambassadors for the retailer and its offerings.  

Examples of actions taken

  P&G has taken several “we”-minded actions with its partners as it works toward sustainability goals around climate, water and waste. After the company achieved its many of its 2020 environmental sustainability goals, it announced “Ambition 2030,” which also added new targets to align with consumer values as they relate to sustainability and social responsibilities. For example, P&G reached its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities by 30% before 2020 and has since increased that goal to reducing emissions by 50% before 2030.   Looking forward, the company is transitioning to 100% recyclable or reusable packaging as part of its 2030 initiative, keeping with consumers’ burgeoning interest in more sustainable packaging solutions. Already, many P&G brands, including Pantene, Tide, Cascade and Crest™, have developed new durable and refillable packaging. Earlier this year, the company’s Herbal Essences brand, in partnership with TerraCycle, created recyclable shampoo and conditioner bottles made of 25% recycled beach plastic. P&G scientists and engineers are also testing new capabilities such as circular solutions for electric rechargeable and manual toothbrushes, as well as the recycling of used hygienic products.   Transformative partnerships are integral to these kinds of improvements. Earlier this year, P&G teamed up with Loop, a circular e-commerce platform developed by TerraCycle, which allows packaging to be collected, cleaned, refilled and reused. Loop collects used products from consumers’ doorsteps for reuse or further recycling. Eleven of the company’s brands will take part in the Loop platform, including Pantene, Tide, Cascade and Oral-B, among others.   The value of these kinds of partnerships is pivotal in providing consumers not only with products that meet their evolving values, but also with information to help them make decisions at the point of sale that align with their more mindful priorities. In parallel, P&G’s retail partners bring the “we” to life by underscoring the mutual commitment to doing the right thing for their consumers.  

And help keep it that way

1. A copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up because the first step to a truly decluttered space is actually getting rid of stuff — and this method works for me and lots of other people.

I mean yes, you can also totally watch the Netflix show and learn everything you need to know to get started! But the book's packed with extra motivation and tips. (Although I don't think it's the end-all be-all of how to live, I've used her system for my clothes and shoes, and it really does work.)   (If the whole system seems a little — or very — impractical to you, though, I also recommend Rachel Hoffman's Unf*ck Your Habitat)   Popular

2. A pocketed shower curtain liner that, besides keeping the water inside your shower where it belongs, can hold ALL of your stuff (yes, even if you have a ton of it) BEHIND your pretty shower curtain, removing it from the edges of the tub where it's an eyesore. And with the bottles off the ledges, your bathroom will be extra simple to wipe down on cleaning day, too. 

One of our editors uses this in her shower and loves it — read her review.   Promising review: "I have four boys and a husband and one bathroom that only has a small shower. Every child and adult has their own body wash, shampoo, loofa thing, and adults have razors. That's six people using one small shower that literally has no space to store things. I was afraid this thing would rip with how much crap I was gonna store in it. Nope. It didn't. There is a pocket for everyone plus some. The plastic is like a thick heavy duty better than your average plastic shower curtain liner. The pockets hold up well to daily use and it folds pretty well with all the crap in it as well. Tiny home/large family people need this. People who have a never ending supply of shower things need this. And it all hides behind my decorative shower curtain. :)" —LavoneMoltron    

3. Or if you just know your shower curtain rod a little too well and suspect its tension won't hold with the weight of all your products, a rustproof shower caddy because it has enough space for two people's daily routine and features a locking system (and two lower-third suction cups) so it basically never falls down.

Promising review: "Very well designed! Very functional while maintaining good aesthetics. Comes with rubber clamps if you're storing heavy bottles or the likes so that the caddy doesn't move." —Dheeraj

4. A pack of six stackable clear organizers — they'll divvy up all your drawers so you can a) find everything super easily and b) make the most of every inch of vertical space in your drawers. All of which = way less stuff you have to store out on your cabinet.

You can arrange and rearrange them however you need, and because they're clear, it's easy to find the stuff in the bottom layer — you can simply see through.   Promising review: "These are life saving for clutter. My bathroom vanity drawer has always been a mess and I can never find what I need. This product is amazingly perfect so much so I bought a second set for one of the drawers in the kitchen." —MarolynGentles

5. A nail polish organizer that essentially lays all your color options out like a menu — you'll always be able to see exactly what you have — and lets you stash it cleanly away under the sink, so you don't have to look at it until it's manicure time.

It holds 48 total bottles, 24 on each side, so you can always find the color you want with a single glance. Promising review: "This is better than advertised. Essie, OPI, Pop-Arrazi, Sinful Colors, SH Instadry, SH Triple Shine, SH Xtrreme Wear, Wet & Wild, SH Hard As Nails and Covergirl all fit perfectly; my Julep colors fit two to a compartment! The first row has adjustable dividers, you can use them to keep odd-shaped bottles or do what I do: use one side for my nail stamper, dotting tools, and the drying drops and the other for foam wedges and nail pens. It looks way neater easily tucked under my vanity instead of the baskets and baskets of polishes I had to hunt through!" —Clouds

6. A set of four sepia glass bottles because all your different brands of soaps with clashing labels don't necessarily say ~tranquil, decluttered spa~.

Promising review: "Finally, pumps that are strong and won't easily break. I use these bottles for everything from hand soap (medium thickness), to my personal mixture of hair oils (coconut, neem and tea tree — very thick) and extra rich hair conditioner. All of the mixtures flow easily. The pump also doesn't dispense too much, so you're not wasting product. As for the glass, the color is beautiful, as pictured and it's a good heavy, quality glass." —True-Review   Popular

7. A drain millipede so you can free up the cabinet space you've devoted to stocking drain cleaner (which doesn't work half as well, BTW) because your tub clogs up like, weekly. The millipede is covered in tiny little hooks to grab onto the clump of hair that's preventing your sink or tub from draining well, and yank it all up so water flows freely.

Promising review: "The shower drain has been clogged for months. We’ve tried so many bottles of Draino and other products, but nothing worked. After I saw this product listed on BuzzFeed, I thought I would try it. (It’s less expensive than Draino Max, so why not?) It was incredible how much hair this thing pulled up from the beginning. It look about five minutes and lots of clearing of clumps, but the shower is draining perfectly again! Like some other reviewers have mentioned, it’s best to toss it after use, especially if your drain is as bad as mine was. I’m definitely hooked!" —E. Marlowe Popular

8. And a universal fit–hair catcher for your drain that stops those gross built-up clogs from forming in the first place. Which means you (or those you share a bathroom with) can freely rinse any shed hair to the drain with no worries about clogs, instead of sticking clumps of hair to the wall and leaving 'em there for far too long.

If you live somewhere with a more humid climate (or tbh just a humid bathroom in general), it's probably a good idea to rinse it off and lay it on its side to dry after every few showers or so, to prevent mold — btw, that goes for every hair catcher out there!   Promising review: "I've been very impressed! It's tall enough to fit easily over my pop-up drain and the weighted top keeps it in place, even with my faucet running almost directly on it. I have medium-length hair and seem to shed almost as much as my cat, but the drain protector catches it all and is easily removed and tossed away. Best of all, in my case, the silicone hasn't held onto mildew or mold — I have been able to spray and wipe away any grime with very little effort. It looks like this drain protector will last a very long time." —Suneimi  

9. A few medicine cabinet organizers because they'll let you fit even more stuff behind your mirror (taking advantage of all the vertical space available and freeing up storage space elsewhere) while also ensuring that everything stays neat, orderly, and easy to find.

Promising review: "This fits perfectly on the bottom of my medicine cabinet. It is very sturdy plastic with a great design. I can't believe how many jars, tubes, etc., it has managed to corral. Everything looks so neat! If they make a smaller one for upper cabinet shelves, I'm buying it. Wonderful little product!" —Alex

10. And a little toothbrush holder that can mount directly on the inside of your medicine cabinet (or TBH the inside of any bathroom cabinet), so your brushes are covered, out of the way, and separated from one another, but still quick to grab when you need them.

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