You've made the sweaty, possibly smelly, aluminum-expelling switch from an antiperspirant to natural deodorant. The hard part is over! However, if you made the switch to benefit the Earth as well as your 'pits, you should know: not all-natural deodorants are eco-friendly.  

If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either. Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages. Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product. “It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”

Whether you’re packing a school lunch, work lunch, or a quick snack at home, we all appreciate a bit of convenience to make the job easier. We’ll admit that many convenient snack foods have way too much packaging, but at least we don’t have to sacrifice nutrition with all of the options out there. Here are a few that we tried.

As COVID-19 continues to rear its head across the U.S., food and beverage manufacturing plants have had to alter the way they do business, shifting from foodservice and restaurant-focused products to retail goods while employing lots of new technology. As a result new suppliers to the industry have popped up as well, with products including handheld and walk-through temperature scanners, temporary outdoor structures to protect employees from harsh weather conditions as they wait for temperature checks, touchless door sensors and time clocks, and plexiglass partitions to keep employees safe both on the plant floor and in the cafeteria.   AIB International launched the Pandemic Prepared Certification, the first certification standard created for the food and beverage supply chain that elevates critical planning for people, facilities, and production. The company collaborated with government, academia, international agencies, and top brands to develop the standard for the following proficiency areas: Pandemic Crisis Management, Supply Chain Management, Intermittent Operations Planning Management, Health Crisis Mitigation Measures and Management, and Pre-Requisite Program Review. Learn more at www.aibinternational.com.   Nestlé has expanded its use of augmented reality (AR) technology to remotely support its production and R&D sites as well as connect with suppliers. The company and its suppliers are using remote assistance tools, including smart glasses, 360-deg cameras, and 3-D software, to work on complex projects at its facilities around the world. Nestlé has used these various AR technologies to set up or redesign production lines and carry out vital maintenance with suppliers.

Surgical face masks used by guests and staff at The Venetian in Las Vegas will be recycled in a newly launched program. Working with TerraCycle, The Las Vegas Sans. Corp. resort said it’s the first Las Vegas-based property to develop such a program. The masks recycled from The Venetian will be collected, separated, shredded, and turned into a raw material that can be used to make products such as composite lumber for shipping pallet, railroad ties and composite decking. The Venetian has been separating masks from other waste since its reopening on June 4 as part of its Sands ECO360 initiative. Surgical masks are not currently recycled through mainstream or curbside recycling programs because the recycling process is so complex. The masks are composed of various materials that need to be sorted and separated before recycling — including a metal nose strip, which requires a magnet to separate it.

Caring for a newborn is as grueling as it is rewarding, and with each passing year, the caregiving toolkit seems to grow exponentially bigger, with more and more baby gear. Features on car seats multiply, carriers become more intricate, monitorsmonitor more things via more devices at more times of day and night. Some are gimmicks, but some baby products really do make life easier. How’s a new parent to know the difference? With research. We’ve studied the brands, the reviews, the input of experts and parents to create our list of the very best of 2020’s new strollers, car seats, baby bottles, bassinets, and other gear that will ease your parenting journey and let you focus on the good stuff. Which is really what it’s all about.

Ocean plastic pollution is a nightmare. The more you read about ocean plastic waste, the more you realize how much you dispose of on a daily basis.Your bathroom is no exception to the rule and oftentimes leads you to discarding the same plastic items over and over. (I’m looking at you floss and toothpaste.) There is no singular solution for plastic pollution but these items will help curb it. Here are our top ten bathroom replacements to prevent ocean plastic waste:

Categorized by their regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a wide variety of items that require special handling fall under household hazardous waste (HHW). Commonly generated by consumers in small quantities, HHW includes batteries, fluorescent bulbs, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and items considered ignitable, reactive, corrosive or toxic. HHW is regulated on the state and local level due to their federal exclusion under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state and community programs collect it for many important benefits, including reducing risks to health and the environment that could result from improper storage or disposal through traditional municipal solid waste (MSW). These items can contaminate the air or groundwater, react or explode in waste compactors, or injure workers when discarded with other trash. Thus, HHW management and storage facilities that accumulate materials for recycling in larger quantities are challenged with minimizing liability, controlling costs, and designing operations that are both efficient and ensure workplace safety. At TerraCycle, we specialize in the recycling of traditionally non-recyclable items and helping businesses reduce waste. With the creation of our Regulated Waste division a few years ago, we’ve been able to help facilities across America improve results, save money, and protect the environment while providing EPA, OSHA, and ACGIH compliance.