In Tom Szaky’s vision of the new economy, nothing is garbage. Not cigarette butts. Not dirty diapers. Not even used tampons.

Staples Canada has released its first quarter sustainability update and environmental achievements. Highlights of the report include steady growth for many in-store recycling initiatives, including battery and writing instruments programs. "Our recycling programs and sustainability initiatives have started the year off on a strong note," said Leigh Pearson, director of facilities, environment and procurement at Staples Canada. "We are always looking for ways to help our customers and associates make a positive impact on the environment."

Following Earth Week, my children and I enjoyed doing plenty of fun activities that enabled hands-on learning about ways to be more green and the effects it will have on our planet. Recently, we sat together on a wobbly tree log in the middle of a local conservation trail where we have our daily walks, and then I remembered a quote that has always affected me but particularly in that moment as I sat watching my children collect rocks and sticks, basking in all the natural beauty:

We do not Inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow It from our children.

Realizing that it really is less complicated than we may think to be more green, I’ve compiled a list of 30 simple ways to help lead a more sustainable lifestyle.  After all, every day should be Earth Day.

30 Simple Ways to Lead a More Sustainable Life

(#14) Buy recycled pencils for the kids.  Smencils (gourmet scented recycled pencils) is a favourite in our home.  TerraCycle®, a recycling program partnered with Staples Canada is also a fantastic initiative! They provide a second life for used writing instruments and all you need to do is save your used writing instruments and recycle them at your nearest Staples store.  Learn more here: https://www.terracycle.ca.  

French environmental management giant Suez has bought 30 percent of TerraCycle’s operations in Europe. The acquisition will allow Suez to expand its recycling services for challenging materials in Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, the UK and Sweden. Earlier reports value a 30 percent stake in TerraCycle at about $30 million, the Telegraph reports. TerraCycles develops recycling collection systems for more than 100 hard-to-recycle waste streams. This includes disposable items, flexible packaging, office supplies, beauty products, toothpaste tubes, used coffee capsules and cigarette butts. The New Jersey-based firm partners with companies, brands and municipalities in more than 20 countries to implement recycling programs tailored to these post-consumer products and their packaging. For example, Staples sells TerraCycle’s “zero waste boxes,” which allow offices, factories and households to collect a range of items — candy and snack wrappers, cleaning supplies and accessories, writing utensils, e-waste and mailing, shipping and packaging supplies — and mail it back to TerraCycle to be recycled. TerraCycle says it currently works with about 60 million collectors. Suez, which focuses on waste management and water treatment around the globe, says the partnership will divert waste from landfills by reusing or recycling “even the most complex” waste.

You can also join one of TerraCycle’s many recycling programs for difficult-to-recycle waste streams, or check out our new premium recycling option called the Zero Waste Box. Simply go to Staples.com and purchase a box, fill it with the appropriate waste, and then ship your full box back to us for recycling.

Although more than half (53 percent) of small-business owners do not view climate change as a serious threat, the majority still embrace eco-friendly practices, according to a Manta survey of 1,174 small-business owners. The survey found 93 percent of owners believe sustainability is important to their business. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of owners say they try to reuse or donate items and 58 percent recycle.

The time to refresh and start anew for spring is upon us! As the flowers start blooming and the snow begins to melt away, let’s do our part for the planet in this time of renewal by learning new ways to reduce waste and live in harmony with the environment around us. There are plenty of easy ways to get started, and you can even save some money along the way.

At my company, TerraCycle, we’re always asking ourselves what the next recycling innovation we can bring to consumers might be. Our first answer came in the form of free consumer-facing collection and recycling programs (sponsored by major brands and consumer packaged goods companies) for pre- and post-consumer packaging waste streams. While this free model has seen a lot of success, our capacity to collect and recycle is limited by the funding we are able to secure from our sponsors. To solve for this economic gap and engage with even more consumers, we began asking ourselves a new question: Are consumers willing to pay a premium for zero waste packaging solutions?

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” as the saying goes. For TerraCycle founder Tom Szaky, it was more than a saying—it was also his business plan. Founded in 2003, TerraCycle takes your garbage—everything and anything you could throw away or recycle—and transforms it into consumer products like cutting boards, reusable grocery bags, and even yard fencing.

Staples is partnering with TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle, post-consumer waste to provide a zero-waste solution to its customers. Staples customers can now purchase Zero Waste Boxes from the company's website, allowing them to recycle a variety of traditionally non-recyclable household and office waste streams, ranging from coffee capsules to light bulbs. Some of the items consumers can now recycle include candy and snack wrappers, cleaning supplies and accessories, writing utensils, e-waste and mailing, shipping and packaging supplies. “We definitely see an interest from people wanting to recycle beyond what they can do curbside,” says TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky. “Now, new and existing Staples consumers have this resource that allows them to step up their environmental game.”