Environmentalism and sustainability are now essential aspects of brand building, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, effectively engaging consumers poses many challenges. The expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with products and services, and standing out from direct competitors and defining oneself as a leader in the category requires an extra level of value strategy. Getting back to basics may help businesses and major brands better communicate their dedication to the circular economy, engaging the consumer through an invitation to participate. Through our partnerships at TerraCycle, we’ve seen several consumer product brands and businesses experience success with in-store recycling collections. Drives Foot Traffic One of the invaluable positives to an in-store recycling promotion is the foot traffic it generates. Though marketing experts like to attribute the burgeoning trend of e-commerce to millennial shopping behavior, the reality is that all generations of consumers find themselves taken with the convenience of shopping online. But brick-and-mortar retailers offer customers what online shopping can’t: the opportunity to physically touch, feel and experience products for themselves. The advantage created by making recycling the reason a customer enters a brick-and-mortar retail store is a two-fold: number one, you get them in the store and, number two, they have something to feel good about before they even buy anything. For example, TerraCycle and GU Energy Labs have recently expanded their successful Performance Nutrition Recycling Program to include all brands of performance nutrition packaging, and have given all GU retailers the opportunity to designate their locations as a public drop-off points for recycling performance nutrition packaging such as energy gel, drink mix and energy chew packets. Creating in-store foot traffic around an empowering behavior like recycling inspires goodwill and positive feelings in the same environment where purchases occur, maximizing profit potential for each retail transaction. Builds Brand Loyalty We know that consumers are now more willing to pay more for sustainable products and services than ever before. But while cost, performance and credibility remain prohibitive factors standing between consumers and “doing the right thing,” creating and strengthening brand loyalty for these eco-conscious companies is essential for driving sales against well-established competitors. This is especially true for specialty brands like Wellness Natural Pet Food, a premium pet food brand available in pet specialty stores. Presented for purchase alongside well-known dog food brands like Purina or Iams, Wellness Natural Pet Food is faced with the tall order of offering the consumer a promise of value exceeding that of other labels. Through TerraCycle, Wellness provides a recycling solution for its difficult-to-recycle product packaging, and retailers designated as public-drop off locations per the program can promote themselves as a collection point, communicating their sustainability commitment to customers. This type of sustainable marketing rewards the consumer by giving them the opportunity to invest in a cause. Emotional and social value benefits are prevalent here, as the activation plays to emotional sensibilities and allows the consumer to make a social statement. In-store recycling collections are a visual, tactile way to engage customers with the product you are trying to sell. Consumers are driven to purchase by a variety of factors, and it’s up to manufacturers and brands to figure out what those are, and market accordingly.

Through a free, national recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle, sponsored by Entenmann's Little Bites, Prima Murdock, of Winchester, helped the nationwide collection reach the milestone of 2 million snack pouches diverted from the waste stream.    Along with keeping the pouches out of landfills, collectors earn points that can be redeemed for cash donations to the nonprofit or school of the collector's choice. Through the efforts of collectors like Murdock, donations passed $35,000.   TerraCycle is an international recycling company that finds innovative solutions for materials not typically accepted at municipal recycling facilities. Through free recycling programs, participants collect waste and ship using a pre-paid shipping label to TerraCycle for processing. TerraCycle recycles the waste into plastic that can be used for products such as park benches, recycling bins and playgrounds.   The Entenmann's Little Bites Pouch Recycling Program is open to any individual, school or organization interested in reducing local landfill waste. For information: https://terracycle.com.

How do you define “good” food? Maybe to you good food is comfort food; food that tastes delicious and stirs up pleasant memories. Maybe you consider good food to be healthy, nourishing food. Or maybe good food equates to high-quality food and you splurge on expensive cuts of meat, fish, and artisan products. But have you ever considered the “goodness” of your food to extend beyond the food itself? It’s time to start thinking about the benefits your food can have, aside from satisfying your taste buds and your tummy. Given the current state of our world, with problems ranging from environmental concerns to terrorism, it is so important to know that there are companies out there that still care about how they give back to society. Some of our most beloved food companies hope to improve our planet for future generations by incorporating a social or environmental giving tie-in to their brands. But they can't achieve their goals alone. They need consumers (with excellent taste) to help them. By exercising our purchasing power to support socially- and environmentally-responsible companies, we are demonstrating a concern for our planet and doing our part to sustain it right by our favorite companies’ sides. Our purchases also keep these sustainable companies in business, so that they can continue to make our world a better place to live. Here are 8 of my favorite brands that have both good food and good intentions. 6) LARABAR I didn’t know a nutrition bar could taste so much like dessert…until I discovered LARABAR. And the best part? All of their products are made from recognizable ingredients that are minimally processed. Not only is LARABAR committed to creating non-GMO products made with Fair Trade ingredients, but they also partner with two bomb organizations, Feeding America and Terracycle. Feeding America aims to alleviate hunger and bring awareness to the issue of hunger, while Terracycle makes recyclable products. Dessert-like nutrition AND sustainability initiatives make this a company you definitely want to get behind.

Of the more than 300 million tons of new, virgin plastic produced globally per year, half of it is designed for single use and viewed as disposable. Answering global demands for convenience and access, especially in the industries of food and medicine, plastic has allowed for innovations that bring more products to more people than ever before. But by and large, the innovation stops at invention and does not follow through with end-of-life solutions for these durable, long-lasting materials. Every year, 10–20 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans as a result of linear solutions like landfilling allowing the proliferation of these discarded items into natural ecosystems. Many of us are familiar with the image of soda can rings posing danger to marine animals from a couple decades ago, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Microplastics create an estimated $13 billion a year in losses from damage to marine ecosystems (not to mention the severe degradation to natural capital suffered by animals and their habitats), as well as financial losses to fisheries and tourism. If things don’t change, we are projected to see more plastics than fish in the ocean by 2050. Changing the perception of “single-use” plastics (and all plastics, for that matter) is needed to create and strengthen systems that will capture these materials for recycling, divert them from landfills, and decrease virgin production in lieu of more regenerative resource structures. Seeing plastic waste for what it is, a nearly-indestructible, highly polluted manmade substance that requires a manmade solution, is the first step to reevaluating our dependence on it as a raw material. Keyword: seeing. One Beach Plastic is the work of two artists that see plastic as an opening into a pinpoint look at consumerism and the whole of human culture. Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang connect plastic to consumers with works of art that will, inevitably, stand the test of time. Plastic cannot biodegrade, and it does not dissolve or get absorbed by the environment naturally—it is made to last forever, and inevitably causes damage. Through its blog platform, active social media presence, and, notably, a short narrated by actor Jeff Bridges on its homepage, the worldwide Plastic Pollution Coalition aims to create awareness around our interactions with plastic in order to alter our habits, from picking up trash on the beach, divesting from single-use items and questioning where our trash is being taken. Similarly, the environmental 501(c)3 Plastic Oceans Foundation released its 2013 documentary feature film A Plastic Ocean to change the minds of anyone who thought that plastic pollution wasn’t a big deal. Images of animals suffering and of children up to their ankles in refuse make plain the scourge of disposable plastics using a medium that people can easily access and understand. A vehicle for social change, the film tells a story that provides a greater awareness of the complex problem of plastic pollution, and the very simple part that the viewer can play to steer the story’s course. While we work to change people’s perspectives enough to prevent the compounding of an already large-scale problem, we must also work from the other end and change the perspectives of manufacturers and major brands regarding post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic as a viable option for production. Why aren’t we recycling more than the 9 percent of the plastic recovered in the U.S.? Because it is not economical due to the lack of demand for these materials in the current market. Viewing plastics as something other than disposable is to bring value to their component material parts. TerraCycle’s recent partnership with Proctor and Gamble to put out a fully recyclable shampoo bottle made from beach plastic (difficult-to-recycle for its exposure to contaminants and UV light, depreciation, and mixed material makeup) for Head and Shoulders creates a market for recycled materials, viewing them as more sustainable, economically and environmentally, than producing additional plastics. Whether single-use, disposable and/or “highly recyclable,” the average time it takes for most plastics to decompose is 450 years, with some plastics that we use in everyday life (like plastic shopping bags or plastic bottles) projected to take up to 1000. The fact is that plastic is not disposable at all, and changing the perception of plastic for consumers starts with the story that manufacturers, major brands, governments and social agents tell.

WINCHESTER – Winchester resident Prima Murdock is kicking off the new year with good habits and keeping snack pouches out of of landfills. Through a free, national recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle, sponsored by Entenmann’s Little Bites®, Murdock has helped the nationwide collection reach the milestone of two million snack pouches diverted from the waste stream. Along with keeping the pouches out of landfills, collectors earn points that can be redeemed for cash donations to the non-profit or school of the collector’s choice. Through the efforts of collectors like Murdock, donations have just passed $35,000. “I am just one person trying to do what I can to not contribute to the ever growing landfills and piles of trash I see created every day when so much can be recycled or repurposed or reused,” said Murdock. “With TerraCycle, there's nothing that can't be recycled.  That's why I think it's so important for companies to get in the game and fund programs such as the one Entenmann's is involved in, making it a little easier for the individuals/consumer to help out the planet but also not have to spend so much money doing it.” TerraCycle is an international recycling company that finds innovative solutions for materials not typically accepted at municipal recycling facilities. Through free recycling programs, participants collect waste and ship using a pre-paid shipping label to TerraCycle for processing. TerraCycle recycles the waste into plastic that can be used for products such as park benches, recycling bins and playgrounds. “The sustainability of our future and environment are so important for the children of generations to come. Entenmann’s Little Bites feels honored and proud to stand next to TerraCycle in such an important global issue.” – Kim Bremer, Category Director. The Entenmann’s Little Bites® Pouch Recycling Program is open to any individual, school or organization interested in reducing local landfill waste. To learn more about TerraCycle, please visit www.terracycle.com. About Bimbo Bakeries USA Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), headquartered in Horsham, PA, is the nation’s leading baking company providing the highest quality baked goods at a great value to customers and consumers. This includes well-known brand Entenmann’s®, producer of top quality donuts and cakes since 1898.  In 1999, Entenmann’s launched world-class Little Bites® Muffins, baked up soft and moist in pre-packaged, portable pouches, making them perfect to snack on-the-go.  Top selling varieties include Chocolate Chip, Blueberry and Brownie, and all are available nationwide in mass and grocery retailers, as well as club stores.  For more information, visit www.littlebites.com. About TerraCycle Founded in 2001, TerraCycle, Inc., is the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, ranging from used chip bags to coffee capsules to cigarette butts. The waste is collected through free, national, brand-funded recycling programs, as well as various consumer and government-funded models. The collected waste is reused, upcycled or recycled into a variety of affordable, sustainable consumer products and industrial applications. Each year, across 21 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in our recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.

Dell is the latest company to turn ocean plastics into new products and packaging as businesses increasingly address the problem of plastic waste — and see potential in creating circular supply chains and using recycled materials. Dell today said it has developed the technology industry’s first packaging trays made with 25 percent recycled ocean plastic content. It is part of Dell’s goal of 100 percent sustainable packaging by 2020 and is a response to the growing environmental problem of plastics in the oceans. It also follows a slate of recent announcements from companies turning ocean plastics into new products and packaging. Last month Procter & Gamble, in partnership with recycling and environmental management companies TerraCycle and Suez, developed the world’s first recyclable shampoo bottle made from up to 25 percent recycled beach plastic. Also in January Unilever CEO Paul Polman called on the consumer goods industry to address ocean plastic waste and employ circular economy models to increase plastic recycling rates. Additionally, Adidas is working to solve the problem of plastic pollution in oceans by turning this waste stream into new material for its shoes. Dell’s new packaging consists of recycled plastics collected from waterways and beaches. The company will start shipping its new laptop in the ocean plastics packaging on April 30. In 2017, Dell says its ocean plastics pilot will keep 16,000 pounds of plastic from entering the ocean. Additionally, each tray will be stamped with the No. 2 recycling symbol, designating it as HDPE, which is commonly recyclable in many locations. Dell’s packaging team designs and sources its product packaging to be more than 93 percent recyclable by weight so that it can be reused as part of the circular economy. The ocean plastics supply chain process works like this: Dell’s partners intercept ocean plastics at the source in waterways, shorelines and beaches before it reaches the ocean. It then processes and refines the used plastics, mixes the ocean plastic (25 percent) with other recycled HDPE plastics (the remaining 75 percent) from sources like bottles and food storage containers. Finally, it molds the resulting recycled plastic flake into new packaging trays and ship the trays for final packaging and customer delivery. Dell’s pilot program, which the company says is also an industry-first, follows a successful feasibility study launched March 2016 in Haiti.

TerraCycle®, an international recycling company turns waste into plastic that can be used for products such as park benches, recycling bins and playgrounds   Through the free recycling program, you can collect waste, like Entenmann’s® Little Bites® pouches, and ship to TerraCycle® for processing using a pre-paid shipping label. From January through March TerraCycle® and Entenmann’s® Little Bites® want to reward you for making eco-friendly habits by Making the Pledge. And if you collect Entenmann’s® Little Bites® pouches on behalf of a K-12 school, you could be placed in the running to win a Classroom Party. It’s easy to participate: make the pledge, send in the waste, and earn more rewards   I was really excited to hear that Entenmann’s® Little Bites® has a pouch Recycling Program. It’s open to any individual, school or organization interested in reducing local landfill waste so please feel free to share this information with your school, friends, neighbors and family.   This way when you send Entenmann’s little Bites to school or after school functions they can help you save empty pouches and you can send them in for Prizes and bonus points.  

Not everyone cares about keeping the West Coast clean, which means its up to volunteers to keep local shores pristine. After riding a swell of support last year, Surfrider Pacific Rim is ready to rip into 2017. “Surfrider has built a network of coastal defenders who transform a passion for our coast into a lasting protection,” said chapter-president Michelle Hall during a recent presentation to Tofino’s municipal council. “We’re fortunate to live in a place where passion for protection is in our blood and we’re a community of guardians including First Nations, environmentalists, scientists as well as ocean lovers, surfers, beach walkers and dog lovers.” She said the foundation laid solid groundwork in 2016 by raising awareness of its initiatives and engaging with the community. “We’re really inclusive to everyone and volunteers really enjoy the citizen feel of our organization,” she said. “Our voice is always positive and we’re always sharing solutions.” She added the foundation holds a public meet up at Tofino Brewing Company on the first Wednesday of every month. “We have a solid crew of 21 amazing people in Tofino and Ucluelet,” she said. “It’s a really good way for new people coming to Tofino and Ucluelet to get involved with their community.” The foundation welcomed over 250 volunteers to 24 beach cleanups in 2016, according to Hall, who said the five most commonly found pollutants were plastics, styrofoam, cigarette butts, fishing gear and recyclables. “In 2016 we collected almost 5,000 kilograms of marine debris from our pristine coastline,” she said. The local Surfrider crew earned huge accolades and widespread media attention with its Straws Suck campaign last year that saw 41 local businesses nix single-use straws from their operations and brought  increased awareness around plastic pollution. Hall said three major campaigns are in the works for 2017: an Ocean Friendly Business, Bring your own Bag and Hold onto your Butt. “The Ocean Friendly Business Campaign will invite all businesses in the Pacific Rim to reduce and eliminate single use plastics,” she said adding straws will continue to be targeted along with shopping bags, single-use cutlery and take-away packaging. “We are working on grants and sponsorships to launch this program.” She said the Ban the Bag campaign will promote the use of re-useable shopping bags and will include a bag-making challenge supported by Tourism Tofino that will test whether or not the West Coast can create 1,000 bags in time for the Pacific Rim Whale Festival in March. The Hang onto Your Butt campaign is aimed at eliminating cigarette pollution and features a unique partnership with TerraCycle, an organization that offers a variety of environmentally-minded programming including a Cigarette Waste Recycling Program. “The waste collected through the Cigarette Waste Recycling Program is recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco is recycled as compost,” according to TerraCycle’s website. Hall said Surfrider’s anti-cigarette waste program would help raise awareness of the impacts butts have locally. “A big part of the campaign is education. I don’t think an actual campaign or education around cigarette pollution has really been prominent in Ucluelet or Tofino,” she said. During her presentation in Tofino, Hall said Surfrider partnered with Ucluelet to install nine cigarette butt canisters throughout the community. She said Ucluelet’s public works crew empties the canisters and hands the butts off to Surfrider to recycle. “We hope that Tofino would do the same,” she said. “This wouldn’t just be a case of installing them and letting you guys empty them and that’s it, we plan on engaging the youth and doing lots of education at all of our beach cleanups and events throughout the year.” The canisters cost $100 each, according to Hall, and Tofino’s council agreed to buy one for their municipal hall immediately after Hall’s presentation. Coun. Greg Blanchette expressed admiration for the foundation’s quick rise. “Surfrider is really surging ahead in terms of volunteer engagement, community engagement and business engagement, in a way that, in my experience on the Coast, is basically unprecedented,” he said. “Congratulations on all of your successes.” Mayor Josie Osborne agreed. “I want to say thank you and really commend you, Michelle, for your leadership and Surfrider for everything that you do,” she said. “You really have gone above and beyond in terms of your community engagement and what I really appreciate is how positively everything is occurring.”