By Helen Carefoot July 9, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT   As the novel coronavirus pandemic rages across the United States, some states have temporarily reversed eco-friendly measures, such as plastic bag bans, to protect both workers and customers, and some consumers have turned to disposable products, such as plastic gloves and utensils, to reduce the sharing of common surfaces. But it’s still possible to practice green habits without compromising your health, experts say.   It’s hard to measure how the pandemic has affected the environment in real time, but a pressing issue for environmental groups is the potential waste being produced by more people using single-use items, such as disinfecting wipes and paper towels. In addition to bleach and alcohol, soap and water works on surfaces, said Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health; for a reusable option, launder towels and rags used for cleaning in warm water with soap. Cloth face coverings should be laundered regularly, too.   Darby Hoover, a senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on food waste initiatives, said the challenges of balancing safety and sustainability will continue as more businesses reopen. “The business sector has produced much less waste, but we need to make sure we don’t lose momentum,” she said, noting that most waste is created by businesses, not consumers. She supports measures recommended by public health experts, and she said overall that the lifestyle changes prompted by stay-at-home orders, such as cooking at home, have brought about positive changes in how people are consuming and acquiring goods. “People are cooking from scratch and contributing to their overall health and producing less waste,” she said. Composting, cooking at home and buying ingredients in bulk are all sustainable practices that she recommends.   John Mills, an associate hospital epidemiologist at the University of Michigan’s academic medical center who has been treating coronavirus patients, is frustrated by some of the waste he has seen, such as increased use of plastic utensils (he says proper hand-washing will do more to prevent virus spread than using disposables), but he supports and encourages measures that minimize touch points between people and that protect workers. He said measures such as banning reusable bags in stores are good for now, because they provide extra protection for workers who bag groceries. He likes his local grocery’s policy of having customers bag their own groceries, which allows them to use reusable totes instead of plastic bags. “That way, the store employee doesn’t need to worry that you’ve done the cleaning,” he said.   On a larger scale, though, Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, a private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recycle products, worries about a global drop in recycling. Falling oil prices and restrictions on what materials can be recycled, he said, could affect recycling companies’ bottom line. (Many companies have limited what they accept to protect workers in the short term, which Szaky supports.) “It’s not going to make recycling go away, but it’s going to make it way less capable.” Companies that have made commitments to pivot to recycled packing will have a tougher time meeting those goals with these conditions, he said.   Recycling personal protective equipment, such as the disposable masks and gloves that have ended up on streets and in landfills, is another challenge going forward, Szaky and Hoover said. “We need to figure out how to recycle them in a way that keeps people safe,” Hoover said.   Despite these obstacles, Szaky has seen sustained interest from both companies and individuals in keeping commitments to the environment. “As we come out of this, I think people are going to be looking to bring their own personal solution, and maybe some of the behaviors they got out of covid,” such as gardening or cooking at home, he said. He encourages consumers to look for products that can be recycled locally or that have some form of take-back program, and to look for products that can be reused.   Lauren Singer, author of the blog Trash is for Tossers and founder of Package Free, a company that sells sustainably made home and body products, is known for living a “zero-waste lifestyle.” Despite growing a following by forgoing packaged goods as much as possible, Singer said falling ill before New York enacted its stay-at-home order (and living in the city during Hurricane Sandy) informed her decision to stock up on products she normally wouldn’t, such as canned goods and freezable items, to minimize trips to the store. She encourages consumers to do what they can to reduce waste but to put their safety first. “First and foremost, your basic needs have to be met,” she said. She still keeps up with other habits, such as using reusable glass containers, composting food scraps and making her own toothpaste and deodorant using baking soda.   Both Murray and Lona Mody, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, say good public health practice and policy go hand in hand with environmentalism. The pandemic and the conditions that may have exacerbated it, Murray said, are a chance to reimagine infrastructure and systems that create conditions for viruses to thrive, such as crowded public transportation. Disease changes habits, and some cities have already adopted measures, such as cutting streets off to cars to allow more space for walking, biking or eating outdoors, that are also environmentally beneficial. “It’s a good time for us to be conscious. Doing the right thing for public health is usually the right thing for the earth,” Mody said.  

By Helen Carefoot July 9, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT   As the novel coronavirus pandemic rages across the United States, some states have temporarily reversed eco-friendly measures, such as plastic bag bans, to protect both workers and customers, and some consumers have turned to disposable products, such as plastic gloves and utensils, to reduce the sharing of common surfaces. But it’s still possible to practice green habits without compromising your health, experts say.   It’s hard to measure how the pandemic has affected the environment in real time, but a pressing issue for environmental groups is the potential waste being produced by more people using single-use items, such as disinfecting wipes and paper towels. In addition to bleach and alcohol, soap and water works on surfaces, said Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health; for a reusable option, launder towels and rags used for cleaning in warm water with soap. Cloth face coverings should be laundered regularly, too.   Darby Hoover, a senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on food waste initiatives, said the challenges of balancing safety and sustainability will continue as more businesses reopen. “The business sector has produced much less waste, but we need to make sure we don’t lose momentum,” she said, noting that most waste is created by businesses, not consumers. She supports measures recommended by public health experts, and she said overall that the lifestyle changes prompted by stay-at-home orders, such as cooking at home, have brought about positive changes in how people are consuming and acquiring goods. “People are cooking from scratch and contributing to their overall health and producing less waste,” she said. Composting, cooking at home and buying ingredients in bulk are all sustainable practices that she recommends.   John Mills, an associate hospital epidemiologist at the University of Michigan’s academic medical center who has been treating coronavirus patients, is frustrated by some of the waste he has seen, such as increased use of plastic utensils (he says proper hand-washing will do more to prevent virus spread than using disposables), but he supports and encourages measures that minimize touch points between people and that protect workers. He said measures such as banning reusable bags in stores are good for now, because they provide extra protection for workers who bag groceries. He likes his local grocery’s policy of having customers bag their own groceries, which allows them to use reusable totes instead of plastic bags. “That way, the store employee doesn’t need to worry that you’ve done the cleaning,” he said.   On a larger scale, though, Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, a private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recycle products, worries about a global drop in recycling. Falling oil prices and restrictions on what materials can be recycled, he said, could affect recycling companies’ bottom line. (Many companies have limited what they accept to protect workers in the short term, which Szaky supports.) “It’s not going to make recycling go away, but it’s going to make it way less capable.” Companies that have made commitments to pivot to recycled packing will have a tougher time meeting those goals with these conditions, he said.   Recycling personal protective equipment, such as the disposable masks and gloves that have ended up on streets and in landfills, is another challenge going forward, Szaky and Hoover said. “We need to figure out how to recycle them in a way that keeps people safe,” Hoover said.   Despite these obstacles, Szaky has seen sustained interest from both companies and individuals in keeping commitments to the environment. “As we come out of this, I think people are going to be looking to bring their own personal solution, and maybe some of the behaviors they got out of covid,” such as gardening or cooking at home, he said. He encourages consumers to look for products that can be recycled locally or that have some form of take-back program, and to look for products that can be reused.   Lauren Singer, author of the blog Trash is for Tossers and founder of Package Free, a company that sells sustainably made home and body products, is known for living a “zero-waste lifestyle.” Despite growing a following by forgoing packaged goods as much as possible, Singer said falling ill before New York enacted its stay-at-home order (and living in the city during Hurricane Sandy) informed her decision to stock up on products she normally wouldn’t, such as canned goods and freezable items, to minimize trips to the store. She encourages consumers to do what they can to reduce waste but to put their safety first. “First and foremost, your basic needs have to be met,” she said. She still keeps up with other habits, such as using reusable glass containers, composting food scraps and making her own toothpaste and deodorant using baking soda.   Both Murray and Lona Mody, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, say good public health practice and policy go hand in hand with environmentalism. The pandemic and the conditions that may have exacerbated it, Murray said, are a chance to reimagine infrastructure and systems that create conditions for viruses to thrive, such as crowded public transportation. Disease changes habits, and some cities have already adopted measures, such as cutting streets off to cars to allow more space for walking, biking or eating outdoors, that are also environmentally beneficial. “It’s a good time for us to be conscious. Doing the right thing for public health is usually the right thing for the earth,” Mody said.  

By Helen Carefoot July 9, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT   As the novel coronavirus pandemic rages across the United States, some states have temporarily reversed eco-friendly measures, such as plastic bag bans, to protect both workers and customers, and some consumers have turned to disposable products, such as plastic gloves and utensils, to reduce the sharing of common surfaces. But it’s still possible to practice green habits without compromising your health, experts say.   It’s hard to measure how the pandemic has affected the environment in real time, but a pressing issue for environmental groups is the potential waste being produced by more people using single-use items, such as disinfecting wipes and paper towels. In addition to bleach and alcohol, soap and water works on surfaces, said Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health; for a reusable option, launder towels and rags used for cleaning in warm water with soap. Cloth face coverings should be laundered regularly, too.   Darby Hoover, a senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on food waste initiatives, said the challenges of balancing safety and sustainability will continue as more businesses reopen. “The business sector has produced much less waste, but we need to make sure we don’t lose momentum,” she said, noting that most waste is created by businesses, not consumers. She supports measures recommended by public health experts, and she said overall that the lifestyle changes prompted by stay-at-home orders, such as cooking at home, have brought about positive changes in how people are consuming and acquiring goods. “People are cooking from scratch and contributing to their overall health and producing less waste,” she said. Composting, cooking at home and buying ingredients in bulk are all sustainable practices that she recommends.   John Mills, an associate hospital epidemiologist at the University of Michigan’s academic medical center who has been treating coronavirus patients, is frustrated by some of the waste he has seen, such as increased use of plastic utensils (he says proper hand-washing will do more to prevent virus spread than using disposables), but he supports and encourages measures that minimize touch points between people and that protect workers. He said measures such as banning reusable bags in stores are good for now, because they provide extra protection for workers who bag groceries. He likes his local grocery’s policy of having customers bag their own groceries, which allows them to use reusable totes instead of plastic bags. “That way, the store employee doesn’t need to worry that you’ve done the cleaning,” he said.   On a larger scale, though, Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, a private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recycle products, worries about a global drop in recycling. Falling oil prices and restrictions on what materials can be recycled, he said, could affect recycling companies’ bottom line. (Many companies have limited what they accept to protect workers in the short term, which Szaky supports.) “It’s not going to make recycling go away, but it’s going to make it way less capable.” Companies that have made commitments to pivot to recycled packing will have a tougher time meeting those goals with these conditions, he said.   Recycling personal protective equipment, such as the disposable masks and gloves that have ended up on streets and in landfills, is another challenge going forward, Szaky and Hoover said. “We need to figure out how to recycle them in a way that keeps people safe,” Hoover said.   Despite these obstacles, Szaky has seen sustained interest from both companies and individuals in keeping commitments to the environment. “As we come out of this, I think people are going to be looking to bring their own personal solution, and maybe some of the behaviors they got out of covid,” such as gardening or cooking at home, he said. He encourages consumers to look for products that can be recycled locally or that have some form of take-back program, and to look for products that can be reused.   Lauren Singer, author of the blog Trash is for Tossers and founder of Package Free, a company that sells sustainably made home and body products, is known for living a “zero-waste lifestyle.” Despite growing a following by forgoing packaged goods as much as possible, Singer said falling ill before New York enacted its stay-at-home order (and living in the city during Hurricane Sandy) informed her decision to stock up on products she normally wouldn’t, such as canned goods and freezable items, to minimize trips to the store. She encourages consumers to do what they can to reduce waste but to put their safety first. “First and foremost, your basic needs have to be met,” she said. She still keeps up with other habits, such as using reusable glass containers, composting food scraps and making her own toothpaste and deodorant using baking soda.   Both Murray and Lona Mody, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, say good public health practice and policy go hand in hand with environmentalism. The pandemic and the conditions that may have exacerbated it, Murray said, are a chance to reimagine infrastructure and systems that create conditions for viruses to thrive, such as crowded public transportation. Disease changes habits, and some cities have already adopted measures, such as cutting streets off to cars to allow more space for walking, biking or eating outdoors, that are also environmentally beneficial. “It’s a good time for us to be conscious. Doing the right thing for public health is usually the right thing for the earth,” Mody said.

  By Helen Carefoot July 9, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT   As the novel coronavirus pandemic rages across the United States, some states have temporarily reversed eco-friendly measures, such as plastic bag bans, to protect both workers and customers, and some consumers have turned to disposable products, such as plastic gloves and utensils, to reduce the sharing of common surfaces. But it’s still possible to practice green habits without compromising your health, experts say.   It’s hard to measure how the pandemic has affected the environment in real time, but a pressing issue for environmental groups is the potential waste being produced by more people using single-use items, such as disinfecting wipes and paper towels. In addition to bleach and alcohol, soap and water works on surfaces, said Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health; for a reusable option, launder towels and rags used for cleaning in warm water with soap. Cloth face coverings should be laundered regularly, too.   Darby Hoover, a senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on food waste initiatives, said the challenges of balancing safety and sustainability will continue as more businesses reopen. “The business sector has produced much less waste, but we need to make sure we don’t lose momentum,” she said, noting that most waste is created by businesses, not consumers. She supports measures recommended by public health experts, and she said overall that the lifestyle changes prompted by stay-at-home orders, such as cooking at home, have brought about positive changes in how people are consuming and acquiring goods. “People are cooking from scratch and contributing to their overall health and producing less waste,” she said. Composting, cooking at home and buying ingredients in bulk are all sustainable practices that she recommends.   John Mills, an associate hospital epidemiologist at the University of Michigan’s academic medical center who has been treating coronavirus patients, is frustrated by some of the waste he has seen, such as increased use of plastic utensils (he says proper hand-washing will do more to prevent virus spread than using disposables), but he supports and encourages measures that minimize touch points between people and that protect workers. He said measures such as banning reusable bags in stores are good for now, because they provide extra protection for workers who bag groceries. He likes his local grocery’s policy of having customers bag their own groceries, which allows them to use reusable totes instead of plastic bags. “That way, the store employee doesn’t need to worry that you’ve done the cleaning,” he said.   On a larger scale, though, Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, a private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recycle products, worries about a global drop in recycling. Falling oil prices and restrictions on what materials can be recycled, he said, could affect recycling companies’ bottom line. (Many companies have limited what they accept to protect workers in the short term, which Szaky supports.) “It’s not going to make recycling go away, but it’s going to make it way less capable.” Companies that have made commitments to pivot to recycled packing will have a tougher time meeting those goals with these conditions, he said.   Recycling personal protective equipment, such as the disposable masks and gloves that have ended up on streets and in landfills, is another challenge going forward, Szaky and Hoover said. “We need to figure out how to recycle them in a way that keeps people safe,” Hoover said.   Despite these obstacles, Szaky has seen sustained interest from both companies and individuals in keeping commitments to the environment. “As we come out of this, I think people are going to be looking to bring their own personal solution, and maybe some of the behaviors they got out of covid,” such as gardening or cooking at home, he said. He encourages consumers to look for products that can be recycled locally or that have some form of take-back program, and to look for products that can be reused.   Lauren Singer, author of the blog Trash is for Tossers and founder of Package Free, a company that sells sustainably made home and body products, is known for living a “zero-waste lifestyle.” Despite growing a following by forgoing packaged goods as much as possible, Singer said falling ill before New York enacted its stay-at-home order (and living in the city during Hurricane Sandy) informed her decision to stock up on products she normally wouldn’t, such as canned goods and freezable items, to minimize trips to the store. She encourages consumers to do what they can to reduce waste but to put their safety first. “First and foremost, your basic needs have to be met,” she said. She still keeps up with other habits, such as using reusable glass containers, composting food scraps and making her own toothpaste and deodorant using baking soda.   Both Murray and Lona Mody, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, say good public health practice and policy go hand in hand with environmentalism. The pandemic and the conditions that may have exacerbated it, Murray said, are a chance to reimagine infrastructure and systems that create conditions for viruses to thrive, such as crowded public transportation. Disease changes habits, and some cities have already adopted measures, such as cutting streets off to cars to allow more space for walking, biking or eating outdoors, that are also environmentally beneficial. “It’s a good time for us to be conscious. Doing the right thing for public health is usually the right thing for the earth,” Mody said.  

Open Farm Pet Food has just joined Loop, along with about 150 other brands that sell their products in reusable packaging via this online platform. The products are shipped direct to consumers; UPS picks up emptied packages and returns them to Loop to be sanitized then sent to manufacturers to reuse—sometimes upward of 100 times. Consumers pay a deposit that’s refunded once the package is returned. This new venture with Loop will be a good fit, surmises the Toronto-based pet food manufacturer that has in all its seven years prioritized sustainability. Doing so has taken some work; over 95% of pet food bags are considered unrecyclable. The company’s introduction to Loop was a result of its longstanding partnership with international recycler TerraCycle, who is Loop’s parent company and who has been taking emptied pet food bags from Open Farm customers and making new products from them. In five and a half years, over 260K of the bags have been diverted from landfills through this partnership. “We were working very closely with TerraCycle to engage in their recycling program, and when we found out about Loop, we were excited to take part in this pilot,” says Evan Shuster, vice president of Marketing for Open Farm.

Despite what many may think, the concept of sustainability is not new and has been evolving for decades. To some extent, the roots of sustainability were born with the conservation movement that was spearheaded by President Teddy Roosevelt, who worked hard to establish the national parks system. Since then, the focus of sustainability has grown to encompass an examination of just about all aspects of daily life and a search to find approaches, products and services that have a positive impact on the planet.  

Sustainability background and emergence of the circular economy

  Modern sustainability emerged in the mid to late 1980s with the publishing of a report titled “Our Common Future,” also known as the “Brundtland Report,” in 1987 by the UN’s World Commission for Environment and Development, chaired by former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The report defined the principle of sustainable development as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”   There was a period after the release of “Our Common Future” before the sustainability movement became a hot topic for the printing industry. The question about what is a “green printer” began in earnest in the mid 2000s and reached a crescendo near the end of the decade. In response, the printing industry created and launched the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (www.sgppartnership.org), an independent third-party certification program addressing sustainable print manufacturing.   During the last decade, sustainability in the print industry focused on the packaging and point-of-purchase displays market, with many print customers requiring their products to be both sustainable and manufactured in a sustainable fashion. Then, in 2018, a sustainable tsunami hit the world, with tremendous ramifications.   Two events focused targeted attention to the issue of sustainability. First, National Geographic launched a campaign to reduce waste from plastic products, such as single-use bags and straws, called “Planet or Plastics?” The National Geographic initiative not only included an awareness campaign about plastics pollution but also addressed investments in research programs and partnerships.   The second action, and perhaps the one that had the greatest impact, was China’s implementation of its Blue Sky program that set strict regulations about the scrap material imported into the country. Over the last decade, China has accepted a wide variety of wastes from many countries in the world – including the United States, Canada and Europe – for recycling. It only was able to use a small fraction of the material received, and the rest was either landfilled or left to accumulate. To combat the overwhelming amount of waste that could not be recycled, China outright prohibited certain materials from being imported, and for those they were willing to accept, it set an extremely low contamination rate of 0.5%. The targeted materials for ban included plastics, scrap paper, certain metals and textile materials. China continued to set bans around additional materials and may completely ban all materials.   This positive leap for China to achieve its national environmental health goals has caused major repercussions for the rest of the world. The ramifications for the US have been particularly impactful as approximately 40% of the total materials collected for recycling were being exported to China. While other countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Korea are willing to take some wastes, the amount they can process is not large enough to absorb what China was accepting. These countries, along with other Asian countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, have been closing their doors to these waste products.  

Push for a circular economy

  The actions taken by China and other countries highlighted the limitations of the linear economy. The linear economy is characterized by the take-make-dispose approach to producing products and services. This approach tends to consume finite resources to produce products which end up in landfills or incinerators. The launching of a new model was seen – the circular economy.   The circular approach, as envisioned by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system. The circular economy incorporates renewable energy and is based on three principles: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.   The illustration in Figure 1 offers a clear illustration of the differences in material flows between linear, reuse and circular economic models.   Achieving a circular economy is not an easy path to take as it is difficult to fully eliminate waste. Some products, such as those made from renewable resources, readily are adapted to the circular economy model while others are more challenging. There are many practical barriers to establishing a closed-loop economy. However, changes toward closed-loop or circular economy operations are achievable within specific sectors, companies or product categories.   One business strategy for closing the production-use-disposal scenario includes shifting from selling products that the consumer owns and eventually disposes of to providing a service with an agreement in which the products remain the responsibility of the manufacturer to repair, replace, refurbish or repurpose. This shift in ownership incentivizes the manufacturer to design for less waste, produce a more durable product and create loyalty with their customers.   For example, a recent assessment by Ricoh concluded that by 2050 there will be an insufficient supply of many virgin materials at a reasonable cost to support its manufacturing needs. As a result, Ricoh has revised its business model using life-cycle analysis as the basis for decision-making and establishing a series of “Resource Smart Solutions” for product design and manufacturing, re-use, collection, maintenance and materials recovery. Since the company owns 60% of what it sells, it can engage its customers in new business solutions derived from a circular economy approach.  

Government action

  Many argue that government intervention is needed to both encourage and instill a more sustainable environment. Several approaches have been proposed, using the circular economy model, to address reaching this goal. Approaches under consideration involve the imposition of mandates to use a specified amount of recycled materials in products, banning the use of certain products and implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. EPR programs are designed to shift the waste management cost or physical collection partially or fully from local governments to producers.   EPR as a concept is not new in the US, with almost every state having some type of producer responsibility laws covering consumer products such as automobile batteries, electronics, mobile phones, paint, pesticide containers, carpet, thermostats and pharmaceuticals. Several states have enacted landfill bans which have had an increasing positive impact on product recycling.   Packaging and paper have not escaped the grasp of EPR. Many provinces in Canada and many countries in the European Union have had EPR programs extending to packaging or printed paper for many years. So far, none have been enacted by a state or local government. However, that may soon change with the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and California.   Maine’s legislation has come the closest to being enacted. It was debated in this year’s legislative session, but failed to pass. Maine’s legislation would see producers with more than $1 million in annual gross revenue paying into a managed fund, with participating municipalities then eligible to be reimbursed for recycling and disposal costs. The costs imposed would be done on a sliding scale of how “readily recyclable” a material is and those that are difficult to recycle would be charged a higher fee. Unless there is a special session called, it will not be considered again until next year.   While there has been activity, virtually all government legislative and regulatory activity has occurred at the state and local level. The combination of the National Geographic focus on plastics, including ocean plastics, and China’s Blue Sky program and its ramifications spurred many state and local government entities to ban the use of certain types of plastic-based products.   Many states have implemented bans on plastic bags, plastic straws, polystyrene food containers and other single-use plastic products. Likewise, some corporations have initiated their own programs. A good example is several large hotel brands are eliminating the use of individually packed toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, etc. in guest rooms.   Some states have taken the approach of focusing on setting requirements for certain types of packaging. For example, California has established, through legislative action, a program that sets requirements for state-controlled food service packaging. This new program requires state-owned food service facilities, those operating on state-owned properties or those under contract to a state agency to dispense prepared food using food service packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable.  

Marketplace responses

  There are bright spots. Emerging trends around both the use and manufacturing of alternative substrates that are easier to recycle is on the rise. While there is a movement to increase infrastructure recycling using existing technology and new technologies such as chemical recycling, it will be some time before it comes online and sufficient capacity exists to relieve the downward pressure.   Some brands are shifting away from plastic to paper-based products. Several examples include using paper-based material to replace six-pack rings or the recent announcement by Procter & Gamble Beauty that it will start offering both Old Spice and Secret brand deodorants in all-paper, plastic-free, tube packaging. There is no mention if the paper tube is recyclable.   For textiles, there is movement to use cellulosic fibers, recycled poly, organic cotton and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton, which is a cotton sustainability program. For labels that are being used on PET-based containers, there is a move to use labels that are compatible with the recycling process and for other plastics, work is being done on polymers that are more compatible to both mechanical and chemical recycling.   It also is important to understand that, in addition to new substrates and recycling technologies, there are companies exploring reductions in packaging and package-free options. Lightweighting a package is not necessarily new, along with concentrating certain products to reduce package size. The new options being explored involve selling a single product where the package can be reused multiple times with the subsequent purchasing of super concentrated product that is reconstituted by the consumer.   A corollary to this approach is refillable packaging, where the consumer returns to the store to refill their individual container from bulk dispensing units. Package-free options already are being explored by smaller grocery stores where products are not sold prepackaged.  

How this impacts the printing industry

  For those facilities involved in packaging and labels, the sustainability and circular economy movement is real. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Target and Unilever have adopted sustainability goals related to the reduction of packaging materials. While attention has been focused on the use of plastics and packaging, increasing attention has been turning to the fashion industry. The drum beat to reduce the impact of “fast fashion” is increasing and getting louder every day. The effect is hitting both the products being produced for customers and the manufacturing operations.   The pressure on brands to address the waste associated with their products has been growing and will only continue to increase. A second, and possibly most important, impact of China’s Blue Sky program is felt around the country as municipalities have stopped or suspended local recycling programs.   With China no longer accepting most of the US-generated recycling, the market has disappeared. With the approaches that many brands and other companies are taking to address these issues, those that are producing products, packaging, labels and other supporting material need to understand they could have their businesses severely interrupted and threatened. Imagine the impact if someone’s primary business was producing packaging or labels and the company’s number one customer decided to offer its products as package free.   With the focus on textiles, packaging and paper waste increasing, printing operations need to become engaged on several fronts. They need to become educated about the changes occurring with respect to new substrates, advances in recycling technologies and recycling services, such as those offered by TerraCycle. This education provides the ability to offer solutions when requested by the customer.   Establish a dialog with customers to educate them about the current and future changes being driven by pressure from consumers, consumer groups, environmental organizations and government regulation. Given the economic pressures being applied to local municipal recycling programs, it is almost certain that there will be additional government regulation imposed on those that produce products, even if they are currently readily recyclable.   The benefit of having this type of dialogue is it allows the printing operation to gauge the understanding and options being considered by the customer. Customers are not monolithic. Some are proactive, while others will wait until circumstances dictate action on their part. If some of the ERP laws come to fruition, understanding the impact of various substrates and alternative options that are more readily recyclable would enable customers to pay less of a fee due to their ability to be recycled.   The education about the changing landscape also allows printing operations to understand the possible changes occurring and potential shifts by their customers to new substrates or the abandonment of current substrates. There are a host of issues that need to be considered, including performance, cost, printability, waste, etc. Understanding how to work with these new or “new to you” substrates will allow for a competitive advantage and allow for a fast response to changes in demands from customers.  

Conclusion

  The building of a circular economy is not going to be easy. There are many considerations that need to be evaluated as the linear model and the mindset associated with it will be difficult to transform. Nevertheless, the physical realities of the linear model have reached a tipping point as the world has quite simply run out of places to put the waste generated by modern society. Landfilling waste is not a solution as it is just long-term storage and more eloquent solutions are mandatory.   The path forward for many products is not clear. The key to expanding the circular economy is the engagement of consumers, business, academia and government to provide the demand and proper incentives to find solutions. With government now adopting circular economy legislation, more consumers demanding solutions and some brands adopting circular approaches across their value chain in order to mitigate reputational, supply chain, financial, environmental and regulatory risk, printing operations will need to adopt new business models that align with an emerging reality that discourages waste and encourages resource efficiency with design and innovation. This means they need to become more cost efficient, incorporate renewable technologies and resources, partner with like-minded suppliers and engage with emerging approaches to remain relevant and competitive.

22 summer camp activities you can do at home — from a '90s camp kid and mom of 2

  I went to sleepaway camp every summer from 1993 to 1999. Incidentally, those are also years in which the only screens in our house were a TV in the den, a countertop one in the kitchen so my mom could watch her stories, and, of course, the family computer.   Now it is — gulp — 20 years later, and I am working on my laptop while my daughter watches a movie projected onto the wall. The baby is napping, but I can check on him via the app we have installed on our iPad. That is one-third of the devices in our home.   Summer camp and screen time may not have coexisted during my '90s childhood, but they certainly do now. And while some parents may be considering virtual summer camp options, I'm taking this summer to reflect on my days in the sun, grass, and water, and help my kids take away some of the same things I did at camp as a kid: the importance of personal connections, how to be a team player, and the magic of the outdoors.   Amanda Kilton, a high school educator and former New London County 4-H Camp Director, said that now more than ever, kids need the chance to be kids. "Getting a little messy playing with your kids this summer can give them the benefits of camp while creating amazing memories and connections with you," she said. "As camp counselors across America and the world know, kids will take the lead from you (or maybe you should take the lead from them!) and experience all the joy of being in the moment."  

Here are 22 summer camp ideas for kids, including bunk time, campfire, outdoor, arts and crafts, and mess hall activities:

 

Market Study Report has recently added a report on Plastic Waste Management Services Market which provides a succinct analysis of the market size, revenue forecast, and the regional landscape of this industry. The report also highlights the major challenges and current growth strategies adopted by the prominent companies that are a part of the dynamic competitive spectrum of this business sphere.   The research report on Plastic Waste Management Services market provides a thorough assessment of this business vertical. As per the study, the market is predicted to accumulate significant revenues and showcase a substantial growth rate during the estimated timeframe.   Request a sample Report of Plastic Waste Management Services Market at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2752399   The document highlights the key industry trends while elaborating on the growth opportunities, sales volume, market size, and revenue estimations. Crucial insights pertaining to the growth avenues along with various market segmentations are described in the report.   The study also assesses the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the profitability matrix of the Plastic Waste Management Services market.   Citing the regional scope of the Plastic Waste Management Services market:   The report delivers a granular analysis of the geographical landscape of the Plastic Waste Management Services market and divides the same into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.  

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    Ask for Discount on Plastic Waste Management Services Market Report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2752399   The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:   Chapter 1, to describe Plastic Waste Management Services product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks. Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Plastic Waste Management Services , with price, sales, revenue and global market share of Plastic Waste Management Services in 2018 and 2020. Chapter 3, the Plastic Waste Management Services competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast. Chapter 4, the Plastic Waste Management Services breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue and growth by regions, from 2015 to 2020. Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2015 to 2020. Chapter 10 and 11, to segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2015 to 2020. Chapter 12, Plastic Waste Management Services market forecast, by regions, material and application, with sales and revenue, from 2020 to 2025. Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Plastic Waste Management Services sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.   The key questions answered in this report:  

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If you’re trying to avoid plastic and like sustainable fashion, then you’ve probably been taking a closer look at what your sunglasses are made of. And if they’re high quality, you might see the word “acetate.”   Acetate is used by eyewear companies because it’s a high-quality, beautifully glossy and transparent material with just the right amount of bend. You can even bring a pair of acetate frames to your local optician and they will gently bend them to fit your face better. You can’t do that with plastic.   You’ll find acetate in many conscious sunglasses brands – even ones that started out with other sustainable materials have incorporated acetate into their offerings. There’s cotton-based acetate in Proof eyewear, while Solo, Shwood, and Sticks & Sparrow have acetate/wood/bamboo combos. Dick Moby has recycled or bio-based acetate glasses. Modo says their Eco line is made from 63% renewable non-food oil, which is vague, but it might be acetate as well.   In fact, a lot of “sustainable” sunglass companies spend a lot of time crowing about their bamboo and then gloss right over the acetate part. Nothing to see here! Look over there! Trees! A charity program!   So, what is this mysterious acetate? How is it made? And will it biodegrade if it falls off your head into the ocean while you’re sailing? I myself had actually been confused about these questions for years, but I dug in to finally get some answers. What I found shocked me.  

What Is Acetate and How Is It Made?

  So what is acetate? It’s a cellulosic material, which makes it a close cousin to rayon viscose (which I’ve also done an explainer on – you should consider reading it if you haven’t yet and then come back to this). That means that it’s a semi-synthetic material. The base material is from plants (mostly tree pulp). It is processed in an industrial facility using a cocktail of acids to form a powder and then a melted goo that is either stretched into threads for fabric, formed into those squishy little filters that are found in cigarette butts, or molded into a plastic-like substance that can be formed into glasses frames.   Is acetate manufacturing polluting? Well, there’s even less information available about the toxicity of manufacturing acetate than there is for viscose, which is not a lot.   But there is this: all three ingredients– acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and sulfuric acid – needed for this process are highly corrosive and dangerous substances that can cause serious health problems if they come into contact with skin, are ingested, or are inhaled. Plus, some manufacturers add plasticizers, which can include the dreaded toxic phthalates.   It stands to reason if the acetate is made in a poorly regulated facility (say, in Asia) then the workers exposed to these fumes will suffer long-term health effects, and the waste, if dumped without purification, is toxic to marine life and the environment in general. But we just don’t know for sure, because to my knowledge, no watchdog group has picked up on this issue yet and done any sort of report.   If the acetate is expressly bio-acetate (plasticizer-free) and manufactured in a regulated environment (for example, Italy, under the European Union’s strict REACH chemical guidelines), then you can be fairly confident that the workers wear protective clothing, and there are proper ventilation systems and waste treatment set up.   The best manufacturer in this regard seems to be Mazzucchelli, in Italy. They also own acetate factories in China, and I want to assume that they manage those factories equally well. Check out the acetate manufacturing video they made:   I dug around websites and emailed all the sunglasses companies that market themselves as sustainable but don’t say anything about their acetate sourcing. One sustainable sunglasses company told me that their acetate is manufactured in the U.S., which would be great, except I couldn’t find any evidence of a U.S. acetate manufacturer, and then they said it’s assembled in China, and asked me not to tell you that. (That is shady AF! Definitely not promoting them to you.) Proof Eyewear sent me their code of conduct and said that they visit their Chinese frames manufacturer, but that their acetate is sourced from a variety of Chinese manufacturers. Sticks and Sparrow, Modo, and Solo all didn’t answer my emailed questions by press time.   When I emailed Pala, a sunglasses company that has a give-back program that funds eye care projects in Africa and sends you your glasses in a handmade pouch made from recycled plastic, they told me that their glasses are cut and molded in a SMETA-audited factory in China, with acetate from this factory. I have to give them props for being transparent with me. Even better, starting next month they will offer a style made from pre-consumer recycled acetate sourced from a Mazzucchelli-owned factory in China. In 2019, they will offer bio-acetate styles as well, mostly likely from Mazzucchelli’s Italian factory. [Update: the collection is now available!]   Dick Moby does the very best job in this respect, with a video of the whole process in the Italian factory of Mazzucchelli from cellulose powder to final product. (Watch the whole video; the final line made me LOL.) Some of their black acetate is even pre-consumer recycled acetate from the cutting floor of the factory. Article One, Shwood, and Finlay & Co. all share on their website that their acetate factory is Mazzucchelli as well.   So here’s a roundup of my favorite acetate pairs from the above honest sunglasses brands: