In a highly competitive marketplace, one of the most significant challenges that companies and major brands face today is distinguishing themselves as a social agent. Gone are the days where being “environmentally friendly” automatically added value in a largely niche market for socially responsible corporate behavior. Today’s consumer is highly discerning, increasingly concerned with things like supply and production chain sustainability and product recyclability, and highly allergic to ethical claims that are inauthentic, vague or misleading. That consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products and services is an understatement. More and more, consumers expect companies to dedicate themselves to making a positive social or environmental impact on society as a baseline, and want to be able to trust them to prioritize ethics on their end. It’s no new idea that consumer brands that have not embraced sustainability and CSR initiatives are at risk on many fronts. But creating the kind of value that grabs the attention of consumers also requires legwork beyond simply “doing good.” Leading industrial adhesive manufacturer Henkel has found a way to work sustainability into their brand DNA, rather than something that they simply “do.” In partnership with my company TerraCycle, Henkel is the first to offer a recycling solution for anaerobic adhesive packaging through the LOCTITE® Anaerobic Adhesive Recycling Program. Also the first time that TerraCycle is recycling this category, Henkel is a pioneer in their use of our sustainability platform in more ways than one. Henkel is our only recycling program sponsor that has created their own branded Zero Waste Box, a custom recycling solution from TerraCycle that allows consumers to recycle hundreds of waste streams through category specific boxes. Participants in the program can now purchase a postage-paid recycling box branded with Henkel’s copy, colors and logo that they fill with empty LOCTITE adhesive containers to send to TerraCycle for processing. Offering a custom, branded recycling solution adds value for current and potential customers by communicating that solving for its difficult-to-recycle anaerobic adhesive containers is part of who they are. In a currently inefficient global waste management infrastructure, companies like Henkel see the massive ROI potential for putting forth the resources to make their previously unrecyclable product and packaging waste nationally recyclable. By setting their own bar on sustainability and keeping it high, companies add value by pioneering environmental stewardship. Leveraging environmentally sound and socially responsible processes in the marketplace is in direct relation to how brands communicate to their consumer and differentiate offerings from those of brand competitors. USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified certifications, for example, are recognizable (often on-pack) demonstrations of a brand’s commitment to meeting necessary production and labeling requirements, indicating to consumers a certain promise of quality and incentivizing more brands to meet and exceed those standards.

This month, TerraCycle celebrates the important milestone of a decade Eliminating the Idea of Waste through free recycling programs and custom recycling solutions in Canada. Since opening in 2006, TerraCycle Canada has engaged two million people to recycle, diverting 150 million units of difficult-to-recycle waste from landfills and raising over $400,000 for charity.

In The Huffington Post, TerraCycle Founder and CEO Tom Szaky explains the benefits that come with integrating sustainable solutions into branding strategies. While consumers are willing to pay a pretty penny for sustainable products and services, they also expect companies to commit to making a positive social or environmental impact on society. In The Huffington Post, TerraCycle Founder and CEO Tom Szaky explains the benefits that come with integrating sustainable solutions into branding strategies. The Huffington Post has more: In a highly competitive marketplace, one of the most significant challenges that companies and major brands face today is distinguishing themselves as a social agent. Gone are the days where being “environmentally friendly” automatically added value in a largely niche market for socially responsible corporate behavior. Today’s consumer is highly discerning, increasingly concerned with things like supply and production chain sustainability and product recyclability, and highly allergic to ethical claims that are inauthentic, vague or misleading. That consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products and services is an understatement. More and more, consumers expect companies to dedicate themselves to making a positive social or environmental impact on society as a baseline, and want to be able to trust them to prioritize ethics on their end. It’s no new idea that consumer brands that have not embraced sustainability and CSR initiatives are at risk on many fronts. But creating the kind of value that grabs the attention of consumers also requires legwork beyond simply “doing good.”

In a highly competitive marketplace, one of the most significant challenges that companies and major brands face today is distinguishing themselves as a social agent. Gone are the days where being “environmentally friendly” automatically added value in a largely niche market for socially responsible corporate behavior. Today’s consumer is highly discerning, increasingly concerned with things like supply and production chain sustainability and product recyclability, and highly allergic to ethical claims that are inauthentic, vague or misleading.   That consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products and services is an understatement. More and more, consumers expect companies to dedicate themselves to making a positive social or environmental impact on society as a baseline, and want to be able to trust them to prioritize ethics on their end. It’s no new idea that consumer brands that have not embraced sustainability and CSR initiatives are at risk on many fronts. But creating the kind of value that grabs the attention of consumers also requires legwork beyond simply “doing good.”   Leading industrial adhesive manufacturer Henkel has found a way to work sustainability into their brand DNA, rather than something that they simply “do.” In partnership with my company TerraCycle, Henkel is the first to offer a recycling solution for anaerobic adhesive packaging through the LOCTITE® Anaerobic Adhesive Recycling Program. Also the first time that TerraCycle is recycling this category, Henkel is a pioneer in their use of our sustainability platform in more ways than one.   Henkel is our only recycling program sponsor that has created their own branded Zero Waste Box, a custom recycling solution from TerraCycle that allows consumers to recycle hundreds of waste streams through category specific boxes. Participants in the program can now purchase a postage-paid recycling box branded with Henkel’s copy, colors and logo that they fill with empty LOCTITE adhesive containers to send to TerraCycle for processing.   Offering a custom, branded recycling solution adds value for current and potential customers by communicating that solving for its difficult-to-recycle anaerobic adhesive containers is part of who they are. In a currently inefficient global waste management infrastructure, companies like Henkel see the massive ROI potential for putting forth the resources to make their previously unrecyclable product and packaging waste nationally recyclable. By setting their own bar on sustainability and keeping it high, companies add value by pioneering environmental stewardship.   Leveraging environmentally sound and socially responsible processes in the marketplace is in direct relation to how brands communicate to their consumer and differentiate offerings from those of brand competitors. USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified certifications, for example, are recognizable (often on-pack) demonstrations of a brand’s commitment to meeting necessary production and labeling requirements, indicating to consumers a certain promise of quality and incentivizing more brands to meet and exceed those standards.   Ultimately, when companies attempt to integrate sustainable enterprise into their branding strategy, transparency is essential. Establishing environmental initiatives is complex, but in order to inspire brand loyalty and trust, those green endeavors must authentically benefit the environment. Branding existing and emerging sustainability solutions is one method for communicating company accountability in a highly visible, valuable way for consumers, scaling for relevance and resilience in a changing marketplace.

In today’s world, the basic model for the production of goods is linear: Natural resources are extracted and turned into products that are used for a limited time. While some of these products are recycled, most eventually end up in the world’s landfills.  This model is becoming increasingly unsustainable and expensive for businesses. Commodity prices rose more than 150 percent between 2002 and 2010 and an additional three billion middle-class consumers are expected to enter the global market by 2030. This unprecedented demand for goods and services, coupled with increasing resource scarcity and price volatility, is causing companies to move from a traditional “take-make-dispose” model to a more circular strategy. Closing the loop with innovative logistic solutions In recent years, I’ve seen companies like Dell, Patagonia and TerraCycle focus their sustainability efforts on implementing seamless take-back programs that make use of turnkey packaging, pickup services and pre-paid return labels. With approximately 97 percent of business leaders listing logistics as important to transitioning to a circular economy, partnering with intelligent logistic providers will be crucial for companies to implement cost-effective circular strategies. The future of the circular economy I recently had the opportunity to participate on a panel at GreenBiz VERGE 2016 with Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, and Kevin Zweier, VP of Transportation Practice at Chainalytics, to discuss trends shaping the future of the circular economy. In addition to the critical role of logistics, major takeaways from the discussions included:

Tailoring the solution

Companies trying to implement circular strategies face a “first-mile” challenge with re-using products and resources for future consumption. Each product in a company’s supply chain must be analyzed based on its unique characteristics from raw material to end-of-life. Circular planning must then be used to determine whether reclaimed products and resources should be transported back to a central hub facility or dealt with on a local level.

Education is key

To build mainstream acceptance and support for a realized circular economy, governments and businesses alike should prioritize educating consumers about circular principles, including which products can be reused, recycled or upgraded. By helping customers make easy decisions when they are done using a product, we can ensure valuable materials don’t end up in landfills.

We all have a role to play

While companies are investing in innovative partnerships and creating more sustainable solutions, there is also a need for customers and consumers to take advantage of these offerings so that these investments can be supported by a strong business case. One of the most common misconceptions about the circular economy is that it will be impossible to achieve. I believe that when companies invest and collaborate to implement “smarter” supply chains and give others an opportunity to participate, the notion of a circular economy can certainly be realized. 

Have you developed a sensitivity to baking soda in deodorant? After a year, I finally found a natural baking soda free deodorant that works. I started doing some research and learned that it is very common to become sensitized to baking soda. I read story after story about people that had become sensitized to baking soda because of their deodorant, often after long periods of time like me. The Search for a Natural Baking Soda Free Deodorant So I started a new search. One for a natural, baking soda free deodorant that would work. I tried several brands over the course of a year and nothing worked. I was getting tired of washing my arm pits multiple times a day to keep myself feeling and smelling fresh. Then Tom’s of Maine reached out and asked if I’d like to try some of their Long Lasting Natural Deodorant. I decided that since nothing else had worked, I’d give it a try. So they sent me a box of a few scents to try. My husband and I each grabbed a stick to test it out. And both my husband and I have found that Tom’s deodorants work too. They offer clinically proven, 24-hour odor protection using odor-fighting hops, the mineral zinc and only natural fragrances. In addition to its new and improved, best-selling deodorant, this leading natural personal care brand makes high quality natural toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, bar soap and baby care products. Tom’s of Maine’s packing is fully recyclable through local municipalities or the TerraCycle Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade. In addition, they give 10% of profits back to helping people and the planet and they never test their products on animals.

Problem: Laboratories and research organizations generate millions of nonhazardous lab disposables per year. International science journal Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html) estimates that lab plastics waste accounted for 5.5 million tons in 2014, roughly the combined tonnage of 67 cruise liners—and this estimate only speaks to one of the many types of waste created by labs. The quantity and variety of waste generated depends on the type of lab, as the lab and research industry can be broadly defined to include hospitals, universities, pharmaceutical corporations and regulatory agencies. Every lab is different and creates a mix of natural and synthetic materials, which may include glass, plastic, hybrid material lab garments, and nitrile and rubber gloves. Laboratory disposables have been fated to linear disposal methods like landfilling and incineration because there is no comprehensive recycling solution for them in the current waste management infrastructure. The economics of recycling (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-szaky/the-economicsof-waste_b_9616522.html) creates little incentive to employ alternative recycling solutions for discarded lab disposables, as the cost of collection, separation and processing for these mixed items is far greater than what the materials are worth. Thus, many labs do not offer well-managed systems for waste disposal, doing nothing for their internal sustainability numbers. However, labs have the ability to employ customizable, regenerative waste solutions for their lab disposables. Solution: Considering the reasons why waste is difficult to manage in labs and research facilities is the first step in finding solutions. As mentioned, the current recycling infrastructure does not support alternative recycling solutions for items like lab disposables because the process is too expensive. A private lab or research facility does not stand to gain any sort of monetary return on footing the potentially high cost of specialized recycling services, and must be presented with additional incentives to bring a perspective of value to recycling opportunities. Many lab employees may also believe that all laboratory waste is unrecyclable, which is not the case. Lab managers can facilitate staff training and sustainability courses for employees and building personnel to build morale around green awareness and improvements in lab processes, such as the integration of new in-house recycling solutions. One regenerative waste solution to consider when evaluating and setting internal sustainability goals in the laboratory is the Zero Waste Box, a premium recycling option from TerraCycle, an international recycling company. Major distributors and suppliers of laboratory equipment and accessories such as Krackeler Scientific, VWR, and Thomas Scientific have partnered with TerraCycle to offer Zero Waste Boxes through their website, allowing labs and other research facilities easy access to a turnkey waste solution for more than one type of lab disposable. Excluding food waste, sharps, hazardous materials, and other federally regulated items, the Zero Waste Box platform offers a solution for nearly every type of waste, without the need for corporate or municipal sponsorship. This innovative waste solution can be used by labs in conjunction with a lab’s own zerowaste strategies and participation in curbside collection programs, or as a primary waste solution. Separating waste is the key to making everything recyclable. For example, nitrile and latex gloves are comprised of different materials. Category specific Zero Waste Boxes for each type of waste stream keeps them separate at the capture phase, creating no need to work in the cost of that separation process. Labs and research facilities that use both types of gloves can either buy two types of Zero Waste Box for the respective items, or go a size up to include both for increased convenience. Labs can also increase internal sustainability by using Zero Waste Boxes to recycle other traditionally unrecyclable items. Waste created by building management (batteries, air fresheners, cleaning wipe packaging, trigger heads from cleaning spray bottles), researchers and scientists (binders and presentation materials, books, and magazines), and every person that walks through the door (coffee pods, chip bags, food storage containers) can be solved through TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box platform.

In today’s world, the basic model for the production of goods is linear: natural resources are extracted and turned into products that are used for a limited time. While some of these products are recycled, most eventually end up in the world’s landfills. This model is becoming increasingly unsustainable and expensive for businesses. Commodity prices rose more than 150 percent between 2002 and 2010 and an additional three billion middle-class consumers are expected to enter the global market by 2030. This unprecedented demand for goods and services coupled with increasing resource scarcity and price volatility is causing companies to move from a traditional “take-make-dispose” model to a more circular strategy. Beyond the cost, there is increasing awareness of the impact of the linear model on the well-being of the planet, and a growing sense of urgency as we see the ultimate ramifications on society and the environment.   Closing the Loop with Innovative Logistic Solutions In recent years, I’ve seen companies like Dell, Patagonia and TerraCycle focus their sustainability efforts on implementing seamless take-back programs that make use of turnkey packaging, pickup services and pre-paid return labels. With approximately 97 percent of business leaders listing logistics as important to transitioning to a circular economy, partnering with intelligent logistic providers will be crucial for companies to implement cost-effective circular strategies. UPS teamed up with Nespresso to help the company ensure their single-serve coffee capsules are properly recycled. Nespresso offers pre-paid recycling bags for consumers to mail back used capsules by dropping them off at one of the 88,000 UPS drop-off locations across the U.S., or by giving them to any UPS driver. The aluminum from the capsules is then melted down and used in new products, and coffee grounds are composted into high-quality soil amendments that go to landscapers, garden centers, municipalities and homeowners. This is one example of many where partnerships are critical to closing the loop. The Future of the Circular Economy I recently had the opportunity to participate on a panel at GreenBiz VERGE 2016 with Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle and Kevin Zweier, VP of Transportation Practice at Chainalytics, to discuss trends shaping the future of the circular economy. In addition to the critical role of logistics, major takeaways from the collaborative discussions included: Tailoring the Solution. Companies trying to implement circular strategies face a “first mile” challenge when it comes to reusing products and resources for future use. Each product in a company’s supply chain must be analyzed based on its unique characteristics from raw material to end-of-life. Circular planning must then be used to determine whether reclaimed products and resources should be transported back to a central hub facility or dealt with on a local level. Education is Key. To help build mainstream acceptance and support for a realized circular economy, governments and businesses alike should prioritize educating consumers about circular principles, including which products can be reused, recycled or upgraded. By helping customers make easy decisions when they are done using a product, we can ensure valuable materials don’t end up in landfills. We All Have a Role to Play. While companies are investing in innovative partnerships and creating more sustainable solutions, there is also a need for customers and consumers to take advantage of these offerings so that these investments can be supported by a strong business case. 

Each morning is the beginning of a new day and another chance to make the world a better place. Think your actions don't make a difference? Think again! Taking small, mindful actions for positive improvement can have a great impact on your community and inspire others to do the same. There are so many opportunities to do good for the planet, and many of them are right under your nose. Here are three ways you can do your part to make the world a better place...all before 10 a.m. * Concentrate on your morning routine. So much of what we do in the morning can be condensed to consume less and do much more. Try to reduce your water usage by shortening your shower time and don't let it run while you brush your teeth. Make your own coffee and lunch to cut down on food packaging waste. Carpool to put fewer vehicles on the road and get to know your co-workers. * Engage in "mindful" acts of kindness. Make it a point to hold the door open for a stranger, compliment your co-worker's outfit or new hairstyle, or buy a snack for the person behind you in line. To be kind is an act of solidarity, and doing good for others will inspire members of your community to do the same. Kindness is the currency of change: spend wisely and often. * Learn about new ways to recycle. Did you know that Malt-O-Meal cereal bags can be recycled through a free program in partnership with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based recycling company? To begin with, Malt-O-Meal bagged cereal creates 75 percent less packaging waste than boxed cereal with a bag inside. Through the MOM Brands Cereal Bag Recycling Program, you can ensure that none of it ends up in the landfill and raise money for charity at the same time!

Candy wrappers, disposable décor, cheap wrappers, oh my! Here are some new tips for cutting down on Halloween trash. A couple of years ago, my daughters were nonplussed to discover that one of our neighbors dropped an ear of popping corn in their trick or treat baskets. But I wasn’t: This particular neighbor’s front porch is the pickup spot for a CSA and she’s a big supporter of local river cleanup efforts. Given that I was finding little scraps of candy wrappers around my house for days, it was refreshing to be able to pop the cob right in the microwave and throw the spent cob in my compost pail. That little cob of corn has stuck in my mind in recent Halloweens as I watch the candy wrappers go in the trash (most aren’t recyclable), along with the cheap, flimsy decorations that my kids seem to convince me to buy, and the costumes they’ll outgrow by next year (what kid wants to be the same thing two years in a row?). Can Halloween be enjoyed without ending up with a landfill-bound bag of trash the next day? I think so — here’s how! 3.Be green with your own candy wrappers. There’s no escaping the candy that’ll be just about everywhere in the days before and after Halloween (even if you don’t have kids, chances are your workplace will be full of it!). The Internet is full of fun projects you can do with candy wrappers. Plain foil wrappers or clear plastic can be recycled with the rest of your foil and plastic film. TerraCycle offers a collection box for wrappers — why not see if your local school or library will serve as a collection point?