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Tom's of Maine Announces Winning Sustainability Projects in "Green Your School Fund"

After Nationwide Vote, Teachers from North Carolina, Kansas and Michigan Chosen for Creating the Most Innovative Lessons in Environmental Education Is there one inspiring school project that will always stick with you? Lessons learned in the classroom often last a lifetime, which is the idea behind the new "Green Your School Fund" created by Tom's of Maine in partnership with Donorschoose.org. Teachers across the country were tasked with submitting classroom projects that help kids care for the planet and learn about pressing environmental issues in their community like air and water quality and sustainable agriculture. A portion of the "Green Your School Fund" was set aside for an innovation challenge, where teachers were asked to come up with exceptionally creative green projects. The top prize of $25,000 in classroom funding goes to a project idea from Cleveland Elementary School in Cleveland, NC. As determined by a nationwide public vote, the winning project teaches students sustainability as they learn to build vertical hydroponic gardens that use a solar powered water system and composted foods left over from student lunches to help the garden thrive. "Providing our young people with real world experiences and ways to solve important problems now will foster a love of learning and give them a competitive edge in becoming future problem solvers," said Lynn Bradley, the instructional technology teacher at Cleveland Elementary School who submitted the project. "We all need a champion to make a lasting impression that validates what we do as educators, whether it is by molding our talents, opening our eyes to a new idea or leading by example. This school year, Tom's of Maine has proven that sharing their passion for environmental stewardship through philanthropy can change the lives of many. Our learning will never be the same!" In second place, receiving $15,000 in classroom funding, is a project submitted by first grade teacher Holly Taylor from Adams Elementary School in Wichita, KS to improve air quality and combat the school's growing asthma problem by having students create air-filtration devices. The third place winner, receiving $10,000 in classroom funding, is a project submitted by sixth grade teacher Lori Barr from Pinewood Elementary School in Jenison, MI, which will allow students to examine bacteria in their local lake and explore ways to make it once again safe for swimming. The other seven finalists, each receiving $2,000 in classroom funding, were submitted by teachers from Ashford School in Ashford, CT; Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast, FL; Cummings School in Memphis, TN; Ella White Elementary School in Alpena, MI; Nauset Regional Middle School in Orleans, MA; Polo Park Middle School in Wellington, FL; and Sequoia Middle School in Pleasant Hill, CA.

A Way to Recycle Non-Recyclable Plastic

While a large percentage of plastic we use in everyday lives is recyclable, there are still those items that cannot be recycled. These include various potato chip and other quick snack bags, which are needless to say, quite abundant. However the company 3D Brooklyn, which offers 3D printing services, has come up with a great solution to this problem. They have partnered with Terracycle, and together they created a way to use this unrecyclable packaging as raw materials for their printers. The process starts by Terracycle first turning the collected chips and plastic snack bags into plastic pellets. They then hand these over to 3D Brooklyn that turns them into the ABS PP/PE polymer filament needed for printing. In this way, those using 3D printers get a cheaper filament they can use in their designs, and the world gets a new way of recycling waste that was not recyclable before. Since one of the main criticisms of 3D printing is the plastic waste it produces, either by failed printings, or those that need a redo. Using already recycled plastic for the process is therefore a great idea, especially if the goal is to create and maintain a sustainable industry when it comes to 3D printing. A 1-pound spool of filament they create in this way is made up of 45 recycled polypropylene and polyethylene bags. 3D Brooklyn sells this filament for $24 per spool on their website, while they also use this material for projects with their own name on it. With 3D printing on the rise, I’m sure we’ll see a lot more such ingenious solutions. Let’s hope that this also eventually leads to lower price tags on the actual machines, which is probably the one major obstacle to wider adoption of 3D printing.

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts to Give Thanks to the Planet

The end-of-year holiday season is off in full swing, and the first date up is Thanksgiving. Whether you are hosting the main event, having mini-celebrations at work or school, or simply want to get in the spirit by decking out your home with festive flair, Thanksgiving is a great time to give thanks to the planet. Give careful consideration to what you buy and why, what you ‘need,’ the options for disposing of the packaging or product when you are done with it, and what you can reuse. In our enthusiasm to decorate, entertain and gift, household waste jumps 25%  during the holidays. Using reusable dishware over disposable cutlery, planning a meal of sustainably and locally sourced food, composting, and using nature’s holiday decorations make a huge impact on the health of the environment. These five decorative DIYs are proof that going green for Thanksgiving can make for stunning, unexpected presentations that charm and delight.

1. Malt-O-Meal Origami Flower Bouquet

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts A table of loved ones and friends is made brighter with a lively centerpiece. Fresh flowers, while lovely, can be a bit pricey and take a real toll on the land, water and climate and only last a short time. Make a switch from the usual arrangements and go with this handmade version. A sure conversation starter, a vase or bowl of these intricate blooms adds color and interest without breaking the bank. Best part? You can bring them out for other special occasions, or to brighten someone’s day. Click HERE for Malt-O-Meal Origami Flower Bouquet DIY Instructions

2. DIY Acorn Eggs

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts This fall may have left you with an abundance of  acorns (which also look great as décor in glass containers), but these cute “faux acorns” made from last season’s Easter eggs not only carry some extra kitsch, but also may be a little safer to have around little ones. We like the cool metallic golds and silvers used here, but feel free to modify the colors to match the theme of your party or the scheme of your home. Click HERE for Acorn Eggs DIY Instructions

3. Falling Leaves Garland

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts Glitter-phobes beware! This glam take on an autumnal garland loves the light and catches the eye. We’d swap out the artificial leaves from the craft store with real ones that have fallen from our trees for a true tribute to the Fall foliage; pick them early and dry between the pages of a book for perfectly flat, sturdy leaves that will lay nice and straight when strung. Click HERE for Falling Leaves Garland DIY Instructions

4. Ella’s Kitchen Placemat

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts Who said the “Kid’s Table” gets left out? Dapper dining need not be saved for the adults. Placemats pull the table setting together, and these colorful, durable placemats are kid-proof, spill-proof, and can be an opportunity to get little hands involved in your holiday preparations. All you need for these simple placemats are Ella’s baby food pouches and colorful tape. Prepare several sets for a matching spread for all of your tables, or sweet DIY gifts for friends. Click HERE for Ella’s Kitchen Placemat DIY Instructions

5. Wine Box Wine Charms

5 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts Keeping everyone’s drinking vessels straight in a day full of dining, hors’ oeuvres and dessert can be daunting. It can also be a bit more stylish with these fitting wine charms made out of a wine box. Highly customizable, dainty and adorable, you can decorate them with glitter, paint, stickers or googly eyes. Better yet – have a wine & design party with family and friends to dazzle up your drinky duds; repeat every year, and you’ll have quite a collection. Click HERE for Wine Box Wine Charms DIY Instructions

How In-Store Recycling Collections Can Benefit Retail

Environmentalism and sustainability are now essential aspects of brand building, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, effectively engaging consumers poses many challenges. For starters, the expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with products and services.  E-commerce sites, dynamic mobile apps, and text message ordering systems afford infinite possibilities for communicating sustainable initiatives and marketing; 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. Recycling is already one of the most accessible and easily understood aspects of environmental stewardship for the average consumer. Activating a promotion around recycling using a brick-and-mortar retail program, a time-tested mode of marketing, can offer benefit to sustainable brands on many fronts, and to lasting effect.   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, just in time for Back-to-School 2016, TerraCycle activated the Binder Recycling Program with workplace supply leader Office Depot. Consumers are incentivized with $2 off of the purchase of any new binder and the opportunity to divert their old and used binders from the trash by dropping them off for recycling.   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 smaller, specialty brands like Earthborn Holistic, a premium pet food brand available in select stores. Presented for purchase alongside well-known dog food brands like Purina or Iams, Earthborn Holistic is faced with the tall order of offering the consumer a promise of value exceeding that of other pet foods.   Earthborn has chosen to provide customer-facing recycling boxes for its product packaging to communicate its commitment to sustainability to both retailers and customers. Retailers can promote themselves as a collection point for Earthborn packaging, and shipments of empty Earthborn bags sent to TerraCycle for processing earn them points which can be exchanged for cash donations to the local pet charity of their choice, or to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).   This type of sustainable marketing rewards the consumer by giving them the opportunity to invest in a charitable 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 by favoring a brand dedicated to causes like recycling and the humane treatment of animals.     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.

Bausch + Lomb to Launch Contact Lens Recycling Program With TerraCycle

Bausch + Lomb is launching a program to encourage consumers to recycle its contact lenses. The recycling program, known as #ONEbyONE, allows patients to recycle their used Biotrue ONEday contact lenses and other Bausch + Lomb contact lenses and blister packs through a free program, developed by Bausch + Lomb, in partnership with TerraCycle, a leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste. “Bausch + Lomb is not only committed to providing patients with innovative vision care, but to practicing good stewardship within our business practices,” said Guy Guglielmino, head of marketing, vision care, Bausch + Lomb. “This includes working closely with companies, such as TerraCycle, who is making progress in the areas of recycling, reusing and reducing waste and energy consumption in hopes to better preserve our environment for future generations.” Bausch + Lomb is celebrating the launch of the #ONEbyONE recycling program with a consumer event on America Recycles Day, November 15, hosted by Biotrue ONEday. The event, which will be held at the Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) in Anaheim, Calif., is dedicated to helping people end littering, improve recycling and beautify America’s communities, Bausch + Lomb said in a statement. The event will feature an educational and interactive experience for students and the surrounding community, giving them the chance to participate in the #ONEbyONE recycling program and celebrate America Recycles Day. “We’re proud to partner with a leader in the vision care industry such as Bausch + Lomb to provide consumers an opportunity to take a small step each day in hopes to one day leave a larger positive impact on the earth,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. “This is the first time we have recycled at a large-scale in this category and we hope the Bausch + Lomb #ONEbyONE program will inspire participation from current and future patients who previously have not had an option to recycle their contact lenses.”

The Not-So-Great Side Effect Of Your Sheet-Mask Addiction

Don't let the unseasonal heat wave fool you — winter is, eventually, coming. That means it's time to stock up on those hydrating and repairing products. One of the most effective ones out there? Sheet masks. But as we drench our faces in donkey milk or snail goop, we can forget one glaring issue: all the leftover waste. After a week of regular treatments, your garbage can can might look like Hannibal Lecter and Jason Voorhees went on a bender — full of crumpled eyeless and mouthless masks along with heaps of plastic packaging, which will all end up in a landfill. According to the EPA, Americans throw out, on average, 254 million tons of “municipal solid waste.” 30% of that is containers and packaging. On top of that, we have a “stagnant” 35% recycling rate — pretty much the worst compared to other industrialized nations — with a paltry 3% of that being plastic. And we just keep on consuming, including more and more beautifully packaged beauty products. The NPD Group found that U.S. sales of prestige facial masks increased 20% from September 2015 to August 2016. And that doesn’t even count the $1 sheet masks people snap up like candy (and maybe shouldn’t). Don’t get us wrong — we’d never try to shame you out of partaking in your weekly sheet masks. They've saved us from many a cold, dry winter or morning after a particularly rough night. But it never hurts to be more aware, right? So here are six points to consider before you stock up your winter sheet-mask reserves. Know that recycling options are limited. Most (if not all) local curbside recycling programs in the U.S. will not recycle complex number seven plastic, which includes mask pouches and backings. But check your sanitation department website to be sure. (And ignore the recycling triangle featuring Korean wording on K-beauty products. Those are specific to South Korea.) But TerraCycle, an innovative company that can recycle flexible plastic, offers a Zero Waste Box for bathroom products. Buy a cardboard bin ($95 or $186) to fill with all your previously non-recyclable empties, like sheet mask detritus, and return to TerraCycle with a prepaid UPS label.

Freshen up with Tom’s of Maine All Natural Deodorant

It’s time to green up your post run freshening up routine! Tom’s of Maine leads the way in creating natural care and beauty products without causing you to worry about what you are putting on your body. One of the many reasons that I run is to get outside and to enjoy all of the beauty that the nature around me has to offer. When I go for a run in my town I run with mountains to one side of my and with the Connecticut River flowing by on the other side.  Just as this beautiful landscape reminds me about the importance of preserving the delicate environment around us I am also reminded of taking care of my body in the same way. That is one of the many reasons that I am very careful about what I choose to put into my body when I eat and also what I use to care for my body through beauty and freshening up routines. Tom’s of Maine has now introduced a new deodorant formula with new and improved scents,  that as always, is free of aluminum, artificial fragrances and petrochemicals. Tom’s of Maine has taken out the potentially harmful ingredients in exchange for natural and organic ingredients that are better for your skin and your body. Here are some of the many reasons I am switching to the new line of Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorants. I hope that you will consider switching too!
  • They now have 24 Hour long-lasting deodorants which are great because who wants to have to re-apply multiple times? The 24-hour odor protection uses odor-fighting hops and the mineral zinc and only natural fragrances!
  • There are 5 new scents and one unscented deodorants
  • Free of aluminum
  • Free of  artificial fragrances
  • Free of petrochemicals
  • Fully recyclable packaging through local municipalities or the TerraCycle Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade.
  • No animal testing and no animal ingredients
  • With every purchase, Tom’s of Maine gives 10% of profits back to helping people and the planet

College students learn new ways to recycle

Environmental educator Leah King-Badyna has a bonus question for students at the College of Coastal Georgia. When your writing pen runs out of ink, you: a.) Toss it in the trash can. b.) Drop in on the ground. c.) Stuff it in bottom of your backpack with all the other out-of-ink pens in there. d.) Drop it off at one of the six recycling containers set up across campus specifically for pens, markers and highlighters. The really cool students know that the correct answer is D. Just ask junior marketing major Eric Seals. The young man from Brunswick knows that CCGA’s 3,400 students go through a lot of pens, markers and highlighters. Without this recycling program by Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, that many small, plastic writing tools could eventually add up to a significant problem in a landfill. “I think it’s really interesting because a lot of this stuff gets thrown in the trash,” Seals said Thursday in the student center. “Especially with pens and stuff because they’re running out of ink all the time. I’ll put all my used pens in those containers.” Seals earned high marks from King-Badyna, whose status as environmental educator comes with her role as executive director of Keep Golden Isles Beautiful. The nonprofit organization introduced this new recycling program Thursday, setting up a demonstration table in the student center on the campus, located on Atlama Avenue in Brunswick. Pens, highlighters and markers cannot be recycled locally. But Keep Golden Isles Beautiful collects these items and sends them off to TerraCycle, a non-traditional recycling organization. Terra Cycle is a global nonprofit organization that finds uses for hundreds of items that are not part of traditional large-scale recycling efforts, such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles and paper. “Pens, markers and highlighters are things that are normally thrown away because we do not have the ability to recycle these locally in Glynn County,” King-Badyna said. “It is just another way that Keep Golden Isles Beautiful and our partners can help reduce waste and keep these things out of the landfill.” Keep Golden Isles Beautiful has already seen success with this program in a school setting. During the Recycling Challenge in October, some 14 public and private schools combined to deliver 65 pounds of used pens, markers and highlighters in a one-month period, King-Badyna said. “And that’s a lot,” King-Badyna said. “And once again it’s keeping it out of the landfill. It’s all about waste reduction.” Local residents also can drop off these used writing tools at the Keep Golden Isles Beautiful office, located on the first floor of Old City Hall, 503 Mansfield St. On campus at CCGA, students will find the clear plastic, cylindrical-shaped recyclable containers at the six locations spaced conveniently across campus. Matt Giovengo, a student at both CCGA and Brunswick High, has volunteered to empty containers monthly and take the recyclables to Keep Golden Isles Beautiful for shipment to TerraCycle. Seals plans to spread the word to fellow students at CCGA to stop putting used pens in the trash, on the ground and in the bottom of backpacks. “Finding a way to turn it into something new is really awesome,” Seals said. “I think students will be more than willing to put their pens into a receptacle.”

TurtleWeen fun!

More than 500 people attended Loggerhead Marinelife Center's "TurtleWeen," held Oct. 22 at the center, at 14200 U.S. 1, in Juno Beach. At the annual Halloween-themed event, guests enjoyed fun activities including a costume parade, face painting and scientific experiments. New this year was the center's Candy Wrapper Recycling Program. Until Nov. 20, parents can bring their children's candy wrappers to Loggerhead Marinelife Center and place them in the TerraCycle bin on campus. At the end of November, the center will collect all recycling bags for shipping to TerraCycle. The wrappers will be used to make school supplies and other re-purposed materials.

Interns collect baseline data for AshTray project in Downtown Oakland!

Downtown Oakland Association has plans to decrease the amount of cigarette buds that are thrown on the streets by implementing ashtrays in high traffic, bar scene areas. These won’t just be any ashtrays, but SPECIAL ones!

An organization called TerraCycle will provide Downtown Oakland with ashtrays and swing by regularly to clear them out. TerraCycle is an innovative recycling company that has become a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste. Instead of the cig buds going towards their normal destination, the landfill, TerraCycle will use a special process to convert the buds back into everyday products.