As global vice president of brand partnerships at TerraCycle, Michael Waas is responsible for programs that recycle traditionally non-recyclable waste streams in 21 countries, engage tens of millions of consumers, and have diverted billions of pieces of waste.

It felt like it would never end. But, at long last, the curtain is closing on 12 extraordinary months that were strange and unprecedented, to say the least. The conversation certainly was vibrant. In January, Procter & Gamble, TerraCycle and Suez joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the circular economy think tank, at a World Economic Forum panel in Davos to talk about a plan to increase plastics recycling to 70 percent within three years; it’s currently around 14 percent.

Projects by Coca-Cola, McCormick and Procter & Gamble led our top sustainable packaging articles of the year, with some of the highest page views of all stories posted this year on PackagingDigest.com. P&G partnered with TerraCycle and Suez, the largest waste management company in Europe, “to source, develop and put out the first fully recyclable shampoo bottle made from up to 25% beach plastic for the world’s #1 shampoo brand, Head & Shoulders,” says Tom Szaky, TerraCycle’s founder/CEO and article author.

Regenerative agriculture as a means of offsetting environmental impact, the benefits of space-efficient farming, and how plant-based and so-called clean meat can improve food security, human health, and the planet, are among the thought-provoking innovations the food industry is shaping. Michael Waas, global vice president for brand partnerships for Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle, which helps eliminate waste by collecting and finding ways to recycle waste that can’t be recycled today, is also approaching sustainability in a unique way.

In the world we live in right now, conflicts rise left and right. Problems keep on popping out, and people fight over almost anything and everything these days. The corporation also established collaborative relationships with other environmental organizations such as TerraCycle and SUEZ with the intention of bringing advancements on the aspect of sustainable packaging.

Here’s things modern consumers like: efficacy, forward-thinking products, and a clean-living back-story to their brands. Procter & Gamble kick-started the year teaming up with TerraCycle and Suez to announce its new recyclable Head & Shoulders shampoo bottle made from beach plastic, said to be a world-first. Such was the success of this creation that P&G received the United Nation’s Momentum for Change award in the Planetary Health category in October this year.

Le géant américain répond aux doutes des consommateurs sur l'innocuité des produits de ménage. Démonstration avec deux best-sellers le désodorisant d'ambiance Fébrèze et l'attrape poussière Swiffer.

While the debate continues over who is "responsible" for making plastic material more recyclable, and more valuable, brands and companies can take initiative in using less and committing to research. Recently, the U.N. recognized a partnership between TerraCycle, Procter & Gamble and Suez that has made recyclable shampoo bottles using the material. This is especially relevant as the recycling industry grapples with China's changing import policies. There is widespread agreement that recycling in the U.S. needs to change — which is especially true with strict contamination standards coming into force in a matter of months.