Anna Minns is General Manager of Terracycle Australia, a company dedicated to creating recycling solutions for just about anything. What’s involved in developing a recycling solution for “difficult” waste like the Nescafé capsules? More often than not, companies approach us about a solution for their product’s waste stream. Nescafé Dolce Gusto joined with TerraCycle to provide a second life for used Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, so Australians can now collect, store and ship their capsules from home or work for free. For the current Nescafé Dolce Gusto Capsule Brigade we do not collect any other brand of capsules, only Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules. If consumers are interested in a particular waste stream we suggest they let their favourite brand know about TerraCycle’s work! We hope in time to be collecting more and more “unrecyclable” waste. Can goodwill be infectious enough for the majority of manufacturing companies to take responsibility for end of life of their product, or will they need to be pushed into it by legislation? As the circular economy is increasingly gaining traction in our region many companies are looking to circular solutions rather than linear solutions of ‘take, make, then dispose’. TerraCycle works with many major FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies, as well as small brands, to create a voluntary product stewardship scheme that diverts everyday consumer products and packaging that are difficult to recycle such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, coffee capsules and even cigarette butts, from landfill, and instead into new products creating circular solutions. The recycling system creates a collection model open to the public. Australia has one of the highest rates of waste generation per capita in the world and in fact, world waste is also expected to double by 2025. Government schemes and extended producer responsibility laws may be slow in coming to effect to deal with growing waste issues. TerraCycle’s solutions are readily available and the onus is on both brands to consider a solution to an increasing problem as well as consumers to use their buying power as a ‘vote’ for sustainability. What would you nominate as the most unlikely or surprising items that you have created recycling solutions for? Cigarettes, chewing gum, feminine hygiene products and nappies! TerraCycle has proven that (almost) anything can and should be recycled. Do you get to shovel rotting food to the worms occasionally? No. But we are offering a copy of Tom’s book “Revolution in a Bottle” for a Switch Report reader that outlines the origins of TerraCycle as a company turning worm poop into fertilizer! To win a copy of Revolution in a Bottle by Terracycle’s founder Tom Szaky, just sign up for our newsletter by midnight on Sunday 16 November, and you’ll be in the draw. If you are already on our mailing list you don’t need to do anything. You are automatically entered.

Idén minden eddiginél korábban, augusztus 19-én elérkeztünk a globális túlfogyasztás napjához, ami markánsan jelzi, hogy a fenntarthatóság ideálja egyre távolabb kerül. Mindeközben a Nyugat-Afrikából kiinduló ebola járvány több egészségügyi és fejlesztési problémára is rávilágít. Ez csak kettő a számtalan globális probléma közül, amiről nap mint nap hallunk, de mégsem teszünk ellene eleget. Mit tehet az iskola, hogy megfordítsa ezt a trendet?

In honor of America Recycles Day (sponsored by Keep America Beautiful), here are eight projects from around the globe that may spark your own your own recycling innovations. Terracycle offers ways to recycle previously non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle waste, like juice pouches, tape dispensers, cosmetics packaging and more.

Almost immediately after opening Copper River’s doors, Weigand partnered with a similarly minded local environmentalist, Tom Szarky, garbage mogul, former Princeton student and founder of TerraCycle Outsmart Waste (teracycle.com)—to propagate Beauty Brigade, a program designed to facilitate the recycling of cosmetic items that are typically thrown away, such as foundation casings, lip balm tubes, eyeliner pencils and lotion bottles. The facility operates several Beauty Brigade recycling containers on its property.

Le "magnat des ordures"

En 2001, Tom Szaky abandonne l’université en première année. Huit ans plus tard, la chaîne National Geographic lui consacre un documentaire appelé "le magnat des ordures". Lui préfère le terme "éco-capitaliste". Sur les bancs de Princeton, Tom s’ennuie. Il plaque tout pour investir ses économies et celles de ses proches dans des centaines de milliers de vers de terre dont il recycle les déjections en compost. Il vient de fonder TerraCycle, qui n’est alors "que la petite startup d’un idéaliste qui espère changer le monde", souligne le magazine Business Insider. . Pour le conditionnement, il récupère des bouteilles en plastique jetées dans la nature. Peu à peu, le nombre de lombrics augmente et Tom fait appel à des "brigades de ramassage" pour collecter les bouteilles. Il parvient à convaincre les grands industriels des sodas de lui laisser utiliser leurs bouteilles usagées. Pendant ce temps, il participe à des concours en espérant recevoir des bourses. Il va obtenir bien plus que ça : la notoriété, quand il décline un prix d’un million de dollars qui ne lui sera alloué que s’il change son mode de production. Quelques mois plus tard, il commercialise ses engrais dans des grandes chaines. Il se lance alors dans l’upcycling, la fabrication d’objets à partir de produits destinés à partir à la poubelle. Son entreprise récupère les déchets collectés par des écoles, des congrégations ou des associations et les transforme en nouveaux produits destinés à être vendus. Pour chaque canette ou emballage recyclé, une partie des bénéfices est redistribuée à des œuvres de charité. En deux ans, il a signé deux millions de dollars de chèques à des associations.

Des projets qui nécessitent des financements, notamment apportés par le festival, mais pas que. Ainsi, le SITDOM a remis hier soir via son président Jérôme Talon un chèque de 585 euros équivalent à l’opération de collecte et de recyclage des gourdes de compote lancées dans plusieurs écoles de l’agglo par Peuples Solidaires. Une opération qui se développe, puisqu’elle sera élargie aux écoles primaires de Bagnols cette année.