Desktop 3D printing is still in its infancy, meaning that this young industry has a chance to start things right.  Learning from the negative effects of our manufacturing forefathers, we can get 3D printing off the ground with sustainable materials that neither deplete our limited natural resources nor pollute our surrounding ecosystem, crucial to our survival.  With that in mind, numerous organizations, Makers, and startups are finding ways to combine recycling with desktop fabrication so that we can simultaneously reduce pollution and dependency on unsustainable materials.  The latest to come out of the concrete jungle are TerraCycle and 3DBrooklyn who have announced the development of 3D printing filament made from recycled chip and snack bags.

For the fourth year in a row, Willis Lane Elementary has earned a Green Ribbon School designation for recycling and reducing waste. Sponsored by Cyberways and Waterways, an Austin-based charity focused on empowering kids to positively impact their health, environment and education, the Green Ribbon Schools program recognizes campuses that have extensive recycling efforts. PTA volunteer Melissa Malone got the school involved with the program and completes the annual application that details all the efforts.

Composting organic waste is one of the best things you can do for the environment. According to the EPA, about 28 percent of the solid waste stream in the United States consists of food waste and yard trimmings. When these organic materials are buried under piles of garbage deep within a landfill, they decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) and generate methane — a harmful greenhouse gas.

A fourth grade teacher at Carlstadt Public School is trying to promote recycling, help save the environment and fundraise for the school — all in one go. Maura Barrett proposed that the school join the TerraCycle trash collection program because she wanted to do something to help the environment.

As a native North Carolinian, I’m proud to report on the explosive ‘spirit’ industry located in state made up of breweries, wineries and distilleries. The hardest part of writing this post was picking winners amongst hundreds of awesome businesses going the extra mile to create uniquely delicious beverages while keeping a watchful eye to their energy consumption, water usage and overall impact on their local economies.

The Westfield Area Y announce that their preschool programs were recognized by the TerraCycle Recycling Company for all their efforts during the school year. Led by Mrs. Wolski, the Westfield Area Y Preschool, Kids Club and Kindergarten children and their families saved wrappers from snack time and brought some from home. The collecting of these recyclable items translated to points which can be used to provide meals for homeless people, school supplies, planting trees, clean water and farm animals in a third world country. TerraCycle offers national waste collection programs (Brigades) to collect previously non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste. The collected waste is then converted into new products, ranging from recycled park benches to up cycled backpacks. Visit http://www.terracycle.com/en-US to learn more about the organization and their national programs.

In an increasingly sustainability driven world, packaging experts and consumer products companies alike are learning that a focus on “green” is quickly becoming a necessity in today’s product environment. On the heels of COP21, an exciting 2015 rife with new developments in the world of green packaging, and with the New Year now in full swing, what are some of the sustainable packaging trends we can expect to hear more about in 2016?   1. Clearer labeling Concise, clear labeling should be a top priority for major brands this year—from ensuring proper disposal of a piece of product packaging, to clarifying sustainability claims and increasing transparency. Labeling programs like How2Recycle, for example, are a straightforward solution to decreasing confusion as they tell consumers how to properly dispose of and/or recycle product packaging simply and efficiently. Being honest about product sustainability claims on your packaging is equally important in today’s product market, as consumers are better informed and more skeptical than ever before. For instance, if your plastic is compostable, what are the precise requirements a consumer should be aware of to ensure it will actually decompose? In other words, be honest and transparent with consumers. Don’t hide sustainability claims beneath a veil of greenwashed marketing.   2. Conscious consumer appeal Major brands and packaging experts failing to address this important and fast-growing population of sustainably-minded consumers will be one step behind in 2016. Thankfully, the industry seems to already be in motion toward a more sustainable future. Environmentally conscious consumers are sure to notice brands that make their commitments to the environment and social responsibility clear on their packaging: If you’ve committed to increasing the quantity of post-consumer recycled content in your package, give consumers an idea of how you plan to make that promise a reality. Direct them to online resources that outline your plans, promote your partnerships with non-profit organizations and NGOs, and as I’ve noted above, be honest when making a sustainability claim on-pack. Product packaging can give sustainability and social responsibility a voice—make sure consumers can hear it.   3. Bioplastic boom The market for bio-based plastics made from plant-derived material continues to boom, and with large-scale vertical farming becoming more of a reality, 2016 could be a great year for more sustainably produced bioplastics. This is all very exciting to see, but I continue to be skeptical of certain bioplastic variants, particularly biodegradables like polylactic acide (PLA). Today, biodegradable and supposedly compostable plastics often have to be processed in an industrial facility to fully decompose. Few of these facilities are even equipped to process these bioplastics and, at the end of the day, composting a material as energy and resource intensive as plastic is incredibly wasteful. While I’m excited to see where the growth of bioplastics will end up taking us, I also hope leaders in the sustainable packaging world agree with my concerns moving forward through 2016.   4. Lightweight packaging continues For better or worse, I expect to see more manufacturers jumping onto this particular bandwagon throughout 2016. The benefits of lightweight packaging seem clear enough: reduced material and manufacturing costs, reduced environmental impacts from transportation and potentially less waste bound for landfills. The lightweighting trend is great in theory, but it doesn’t make sense in every context. When recovery rates for a particular material are very low, lightweighting can be a good waste-diversion strategy (that is, there’s less volume going to landfill). But as recovery rates increase, lightweighting removes value from the recycling stream, undermining that economic incentive to recycle. In other words, consider the long-term viability of lightweight packaging before committing to it.   Author Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, has won more than 50 awards for entrepreneurship, also writes blogs for Treehugger and The New York Times, has an upcoming book called "Make Garbage Great" and is the star of the television show "Human Resources" on Pivot TV.

A new year means four more quarters to pitch, market and advertise your sustainable product or brand to eager consumers across the globe. The world is shifting toward environmental consciousness whether you believe it or not, and reaching consumers in this product climate requires more than just a big marketing budget and hollow promises of greater social responsibility. These four pieces of advice are my recommendations to sustainable brand marketers moving into the new year.

Be Transparent About Sustainability Claims

Questionable environmental claims abound in the products market. For example, there are indeed plastics that biodegrade, but many will only break down when processed in an industrial composter. A label touting a plastic product’s biodegradability may be scientifically accurate, but without any further explanation or direction on the package itself, many of these plastics will not biodegrade in any reasonable amount of time in a consumer’s home composting system. Any lack of transparency in this regard is a sure way to catalyze skepticism and criticism. Instead, clarify sustainability claims for consumers in an accessible way — direct them to a web portal with more information, cite any peer-reviewed or third party-supported evidence for your sustainability claims, and perhaps most importantly, admit when and why you are wrong or have missed the mark. Outline the series of events that led to the failure of a sustainability claim or promise, and explain how the company plans to refocus its efforts in a more realistic fashion. Whatever you can do to engage more closely with your consumer base is a great way to bring them back to the brand again and again.

Focus on the Product, Not the “Green”

A product should first be defined by its quality and price competitiveness — any sustainability claims or “green” qualities should be the cherry on top. As I’ve said before, the green gap still very much exists in today’s product environment, and most consumers believe that a product claiming sustainability is going to cost them more at the register. Without a quality product to back up those claims, all you have is a product that makes nice, flowery environmental promises with few customers to actually support it. This is especially true for smaller brands that have to compete with massive, multinational product companies. Without the capital, market share, budget and established consumer base of a huge corporation, your product has to stand on its own. Once that happens, any additional sustainable qualities will help to differentiate the product and give you room to claim your own share of the market.

Educate Consumers about Proper Disposal

Most consumers will not put forth any extra effort to learn how to best dispose of a product or product packaging. Knowing what forms of plastic are widely recyclable, for example, can be particularly confusing thanks to the unintuitive resin identification coding system — potentially recyclable plastics may end up in the trash, and non-recyclable plastics can end up contaminating the recycling stream. The How2Recycle Label decreases confusion and educates consumers on the ground simply and effectively. Through simple graphics and concise labeling, it tells consumers precisely how to dispose of each component of a product or piece of packaging. If a material’s recyclability depends on the region, the label tells consumers to “Check Locally.” If residual product might present a contamination risk, it might say “Empty & Replace Cap.” It’s such a simple system that one has to wonder why it hasn’t been adopted sooner. Luckily, dozens of major brands have already joined the How2Recycle program.

Appeal to Conscious Consumers

Social responsibility means a lot to consumers, more so today than ever before. If they trust a brand and believe in its underlying approach to sustainability, they are more likely to become loyal, returning customers. To start, establish your company or brand as one that cares about more than just a profit margin. Tom’s of Maine, The North Face, Patagonia and Clif Bar are just a few that come to mind. They provide in-depth outlines and overviews of their sustainability initiatives, approach them in a realistic and transparent way, partner with third-party auditors to improve manufacturing efficiencies and supply chain security, and admit where improvements can be made along the way. When you prove you care about more than just what is in consumers’ wallets, they are more prone to listen.

University of Wisconsin-Stout students Ashley Spinler and De’Andre Jones are coming down the home stretch. They plan to graduate from the university and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program in May of 2016. They will rank among the nearly 70,000 university alumni and will be among the first in their families to graduate from college. Spinler and Jones will also join hundreds of students nationwide to graduate from the federally funded McNair program for first generation and low-income students. Spinler, of New Prague, Minn., is majoring in psychology with a double minor in human development and family studies and English writing. One of her highlights as a student at UW-Stout has been interning at the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America. She also helped form a TerraCycle committee through GreenSense.