Imagine: Cigarette butts, whether on the street or in an ashtray, can now be turned into something useful. They could even help organizations do some modest fundraising.
Yes, butt recycling has arrived in Canada, thanks to a program launched mid-May by an innovative company called TerraCycle Canada (
terracycle.ca).
What will those butts become? Skids or pallets made from the plastic filters, according to TerraCycle. The organic leftovers — the tobacco and paper — will be composted.
Make the irregular regular: put someone in charge of it or make it a rule. TerraCycle has a C.N.O. – chief NERF gun officer – who issues NERF guns and ammo to all new employees, so they can join the periodic battles that let everyone blow off some steam. Warby Parker has an official “fun committee” to plan events, so that office fun doesn’t fall to the bottom of everyone’s to-do list. Etsy gives every new employee a $100 credit, so they can decorate their workspace. This gives everyone some creative freedom and adds atmosphere to the whole office.
3 / Upcycled Organization
With the ambitious goal of eliminating waste, TerraCycle collects objects that would otherwise languish in a landfill and recycles or upcycles them into usable products. The result: stylish, eco-friendly school supplies that make a statement. We love the drink pouch pencil cases – made from Capri Sun pouches – and the drink pouch folders and, well, the whole idea of making trash into treasure.
(Oh, and if you’re now feeling guilty about throwing away all those drink pouches, sign up today and start giving your waste to TerraCycle. Use the points you earn to donate to charity or to buy
school supply bundles, and know that your old drink pouches are in a better place – like someone else’s locker.)
TerraCycle Drink Pouch Pencil Case (Large), $3.59
terracycle.com
The news that the London 2012 Olympic Games aims to be the first Olympics to be “zero waste to landfill” is an indication of the growing importance of finding new ways to fulfill the old mantra of “reduce, reuse, and recycle”. Recycling is even finding new applications in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries as more companies seek to reduce waste.
A new technology from National Bulk Equipment (NBE), the ProductSaver system, separates powdered or liquid package contents, such as over-the-counter medications, from the packaging material at the manufacturer or packager’s facility. The contents are then disposed of, but the packaging can be recovered for recycling.
Garments and gloves from cleanrooms and laboratories can also be collected and recycled. Kimberly-Clark Professional, which specializes in contamination control for cleanrooms and laboratories, started a recycling program with recycling expert TerraCycle last fall. Life-sciences manufacturer Life Technologies Corporation, for example, is piloting a program to recycle nitrile gloves. Pharmaceutical Technology will be hosting a live webcast, “Path to Zero Landfill: Learn How One Company is Leading the Way”, on Tuesday, August 21, in which these three companies will discuss their program.
El grupo Estrellas Amarillas Bell Ville desea hacer saber a la comunidad que ha recibido el aporte económico proveniente de la Empresa Terracycle por la recolección y envío de los sobre vacíos de jugos Tang.
Esta gestión también fue posible “gracias a Federico Heredia, quien nos hizo saber de esta propuesta de la empresa y nos eligió como ONG para ser receptora de este beneficio. Además, queremos extender el agradecimiento a todos los comercios, instituciones, y a la comunidad de Bell Ville en general que han contribuido de diversas maneras en la recolección de los sobres de jugos Tang. De esta manera podremos solventar los gastos que se originan en el grupo (fotocopias, folletería, envío de correspondencia…entre otros) y continuar así con la Campaña de Concientización Vial”, destaca el comunicado de prensa de la entidad.
El grupo Estrellas Amarillas Bell Ville desea hacer saber a la comunidad
que ha recibido el aporte económico proveniente de la Empresa Terracycle por la recoleccion y envio de los sobre vacíos de jugos Tang. Esta gestión también fue posible gracias a Federico Heredia, quien nos hizo saber de esta propuesta de la empresa y nos eligió como ONG para ser receptora de este beneficio. Además, queremos extender el agradecimiento a todos los comercios, instituciones y a la comunidad de Bell Ville en general que han contribuido de diversas maneras en la recoleccion de los sobres de jugos Tang. De esta manera podremos solventar los gastos que se originan en el grupo (fotocopias, folleteria, envio de correspondencia…entre otros) y continuar asi con la Campaña de Concientizacion Vial”.
Andrew Stewart works behind the snack bar at
The Fox and
The Revue Cinemas, two of Toronto’s independent single-screen movie houses.
There’s one thing that’s always bothered him: Garbage. A lot gets generated and dumped quickly as customers exit and staff blitzes the theatre between screenings. Naturally, recyclables, trash and compostables get all mixed up.
“I’ve always felt bad about it,” he confessed at a recent matinee.
