As an environmental champion of San Diego Bay and its surrounding tidelands, the Port of San Diego has embarked on a unique project to recycle a type of waste that is often left behind as litter – cigarette butts. The Port is working with TerraCycle, an innovative recycling company that has become a global leader in recycling items such as used cigarette butts, coffee capsules and ocean plastic. This project will not only reduce the amount of discarded cigarette butts on Port tidelands, but it will help repurpose the waste into useful products.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego is hoping to stamp out a portion of city litter with newly installed cigarette butts receptacles along San Diego Bay. The Port of San Diego installed 31 of the cigarette butt receptacles in partnership with TerraCycle, which developed the disposal stands. Staff from the Port's General Services Department will be in charge of emptying the receptacles and shipping the used cigarette butts to TerraCycle, who in turn will process them to be used in recycled products.

As the effects of climate change become increasingly obvious, minimizing our impact on the planet is more important than ever. If you haven't already switched to an Earth-conscious beauty routine, what better time to try than Earth Day? It's a move that's better for you—and for the environment. Not sure how to get started? Here are five ways you can make shopping for beauty greener, cleaner and kinder to the world. Because as the saying goes, beauty is as beauty does.

Going green can be beneficial for businesses and cost-effective for their customers. Retailers and consumer brands can draw inspiration from companies such as Nespresso, Brita and Amazon.com, which have developed innovative recycling programs aimed at making the world — and our environment — a better place.   Brita Brita products already make for an eco-friendly alternative to plastic water bottles. Believe it or not, one Brita filter can replace 300 standard water bottles. But when it comes to sustainability, Brita doesn’t stop there. Its recycling partner, TerraCycle, repurposes used filters, pitchers and bottles. Here’s how it works: after customers have collected at least five pounds of used Brita products to recycle, they are instructed to wrap them in a garbage liner or bag and pack into a shipping box. Then they can print out a free shipping label from the Brita website and mail the used goods back to Terracycle. The recycled products are incorporated into outdoor furniture, bike racks and park benches.

Global eye health company Bausch + Lomb announced today that its ONE by ONE Recycling Program, the first contact lens recycling program of its kind, has recycled nearly 2.5 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foil since its launch last year. This is equivalent to more than 14,000 pounds of waste, about the weight of a small aircraft. Collection is offered free of charge through a collaboration with TerraCycle®, a company dedicated to repurposing hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste.

You can easily recycle paper and plastic bags, cans and glass containers, but what about hard-to-recycle items like pens, plastic gloves or coffee capsules? One company is on a mission to repurpose tricky-to-tackle consumer waste.

LAVAL, Quebec—Bausch + Lomb announced that its One by One Recycling Program—the first contact lens recycling program of its kind—has recycled nearly 2.5 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foils since the program launched in November 2016, diverting more than 14,000 pounds of waste from landfills. The program is made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle, a leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste. Available to eyecare professionals and their patients across the U.S., the Bausch + Lomb One by One Recycling Program works by providing participating practices with large recycling bins to collect used contact lenses, blister packs and top foil.

For 48 years, Earth Day has served as an opportunity for industry influencers to share best practices and boost their brands' status as environmental advocates. In years past, companies and organizations have highlighted efforts to reduce emissions or clean up litter, but this year, there is special focus on combating plastic pollution. From recycling robots to educational campaigns, Waste Dive compiled the following list of how some stakeholders chose to observe Earth Day 2018. TerraCycle The unique recycling company added two more partners to its list of free specialty recycling programs ahead of Earth Day. Consumers of select Burt's Bees products and Hasbro toys and games can receive shipping labels to send their collections to New Jersey for a new life in various plastic products. Both programs will be funded by the manufacturers.

These Groups Will Help You Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

Every year, Earth Day reminds us all to do our part to keep our planet healthy. But there are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day that go beyond a single day on the calendar. We talked to three innovative organizations working for environmental good to show you simple - but powerful - ways to celebrate Earth Day all year long.

Recycling beauty products isn’t as easy as you’d think. Lots of packaging contains thick plastic (to protect formulas from degradation), mixed metals, and springs all in one shot. Since different materials need to be separated and sorted, the mixed-media nature of cosmetics, skin-care, and hair-care packaging makes recycling these suckers a logistical nightmare. Thankfully, a few forward-thinking companies have programs in place to assist.