Tom Szaky, CEO of Trenton-based TerraCycle, is so determined to eliminate global waste in an inevitable circular economy, that he wrote a book about it. The Future of Packaging: From Linear to Circular Paperback will be released on February 5, 2019. The book paints a future of a circular economy that relies on responsible reuse and recycling to propel the world towards eradicating over consumption and waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 35 percent of the 240 million metric tons of waste generated in the United States alone gets recycled. This extraordinary collection shows how manufacturers can move from a one-way take-make-waste economy that is burying the world in waste to a circular, make-use-recycle economy. TerraCycle is working towards Eliminating the Idea of Waste by making the non-recyclable, recyclable. They do this by offering a range of free programs that are funded by conscientious consumer brands and manufacturers, as well as purchasable programs that are funded by eco-conscious consumers to bring circular re-purposing solutions to almost all forms of waste.  

 

It would make life a lot easier if clothes lasted forever, but unfortunately, that's not the case. After a lot of wear and tear and washing and drying, most clothing items start to get worn out, dirty, and just generally old-looking - not exactly something you want to keep wearing if you don't have to. When it's time to get rid of clothing, though, you really don't want to throw it in a garbage bag as waste. Old clothing can, and should, be recycled and re-used, even if it's not looking in its best. If the clothes are really beat up, you probably can't donate them - most thrift shops won't take them, and giving ripped up, filthy items to a charity isn't advisable — so what should you do with them? You can still recycle clothes and shoes that aren't in good condition, it just might take a little extra work, but it's worth it, we swear. The Council for Textile Recycling says that the United States generates an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles a year in the form of clothing, shoes, accessories and more, which comes out to about 82 pounds per person. 85 percent of that will end up in municipal landfills, which can add up to about 21 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste. Do you really want to contribute to that? Hopefully not, but unfortunately, the amount of clothing we toss in the garbage is only increasing. In 2009, the Council estimated that we would generate more than 35 billion pounds of textile waste in 2019. What makes these numbers even worse is that almost all clothes and shoes are recyclable, even though only about 15 percent of textiles produced every year are recycled. Don't contribute to the wrong side of this! Learning how to recycle your clothing and shoes, even if they're not in great condition, is an important contribution to our environment. Here are a few options on how to do so:

So, you’ve decided to go plastic-free. The only problem is, you’ve spent these many years accumulated plastic products, single-use or otherwise. Your bathroom is full of plastic shampoo bottles, the fridge has tons of food in plastic containers, who knows what other plastic products are lurking in the living room, your work desk, and otherwise? Maybe you’re wondering: What the heck should you do with all the plastic you already have?

This is where Terracycle comes in! Terracycle is a privately-owned U.S. recycling business that accepts tons of hard-to-recycle materials. More than 80,000,000 people use Terracycle and together, users have recycled 4,104,054,370 items that otherwise would have went to the landfill.

Terracycle recycles nearly everything; from coffee capsules and pens to gloves and makeup containers, Terracycle collects from individuals and companies alike, diverting tons of pounds of unrecyclable, non-biodegradable waste from landfills.

Registering for Terracycle is completely free. After registering, browse through the website to find the right recycling program for you. There are tons! Just to name a few, there is a fabric care recycling program, which collects products and packaging like #5 PP plastic laundry bottle caps, #2 HDPE rigid plastic laundry bottles, and paperboard laundry care packaging.

That’s only one example; Terracycle has so many recycling programs: a free drink pouch recycling program on Walmart.com, an Eos recycling program, a red Solo cup recycling program, and more. Other programs include Febreze bottles, Flonase, energy bar wrappers, Tom’s of Maine natural care products (like the toothpaste at Trader Joe’s!), and Barilla pasta.

After signing up for the individual recycling programs that make the most sense for your household and the waste you create, Terracycle will email you a prepaid shipping label. (Alternatively, for some recycling programs, Terracycle will provide a drop-off location, but most are send-away.) Adhere the prepaid shipping label to a box full of the products you’d like to recycle, then ship it out. Terracycle will reward you in a points system and eventually, you’ll get rid of all that plastic!

During the holiday season, Terracycle offered a Holiday Bonus Bucks program in conjunction with Feed America. Frequent Terracycle recyclers were able to give back to charity the more points accrued. Just 50 Terracycle points provides a meal for an American family facing hunger. Alternatively, if you have a different charity you’d like to donate to, instead of Feeding America, you were able to specify which one you’d like to contribute to.

Reader Angie sends in this question: I have lots of toys (mostly plastic) that cannot be donated or passed down. They either broken or missing parts. How do I recycle them? Can I just put them in the recycling bin? What about children’s books that are either ripped, missing covers, or stained. Can I put them in the recycling bin as well? One more question: What is a good way to store books for a long time to be passed down? Many parents struggle with these questions Angie so thank you for asking!

Toy disposal

Before we look at recycling, there are other ways to keep toys out of the waste stream. Many people take toys and parts of toys and create new toys and various types of art. Check out:

• Reuse Recycle Toys (Pinterest)
• Broken Toy Art (Pinterest)
• 10 Simple ways to repurpose an old toy (Apartment Therapy)
• 25 Playful and Quirky Ways to Repurpose Kids’ Toys (DIY & Crafts)

I’m not suggesting that you become an artist in your spare time but consider listing the pile of broken toys on Craigslist or Freecycle and see if a creative-type person or artistic group wants them. One of the more complicated parts about recycling is that every municipality has a different recycling program. The best thing to do is to visit your city’s website and find the information about recycling. Cities may have more recycling options if you are able to drop off at their depot. Earth911 does a great job of explaining the mystery of why toys are so difficult to recycle. Another option for recycling toys is to contact TerraCycle and purchase a Zero Waste Toy Box. TerraCycle will ship you an empty box, you fill it with broken toys then ship the box back using the pre-paid shipping label. TerraCycle will separate the toy’s components and ensure they get into the correct recycling stream. The Zero Waste Boxes are expensive ($95 USD for the small toys box) so you may want to collaborate with other parents in your neighbourhood, community centre, school, or house of worship. After all, saving the planet is a good cause.

Book disposal

Most untreated paper can be recycled. Many books — especially children’s books cannot because they have been treated with wax, glues, or plastic coating. Investigate your municipality’s recycling website to see what the options are for recycling books. Earth911 explains the mysteries of book recycling and has some great suggestions for used books including books in “less than prime” condition. TerraCycle also has a Zero Waste Book Box which might be an option for your school or local library.

Book preservation

Reading with children is a great way to form a lasting bond. I kept many of our children’s favourite books including the entire Franklin the Turtle series. To tell the truth, I think I kept them more for me than for my kids. Should I be blessed with grandchildren someday, I would love to share these books with them. In addition to our best tips on how to store treasured books, I would suggest to do a gentle cleaning of children’s books. Use an old, clean and soft toothbrush to remove any caked-on food or playdough. If the books have been on a shelf for a while, vacuum the edges with a soft brush using the lowest suction setting. Blot any greasy spots with an absorbent cloth. Ensure books are dry before storing. Thanks for your great question Angie. We hope that this post gives you the information you’re looking for. Do you have a question relating to organizing, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject as “Ask Unclutterer.”

Weavers Way Environment Committee invites community groups from the surrounding area in Mt. Airy, Germantown, East Falls, West Oak Lane, Roxborough, Ambler, and Chestnut Hill to submit proposals for grants. Grant funds are awarded each year for clearly identifiable public purposes resulting in a tangible environmental improvement for the community.  Most grants are awarded for public purposes that benefit the environment through education and/or gardening projects. Funds may be used for such projects as planting trees and herbaceous plants, garden equipment, and enhancement of parks.  Some environmentally based educational programs have also been funded through this program. Preference will be given to those who demonstrate efforts to address climate change. Grant amounts range from $100 to $500, depending upon the available funds and the number of qualified applicants. The Environment Committee hosts Electronic Recycling twice a year and runs the TerraCycle recycling program for the Coop in order to raise funds for these grants. Since those events are our sole source of income, the Committee is grateful  to those in the community who have contributed. Application and guidelines are available from the Environment Committee box on the second floor of the Weavers Way Co-op, 559 Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy as well as at the Chestnut Hill  and Ambler stores. They also may be  downloaded and printed from the Weavers Way website at http://weaversway.coop (scroll down the home page for the link). Applications must be received by Monday, March 4, 2019. Anyone requesting a grant will learn within a month of the deadline if they have been selected. Grantees are then obliged to submit a report with receipts describing exactly how the money was spent on November 1, 2019.  

Reuse your orange juice bottle

By Ashley Carman@ashleyrcarman  Jan 28, 2019, 10:38am EST SHARE Image: Loop Pepsi, Unilever, and Nestle plan to start offering their products through a subscription delivery service with one key twist: all of its packaging will be reusable. The service, called Loop, will launch with 25 big-name partners, and it hopes to stand out by offering a more environmentally friendly take on a subscription plan. Loop compares its service to the milkman. Just like the milkman dropped off fresh milk and then came back for the bottles once people consumed their supply, Loop will have UPS drivers drop off a reusable bag with miscellaneous products inside. Once they’re used, consumers can schedule for their old containers to be picked up and new containers to be dropped off. Loop will handle the cleaning and reuse aspect of the packaging. The service is supposed to launch in parts of Paris, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in mid-May. Loop is also planning to work out delivery for London through Tesco later this year, and it’s aiming to launch in Tokyo in 2020. For now, it’s starting with a small trial of users. Every brand designed its own packaging for use with Loop so they stay true to the company’s image while still being reusable. Some of Unilever’s products are expected to last eight years, according to The Wall Street Journal. The products will cost roughly the same as single-use containers, but people will have to pay a container deposit between $1 and $10, and shipping will start at $20, but it will decrease with every item added. Image: Loop It’s a neat idea that fits in with the push to stop the use of disposable straws. If the service is convenient, fast enough, and not overly expensive, I can imagine people actually wanting to use it for the good of the planet.  

After graduating last May with a degree in fashion merchandising and design, Missouri State alumna Melanie Reyes started her own clothing company called Wasteless Apparel, selling a variety of colorful handmade clothing all created with a common goal: zero textile waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 16 million tons of used textile waste was generated in 2015 in the United States — 10.5 million tons of this textile waste ends up in landfills. Reyes said she refuses to contribute to the growing environmental problems arising from the fashion industry and wanted to start a company that creates handmade, sustainable clothing. “I think people should spend their money on things that are good quality and not necessarily go for the things that are sold in high quantity,” Reyes said. “Major clothing companies like Forever 21 make products as quickly and as cheaply as possible. It’s fast fashion.” According to Merriam-Webster, fast fashion is the design, creation and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers “Trends usually last a week or two, and then (the company) moves onto the next thing,” Reyes said. But the problem with this fast-fashion system, Reyes said, is that consumers often dispose of clothing that is “no longer trendy” into landfills instead of recycling or donating the clothing. Clothes from big name companies are often made overseas in sweatshops by children for little pay, Reyes said. According to the International Labor Organization, 152 million children are victims of child labour, and almost half of them work in hazardous child labour. Reyes said her company is the future of fashion, and customers can wear her clothes in good consciousness. “You know where it comes from, and you know someone is working hard in a good ethical environment to create what you’re wearing,” Reyes said. She became inspired to start her own clothing company after an internship in New York with Lilly Fashion, a manufacturing company that creates clothes for Paris Fashion Week — a famous fashion show held in France. “It was a really cool experience just seeing how professionals do their business and witnessing all these new designers come in and working for themselves,” Reyes said. “It really inspired me, and that’s when I decided, ‘I can do this. I can be my own boss.’” Wasteless Apparel was started on April 1, 2018, with the help of her social media coordinator, Sav Snow. Snow is a student at Ozark Technical Community College majoring in graphic design technology. Snow takes and edits pictures for the company Instagram and creates all of the social media captions and posts. Reyes and Snow met through social media after Reyes posted she was in need of a social media coordinator for the brand. “I love what Mel is all about: She won’t use products that harm animals (and) she’s against using products from big clothing companies that use children to make clothes for hardly any money,” Snow said. “She wants to create local, quality products that aren’t too expensive and are up with today’s trends. “Mel wants her customers to truly be happy with what she’s making. She’s not just in it for the money. With most retail clothing stores you don’t get that personal touch that you do with Mel.” Wasteless Apparel offers a wide variety of ‘70s and ‘80s inspired looks, custom orders, thrifted and vintage clothing and everything in between. Reyes makes both men’s and women’s clothing, but she currently has mostly women’s clothing posted on her social media. She plans to incorporate more men’s clothing in the near future. Reyes is starting a Valentine’s collection that will include men’s clothing, and shortly after, she will be doing an exclusive men’s collection. One of Reyes’ customers, Nick Simmonds, contacted her about a custom retro baseball jersey. “I think her company is super impressive,” Simmonds said. “The whole wasteless concept makes sense to me because there’s no reason to be making all new products when someone like Mel can upcycle and make something custom that means something to you out of things that have been donated or thrifted.” Simmonds bought a retro style baseball jersey before for $120 online — Reyes is customizing one for $75. “It’s custom made, plus I’m getting it embroidered; it’s almost a steal,” Simmonds said. “She’s earned a customer for life.” Reyes spends almost every waking moment sewing clothes for Wasteless Apparel. “If I’m not with friends or sleeping, I’m sewing in my studio or thrifting,” Reyes said. “Everything to do with my shop consumes my free time. It’s a hobby, but it’s also my entire life — it’s therapeutic.” Reyes buys her fabric from local thrift stores and fabric stores; if she buys new fabric, none of it goes to waste. Her studio is full of bins overflowing with fabric, waiting to get shipped off and recycled. A company called TerraCycle turns fabric scraps and unused clothing into insulation and pillow stuffing. Reyes currently works out of her studio in her boyfriend’s home in Springfield, but she said she hopes to open up a store in Springfield. If she expands, moving out of state is also a possibility. For now, Reyes is sticking to online sales. “Online is definitely easier when it comes to reaching people from all over,” Reyes said. “It’s also better when it comes to sustainability. People have to drive to stores, and that contributes to pollution.”

 

Waste360 is thrilled to announce the winners of its fourth annual 40 Under 40 awards program, which honors the next generation of leaders who are shaping the future of the waste and recycling industry. "The future is bright! The 2019 class of Waste360 40 Under 40 awards winners is filled with today's brightest young innovators, thinkers and doers in the waste and recycling industry,” says Waste360 Vice President Mark Hickey. “Their diverse body of work has changed processes, policies and moved our industry forward. Take a look for yourself, and we look forward to celebrating them at WasteExpo in Las Vegas, May 6-9."

The Waste360 40 Under 40 awards program recognizes inspiring and innovative professionals under the age of 40 whose work in waste, recycling and organics has made a significant contribution to the industry. The winners are involved in every part of the waste and recycling industry, including haulers, municipalities, composters, recycling professionals, policymakers and product suppliers. The 2019 40 Under 40 award winners:

• Josh Bartlome, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Idaho Solid Waste
• Kelly Bray, Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist, ReCollect Systems
• Meghan R. Butler, Director, Corporate Development, Recology Inc.
• Chris Cochran, Executive Director, ReFED
• Daniel M. Dodd, Chief Technology Officer, Sierra Energy
• Melissa Filiaggi, Manager, Recycling, Maryland Environmental Service
• Mark Grillo, Chief Operating Officer, Medical Waste Management, Inc.
• Rob Hallenbeck, Manager Corporate Venturing, Technology Scouting, Waste Management
• Caitlin Hitt, Senior Director of National Accounts, RiverRoad Waste Solutions, Inc./Rubicon Global
• John F. Howard III, Crew Supervisor, Dekalb County Sanitation
• Sheri Hummel, Area Safety Director, Waste Management, Northern California-Nevada
• Aaron Johnson, Area Vice President, Eastern Canada, Waste Management
• Kristin Kinder, Director of Research and Waste Stream Sustainability, Wastequip
• Jason Knowles, Director, Vendor Relations, Enevo
• Christopher Lockwood, Divisional Vice President, Waste Pro USA
• Ricardo Lopez, Materials Recovery Facility Manager, GreenWaste Recovery
• Naomi Lue, Zero Waste Supervisor, Castro Valley Sanitary District
• Zach Martin, Vice President of Sales, North America, Big Truck Rental
• Nathan Mayer, Director of Land Management Services, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County
• Doug McDonald, Eastern Region Controller, Waste Connections
• Amanda Mejia, Government Affairs Manager, Athens Services
• Jeff Meyers, Chief Operating Officer, The Recycling Partnership
• Jennifer Wells Milner, State Recycling Coordinator, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
• James R. Mitchener, Marketing Manager, Waste Industries
• Daniel Moran, Senior Director Operations, Healthcare, Covanta Environmental Solutions
• Madelyn Morgan, Planner III, City of Austin, Austin Resource Recovery
• Jake Pack Jr., District Manager, WCA Waste Corporation
• Tania Ragland, Recycling Representative, Specialist in Food Recovery and Organics Diversion Programs, Republic Services
• Katie Raverty-Evans, Government Affairs Representative, Best Way Disposal
• Henry Retamal, Operations President, Wastequip
• Rebecca Rodriguez, Solid Waste Engineering Manager, Lee County Public Utilities
• Andrew Rumpke, East Area President, Rumpke Waste & Recycling
• Michelle A. Salas, President, Lady Green Miami Recycling Co.
• Meredith Sorensen, Strategic Communications Advisor, Harvest Energy Holdings, LLC
• Mike Stoeckigt, District Manager, State of Wisconsin, Advanced Disposal Services
• Tom Szaky, President and Chief Executive Officer, TerraCycle
• Travis Timmerman, National Accounts Manager, Mack Trucks, Inc.
• Srividhya Viswanathan, Senior Project Manager and Vice President, SCS Engineers
• Patrick Winters, Sales Manager, Winters Bros. Waste Systems
• Catherine (Kate) Wolff, President, CJD E-Cycling

Additionally, Dr. Matanya Benasher Horowitz, chief executive officer of AMP Robotics Corporation, has won the first Waste360 Innovator Award, which was created to recognize innovators and forward thinkers who often use technology to better the industry. Horowitz has used technology to help haulers, landfill operators and materials recovery facility operators reach their diversion and recovery goals. A panel of expert judges from Waste360 evaluated the nominations and consulted with an external advisor to select the finalists and winners.

The winners will be honored during an awards ceremony at WasteExpo, North America's largest solid waste, recycling and organics industry event, May 6-9, in Las Vegas. View past classes of Waste360 40 Under 40 awards winners:  

 

When I made the leap from the fashion industry to the beauty industry, I was so excited to finally be in a space where individuality is celebrated rather than shunned. (Not a size 2 millionaire? Fashion thinks you should be!) When it comes to beauty, you have permission to play, create and experiment no matter your age, race or gender. This spoke to me. Plus, it’s just so damn fun. I finally mastered the art of no-makeup makeup, learned how to appropriately layer my skin-care products and even learned the tricks to humidity-resistant pin-straight locks in August. (Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, for all you sleek hair devotees.) But none of those things are as valuable as my biggest takeaway: Just how wasteful the beauty industry is. See, being a beauty editor means testing new products. But that also means trying a lipstick or mascara once, realizing it’s not your thing and then having a basically unused plastic-encased product that you can’t give to anyone else (because germs) and you can’t recycle (because the product is still very much in there). I can barely open the door to our beauty closet in the office, because it’s jam-packed with samples, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any other publication or media company that doesn’t have the same issue. I know, I know. “You have so much eye shadow; cry me a river.” But this excess and waste is literally keeping me up at night. How bad is it? Well, National Geographic reported that of the 6.9 billion tons of plastic generated in 2015, only around 9 percent was recycled, while a staggering 79 percent accumulated in landfills, the ocean or the environment. And that was four years ago. Of course the beauty industry isn’t the only offender, but the numbers are pretty scary. Stylist reports that 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, most of which isn’t recyclable, or we’re just not recycling it, period. Then there are actual products made of plastics, like makeup remover wipes, which are created with non-biodegradable plastic fibers. The World Wildlife Fund stated that in 2018 alone, the UK was projected to make its way through 10.8 billion wet wipes and 13.2 billion cotton swabs—and the U.S. accounts for millions more of each. It’s becoming such a problem that an excess of these items in sewer systems are creating “fatbergs” that block passageways and ultimately result in waste resurfacing in unpleasant places, like our own homes. Gross. Luckily, some brands are taking a stand. While many are turning to organic, sustainably farmed ingredients and (mostly) plastic-free packaging, like Tata Harper, Farmaesthetics, RMS Beauty and Lush (which offers 35 percent of its products without any packaging, BTW), others like Kjaer Weis have created aesthetically pleasing refillable packaging to cut down on waste all together. There are also beauty product recycling programs like Terracycle, through which you can donate stuff like plastic shampoo bottles and caps, lip gloss tubes, hair spray cans and more to be cleaned, sorted and distilled into plastic pellets to make new recycled products. Overwhelming? Yes. But better than blindly dumping into landfills? You betcha. By making conscious purchasing decisions, we can all help to reduce our footprint. I, for one, have started recycling every single item that I can and choosing glass-packaged products over plastics. (It doesn’t hurt that they look pretty on my vanity.) I’ve also switched exclusively to makeup that is packaged in recycled and recyclable materials. And you know what? It wasn’t even that hard to do. Don’t know where to start? Here are some responsibly packaged beauty products we love.