Nestled within the market for consumer plastics is an ever-growing industry for bioplastics -- plastics made from plant biomass, such as corn. In an increasingly sustainability-driven world populated by more conscious consumers and green-minded individuals than ever before, this growing focus on plant-derived plastics should come as no surprise. However, as is often the case in the world of sustainability, there is more to this conversation than many consumers are aware of. Thanks to some persistent green marketers, the true viability and environmental impacts associated with bioplastics have in many ways been obfuscated. And of the many bioplastic varieties currently on the market or in development, no variant has attracted more attention than those dubbed "biodegradable." Durable vs. Biodegradable Bioplastics Bioplastics can be broadly broken down into two categories: durable and biodegradable. For consumers, the differences between the two are not always clear. For instance, the PlantBottle is a durable bioplastic alternative to traditional PET bottles made by Coca-Cola. Made with up to 30 percent ethanol sourced from plant material, the PlantBottle won't decompose, but it can be recycled with traditional PET containers and bottles. Biodegradable bioplastics on the other hand, like increasingly popular PLA (polylactic acid), are exactly as they sound: in theory, they break down naturally in the environment or may be composted. This is unique, as the vast majority of plastics today will never break down. Petroleum plastics may degrade into smaller and smaller pieces, but most won't decompose or be absorbed by the surrounding environment. The Problems with Biodegradable Bioplastics As marketable as biodegradable and compostable plastics like PLA are, there's often more to these claims than meets the eye. For example, in most cases biodegradable bioplastics will only break down in a high-temperature industrial composting facility, not your average household compost bin. However, this important distinction is often not made clear to consumers, who may mistakenly assume it will decompose in a reasonable time frame in their compost piles. Without giving any further instruction, telling consumers that these plastics are readily biodegradable is misleading. This wouldn't be as much of a concern if we had a great composting infrastructure, but we don't. With only about 200 industrial composting facilities in the United States and 50 million tons of organic waste still ending up in landfills across the country each year, we are obviously ill-equipped to adequately compost any meaningful volumes of biodegradable plastic. In fact, many operational industrial composting facilities today won't even accept PLA and other biodegradable plastics -- they are seen as contamination risks. Biodegradable plastics don't make all that much sense in a long-term context either. Plastic is a complex, highly refined synthetic material -- why create something that requires a significant amount of energy to manufacture, only to have it disappear forever into the soil? Of course, this assumes that the plastics will actually find their way to an industrial facility, which as I've pointed out, seems unlikely today. A Better Solution While I believe we should be skeptical of biodegradable bioplastics, a better solution might be to start adopting durable bioplastics that are made from plant materials, but can still be recycled so those valuable energy and material inputs can be kept in the production cycle longer. It also makes far more sense to build a bio-based plastic that fits into our existing infrastructure, rather than building an entirely new biodegradable plastic composting infrastructure from scratch. Exciting innovations are being made today that could make bioplastics far more viable and the production of them more sustainable. Today, we currently do not have the land space available to grow more bioplastic feedstocks (sugarcane, corn, etc.) without cutting into farmland already used for food production. To make matters worse, bioplastic feedstocks can have a significant water footprint, and growing feedstocks like sugarcane could lead to more deforestation in tropical regions and countries like Brazil. However, recent developments in the world of vertical farming could make this less of an issue. Still, if we hope to truly make durable bioplastics as viable as they could be, we will need to start curbing the demand for plastics overall. With less demand, the market will be in a far better place to meet demand with more contained impacts to the environment. How do we reduce the demand for plastic? It will be an uphill battle given that we manufacture approximately 300 million tons of plastics every year across the world, but I believe it can be done. We can take the legislative approach and pressure our political leaders to ban particular plastic materials and products, and to support extended producer responsibility legislation. An educational approach may also work--if sustainability leaders, educators, environmental activists and social entrepreneurs collaborate to engage with consumers, motivating individuals to make more sustainable purchasing decisions may not be as hard as we think. So the next time you see a plastic labeled "biodegradable," think twice before falling for the marketing. They sound great, but the sustainability claims remain questionable. On the other hand, durable bioplastics we can recirculate through the consumption and production cycle over and over again present us with a unique, far "greener" opportunity. Who knows, one day we may be able to remove petroleum from the plastic equation entirely.

Cigarette butts are one of the most common kinds of litter, found everywhere from land to waterways. The tobacco and paper in them will break down, so those can be composted. But the filters contain a plastic, and that can take years to decompose. Yet if the butts are carefully processed, the cellulose acetate can be used to make things such as park benches and pallets. Recycling companies like TerraCycle are also refining their processing methods to create higher-end plastic products.  

It was a long and exciting year in the world of sustainability, but the time to refresh and start anew is now upon us. This year, let’s all promise to refocus our efforts throughout 2016 to make our homes, communities, and the planet a better, cleaner, more sustainable place. To get started, here are five New Year’s resolutions for the TreeHuggers and eco-minded individuals out there.

Start recycling right

Recycling properly requires more than just stuffing your recycling bin to the brim with every material imaginable. Sometimes knowing what NOT to throw into the blue bin is equally, if not more important than recycling higher volumes of material. At a materials recovery facility (MRF), contamination can occur when garbage and other non-recyclables accidentally enter the recycling stream. This can diminish the quality of a recycled end-product, sometimes reducing its marketability entirely. And as we know is the case in our current recycling infrastructure, if there’s less of an economic incentive to recycle, less recycling will occur. To maintain the quality of the recycling stream, be sure you know exactly what your municipality accepts and does not accept for recycling. A call to the local recycling center or quick Google search of your municipality’s recycling program is often all you will need to do. You might be surprised to learn what your local recycling program won’t accept. In many regions, MRFs won’t even accept recyclables that have been bound in plastic wrap or film (such as cardboard), and they will be sent to landfill. Other potentially non-recyclable materials to look out for are coffee capsules (coffee grounds are a contamination risk, and capsules are often too small to process), plastic bottles with residual product (e.g. a half-filled shampoo bottle), and paper coffee cups (most are lined with a thin layer of plastic, which is difficult to recycle). Be wary of products or packaging made with plastics #5 or #6 as well, as many regions still will not accept them for recycling.

Change your purchasing habits

It’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but changing the way we buy things could help bring an end to our increasingly unsustainable disposable society. Stay away from anything designed for a single-use by purchasing higher quality, more durable items that will last many years: rechargeable batteries, woven totes instead of plastic grocery bags, metal cutlery and ceramic dishware, refillable water bottles—wherever you can make the switch, go durable. Keep an eye out for excessive product packaging as well, and choose products from brands that limit their use of packaging as much as possible. It’s not uncommon to see products in as many as two, three, even four layers of packaging where only one (or none!) would have sufficed. For instance, instead of shrink-wrapped produce and prepackaged supermarket convenience foods, go local and buy loose produce from a nearby farmer’s market. Better yet, buy your basic cooking staples in bulk and make more home-cooked meals. Finally, see where a product was manufactured before making a purchase. While it can certainly be a challenge in a world where most products are produced cheaply overseas, stick to those produced domestically at every opportunity.

Repair and reuse

Complacency abounds in our consumption-driven society. Why fix or reuse something you own when it can be endlessly replaced at little cost? Of course, the repercussions of this destructive, entirely unsustainable mindset are all around us. Learn to fix what you own and fight that urge to toss broken products into the trash. If you need some direction, check out iFixit’s vast collection of repair tutorials for nearly every product imaginable. If you need to replace something altogether, go the reuse route by buying secondhand: Craigslist, thrift stores, The Freecycle Network, Etsy and word-of-mouth are all great ways to get your hands on lightly used products at little or no cost.

Demand extended producer responsibility legislation

Write to your local political leaders and state representatives, demanding that they start taking comprehensive extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation seriously. Individuals can only do so much to reduce our dependence on landfilling and waste incineration. EPR legislation, like those we see across parts of Europe, shifts the responsibility away from consumers and back to product companies and manufacturers themselves. The potential here is huge—products designed for reuse, repair or recycling instead of linear disposal; higher quality products that last for many uses; greater accountability and transparency in the corporate world; and a strengthened recycling infrastructure. Get your representative’s attention and demand that they push for EPR legislation sooner rather than later.

Look beyond the garbage can

Finally, don’t let yourself fall victim to a disposable mindset, and think twice before throwing a potentially useful item into the trash. A particularly relevant cliché comes to mind: the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. This truly is the case with waste, and all it takes is a change in perspective. Give waste a second life by becoming an avid upcycler, no matter how simple your upcycling project is. If you need some ideas, at TerraCycle we have plenty of Do-It-Yourself upcycling projects that you and your family can do at home.

A renegade gel top found on a recent trail run prompted a manifesto about reducing accidental top drops. My penchant for reducing waste increased when I learned about TerraCycle—not surprising given my history with recycling.  I’ve been known to pull recyclables out of the garbage to save them from their inevitable landfill death. I pick up trash in my neighborhood and recycle what I can. I’d rather forfeit a PR than run past trail trash. For years, I’ve been taking non-curbside recyclables to a community recycling processor. Since my local drop-off center doesn’t accept everything, spotting that gel top was what you might call a fortunate accident because it led me to TerraCycle. TerraCycle is an upcycling and recycling company with an innovative solution to waste. The New Jersey-based company collects difficult-to-recycle packaging and repurposes the material into new products. The operation is organized into brigades or categories, such as candy wrappers, personal care products, and other miscellaneous packaging. Many of the brigades are corporate sponsored, but all are brand agnostic; any brand’s packaging can go into a brigade. Athletes should rejoice to learn their used gels and wrappers’ life doesn’t have to end at the finish line, but can keep moving forward thanks to TerraCycle’s gel packaging and energy bar wrapper brigades (this is how ultrarunner Scott Jurek reduced waste during his 2,189-mile run on the Appalachian Trail this past summer). The programs are free to participants thanks to sponsorship from GU Energy Labs and CLIF Bar, respectively. I recently caught up with Albe Zakes, TerraCycle’s Global VP of Communications, to learn more about the company and how my used gels get a second chance at life. How did TerraCycle start? The company was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, a Princeton University college dropout. At a time when many of his peers were developing apps and websites to get rich quickly, Tom chose a different path. A social entrepreneur at heart, he wanted a business that could make money but also benefit the planet. The result was an organic fertilizer product made from liquified “worm poop” packaged in used soda bottles (recycled bottles were used because he couldn’t afford to buy new ones). In 2007, the company shifted its business model to tackle the roughly three billion product packages that annually end up in the landfill. What happens to my gels and other wrappers? Everything comes to TerraCycle’s headquarters in New Jersey for separation and then is sent to a processing facility where items are melted into tiny plastic pellets—the raw material to create common household products. Your gels and other packaging are transformed into trendy bags, stylish outdoor furniture, or playground surfaces, among other things. Is there a cost to participate? No, there is no cost to participate. Shipping your brigade back to TerraCycle is easy and free (but you do need to use your own box). You can download a pre-paid UPS shipping label from our website. Not only does TerraCycle pay shipping costs, but we also make a donation to a nonprofit organization for each brigade collection we receive. Alternatively, you can choose to redeem points to make a donation to your favorite nonprofit. So, by sending TerraCycle my gel packages, I’m doing additional good? Yes. The donation amount is determined by weight; typically, a point donation per unit of waste we receive. You can redeem points to donate money to schools or our nonprofit partners, such as the Arbor Day Foundation, Covenant House, and Feeding America. To date, over $12 million dollars has been donated to schools and nonprofits. Do the wrappers and packaging need to be clean? No, but please remove as much of the remaining product as possible before shipping your box back (for gels and energy bar wrappers this shouldn’t be an issue). Can I comingle my items? No, brigades cannot be combined, but you can join as many brigades as you want. Are there any drop off locations? Not currently. We’ve been piloting public drop-off locations and plan to roll out a program to select local markets this year. We’re interested in partnering with local running and biking stores. What’s your favorite part about working at TerraCycle? I get to work with young, energetic people who are passionate about sustainability and making a difference in the world—innovative minds who are full of ideas and are excited to come to work every day. We have hundreds of schools participating in our programs—kids are learning a valuable lesson about waste prevention and that a business can be profitable while also doing good. TerraCycle is creating the next generation of social entrepreneurs and making a positive impact for future generations. TerraCycle is revolutionizing the waste industry and with revenue of $20 million a year, it’s clear the company has proven there’s value in garbage and is meeting its mission to “eliminate the idea of waste.” Even the company’s headquarters is made from garbage.

Students at Prairie Winds Elementary School in Monument have done it again. The school in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 is a top collector of energy bar wrappers for TerraCycle. The Trenton, N.J.-based company re-purposes hard-to-reuse waste, such as potato chip bags, coffee capsules and cigarette butts, into office supplies, cleaning products, purses and other products. Prairie Winds students recycled 10,700 foil-lined wrappers from energy bars. TerraCycle and contest sponsor Larabar recently recognized the school for its efforts. Parent Barb Sailer helped start the recycling program at Prairie Winds three years ago. Everyone in the school is encouraged to recycle all kinds of discarded items, using bins set up at key locations. Last spring, the school was a regional contest winner for collecting 2,579 Entenmann's Little Bites muffin bags. In the past, students donated their points to support a Yellowstone National Park project and an organization that helps fight hunger. This year, the students' work will benefit an organization that educates people about climate change and how to reduce their carbon footprint. "This recycling program allows us to help others and starts the conversation for why that matters," Sailer said.

Students at Prairie Winds Elementary School in Monument have done it again. The school in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 is a top collector of energy bar wrappers for TerraCycle. The Trenton, N.J.-based company repurposes hard-to-reuse waste, such as potato chip bags, coffee capsules and cigarette butts, into office supplies, cleaning products, purses and other products. Prairie Winds students recycled 10,700 foil-lined wrappers from energy bars. TerraCycle and contest sponsor Larabar recently recognized the school for its efforts. TerraCycle offers free recycling programs for schools, organizations and individuals. For every piece of waste sent to TerraCycle, collectors earn points that can be redeemed as a donation to the nonprofit or school of their choice. Parent Barb Sailer helped start the recycling program at Prairie Winds three years ago. Everyone in the school is encouraged to recycle all kinds of discarded items, using bins set up at key locations. Last spring, the school was a regional contest winner for collecting 2,579 Entenmann's Little Bites muffin bags. In the past, students donated their points to support a Yellowstone National Park project and an organization that helps fight hunger. This year, the students' work will benefit an organization that educates people about climate change and how to reduce their carbon footprint. "This recycling program allows us to help others and starts the conversation for why that matters," Sailer said.

Have you ever wondered what happens when you recycle a potato chip bag? That bag could be turned into the next 3D-printed trinket. New York-based 3D Brooklyn has teamed up with TerraCycle to transform recycled potato chip bags into 3D printer filament—an excellent step in the right direction to slowing the world’s massive waste issue. The innovative company has also begun selling their mix of 80% recycled polypropylene / 20% recycled polyethylene online.

Audubon Elementary School students in Foster City helped keep garbage out of local landfills by participating in a program which encouraged recycling their lunchtime waste. Local students recycled 1,441 empty apple sauce pouches through participation in a corporate partnership between garbage company TerraCycle and GoGoSqueez, which encourages environmentally conscious consumption. Since signing up for the program, Audubon Elementary School students have recycled 3,278 pouches, which can be redeemed for charity gifts or cash donations.

As Chief Design Junkie at TerraCycle, Tiffany Threadgould has a unique job description: transform trash into treasure. “TerraCycle runs programs where we collect hard-to-recycle materials. So, things that don’t go into your regular municipal recycling,” she explained. Items like toothbrushes, granola bar wrappers, and drink pouches, that may contain a blend of various plastics or have multiple layers. “We have two solutions for the waste that comes in,” Threadgould said. “One is upcycling and one is recycling.” Threadgould is one of the creative minds behind the upcycling efforts. She helps develop items for sale like Capri Sun pouch backpacks, circuit board coasters and bicycle chain picture frames. I stopped by for easy-to-make holiday gift ideas, and her thoughts on where to start with sustainable materials. “Look to the potential of what you’re getting rid of,” said Threadgould. “Like something that you would normally throw away, take a look at it again, and think about the qualities that it has and preserve those qualities in the next life.” For example, turn wine corks into a cork board. “Would you take an old frame that you have lying around the house, and paint something like this?” I ask. “Yeah, you can use one type of spray paint to go around the outside edge, that’s really easy, and then a whole bunch of wine corks,” said Threadgould. “You want to make sure they’re a similar thickness, and then you can use an industrial glue like you can get at a craft store or a hardware store.” “What was this originally?” I ask picking up a tray. “So, this was an old picture frame and old hardware from a dresser that I had,” she said. “So that’s what the handles are on the outside edge. I put some colorful cardboard on the inside and arranged it in a way that I liked, and then you’ve got this new serving tray.” She adds, “The glass goes back on, and that’s what protects the cardboard underneath, and then you can use it for the holidays.” “This is a project you can make out of an old glassware that you were going to recycle, but it has some kind of a memento quality still to it,” Threadgould says about a glass lantern. “So basically just taping it off and adding an acrylic frosted spray paint to it, and then you take that off and you have this luminary, where you take a wick that you can also get at a craft store, an old hardware washer, you put oil inside, and you can light it.” Threadgould says it’s actually gift wrapping where she most enjoys showing off the art of upcycling. “Why buy new gift wrap? You can reuse things from around your house,” she said. “I cut this out from an old cereal bag. Basically, you just need a paper fastener, and some scissors. I have the holes all pre-punched, so you have holes punched on each end and in the center, an then you can spread it out and you have a little gift bow.” Tutorials for this and other do-it-yourself projects are available on the TerraCycle website. Threadgould says anyone can be a designer. When it comes to upcycling projects, there are no such things as mistakes — only opportunities for something old to be transformed into something new.