MGA Entertainment, Inc. announced, as the kick off to Toy Fair New York City, new, eco-friendly initiatives focused on L.O.L Surprise!, which delivered on the CEO, Isaac Larian’s promise in late 2019 to create a bio-degradable ball. The company also announced a new product line from brand Little Tikes, which is made entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial resin. MGAE is manufacturing products and packaging with a new patent-pending compound that facilitates the degradation of plastic in landfill conditions.   “I have assembled an in-house team that is 100 percent focused on identifying the best innovative and eco-friendly options to use in our toys,” said Isaac Larian, CEO and Founder of MGA Entertainment. “We now have a degradable L.O.L Surprise! ball and a Little Tikes “Go Green” product line. Sustainability is a personal priority and a MGAE commitment. We will have product at retail this fall.”   MGAE extended its L.O.L Surprise! partnership with TerraCycle, a waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste, last month adding nine new countries to the program. More information about this initiative can be found here. Further, beginning summer 2020, all L.O.L Surprise! accessory bags will be paper based, and any packaging made from resin will be degradable and include new compound.   Added Larian: “Beginning 2021, the entire L.O.L Surprise! packaging line will be completely degradable.”   Little Tikes has a new “Go Green” product line, created entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial resin, which now includes a new patent-pending compound, ensuring the products are not only recyclable but also more degradable in landfill conditions. The “Go Green” line will launch with four products and will continue to evolve and incorporate other Little Tikes items throughout 2020 and beyond. The “Go Green” products will have a new and different logo, but the quality and durability of products will remain the same. The “Go Green” products will be available at retail beginning Earth Day.   Added Larian: “Beginning 2025, MGAE will only manufacture products that will degrade when disposed of properly.”  

  Plastic packaging creates a lot of waste and this is especially true within the toy industry, which is a major creator of plastic-heavy toy packaging waste. In 2019, MGA Entertainment's popular L.O.L Surprise! brand promised to create a bio-degradable ball and at the New York Toy Fair, it was recently revealed. As the unboxing experience is one of the most important parts of the L.O.L Surprise! toys, this solution helps to keep plastic from taking up space in landfills. In the future, paper-based accessory bags will be introduced, along with more degradable packaging. As part of its vision for a sustainable future, L.O.L Surprise! is working with TerraCycle so that toy packaging waste—including notoriously hard-to-sort materials—can be properly disposed of, recycled and even remolded into new products. Image Credit: MGA Entertainment

MGA Entertainment, Inc. (MGAE) the largest privately held toy company, announced today, as the kick off to Toy Fair New York City, new, eco-friendly initiatives focused on L.O.L Surprise!™, which delivered on the CEO, Isaac Larian's promise in late 2019 to create a bio-degradable ball.  The company also announced a new product line from parent-trusted brand Little Tikes®, which is made entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial resin. MGAE is manufacturing products and packaging with a new patent-pending compound that facilitates the degradation of plastic in landfill conditions.   "I have assembled an in-house team that is 100 percent focused on identifying the best innovative and eco-friendly options to use in our toys," said Isaac Larian, CEO and Founder of MGA Entertainment. "We now have a degradable L.O.L Surprise! ball and a Little Tikes "Go Green" product line. Sustainability is a personal priority and a MGAE commitment. We will have product at retail this fall."   MGAE extended its L.O.L Surprise! partnership with TerraCycle, an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste, last month adding nine new countries to the program. More information about this initiative can be found here.  Further, beginning summer 2020, all L.O.L Surprise! accessory bags will be paper based, and any packaging made from resin will be degradable and include new compound.   Added Larian: "Beginning 2021, the entire L.O.L Surprise! packaging line will be completely degradable."   From the parent-trusted brand, Little Tikes, has a new "Go Green" product line. The line which is created entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial resin now includes a new patent-pending compound, ensuring the products are not only recyclable but also more degradable in landfill conditions.  The "Go Green" line will launch with four products and will continue to evolve and incorporate other Little Tikes items throughout 2020 and beyond.  The "Go Green" products will have a new and different logo, but the quality and durability of products that parents and kids have enjoyed for generations will remain the same. The "Go Green" products will be available at retail beginning Earth Day.

Schwarzkopf, a global leader in hair care solutions, a brand of Henkel, has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle to make their retail hair care, colour and styling products recyclable nationwide.   As of January 1^st  consumers are invited to collect and mail-in the empty product packaging from participating Schwarzkopf hair care products, including the brands göt2b styling & color, Color Ultime, Keratin Color and the newly launched Simply Color.   "Hair care products are a staple in the daily routines of countless consumers," said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. "The launch of the Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs represents an exciting opportunity to divert a large category of waste from landfills. We look forward to partnering with this forward-thinking company for many years to come and continue to offer sustainable solutions to traditionally hard to recycle packaging."   "The expansion of Henkel's partnership with TerraCycle is an important part of Henkel's commitment to a circular economy for plastic and sustainable packaging, and our target of ensuring 100 percent of our Beauty and Laundry & Home Care packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025," adds Martina Spinatsch, Vice President, R&D, Beauty Care, Henkel North America.   Elements of the Schwarzkopf/ TerraCycle partnership include the following programs:  

• Schwarzkopf Aerosols Recycling Program: Consumers wishing to recycle their Schwarzkopf-branded empty aerosol containers are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-aerosol.When ready to ship the packaging waste, simply download a free shipping label, package the empty aerosol containers in the box of your choice and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.

• Schwarzkopf Hair Coloration Recycling Program: Participants who would like to recycle their Schwarzkopf-branded hair coloration products, including plastic jars, lids, bottles, closures, tubes, pumps, caps etc.; as well as flexible and rigid aluminum; and cardboard and paper are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-color. When ready to ship the packaging waste, simply download a free shipping label, package the empty hair coloring packaging in the box of your choice and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.

• Schwarzkopf Recycling Program: Participants interested in recycling all other Schwarzkopf branded retail products outside of the hair coloration and aerosol product lines are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-hair. This recycling program accepts plastic jars, lids, bottles, closures, tubes, pumps, caps etc.; as well as flexible and rigid aluminum; and cardboard and paper.

  "We're proud that 100% of Schwarzkopf retail product packaging will now be recyclable," says Manuela Emmrich, Marketing Director, Hair US, Henkel Beauty Care. "Through the TerraCycle/ Schwarzkopf program, there is now a solution for hair product packaging that has historically been difficult to recycle, due to a myriad of curb-side recycling program requirements," she continues.   The Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs are open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through any of the Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. Once collected, the packaging waste will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.   For more information on TerraCycle's recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

Um ano após o lançamento, o serviço de entrega que leva de volta suas embalagens para reutilização está em expansão e em breve você poderá encontrar seus designs de embalagens inovadores nas lojas de varejo.

Os 360 alunos de 1º a 5º ano da escola municipal João Papa Sobrinho (Gonzaga) desfilaram, nesta quinta-feira (20), no entorno da escola, 'O Mar e seus Mistérios no Oceano dos Saberes', com apoio da bateria da escola de samba União Imperial.

Schwarzkopf, a global leader in hair care solutions and brand of Henkel, has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle to make their retail hair care, color and styling products recyclable nationwide. As of January 1st, consumers are invited to collect and mail-in the empty product packaging from participating Schwarzkopf hair care products, including the brands göt2b styling & color, Color Ultime, Keratin Color and the newly launched Simply Color.   "Hair care products are a staple in the daily routines of countless consumers," said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. "The launch of the Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs represents an exciting opportunity to divert a large category of waste from landfills. We look forward to partnering with this forward-thinking company for many years to come and continue to offer sustainable solutions to traditionally hard to recycle packaging."   "The expansion of Henkel's partnership with TerraCycle is an important part of Henkel's commitment to a circular economy for plastic and sustainable packaging, and our target of ensuring 100 percent of our Beauty and Laundry & Home Care packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025," adds Martina Spinatsch, Vice President, R&D, Beauty Care, Henkel North America.   Elements of the Schwarzkopf/ TerraCycle partnership include the following programs:  

• Schwarzkopf Aerosols Recycling Program: Consumers wishing to recycle their Schwarzkopf-branded empty aerosol containers are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-aerosol. When ready to ship the packaging waste, simply download a free shipping label, package the empty aerosol containers in the box of your choice and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Schwarzkopf Hair Coloration Recycling Program: Participants who would like to recycle their Schwarzkopf-branded hair coloration products, including plastic jars, lids, bottles, closures, tubes, pumps, caps etc.; as well as flexible and rigid aluminum; and cardboard and paper are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-color. When ready to ship the packaging waste, simply download a free shipping label, package the empty hair coloring packaging in the box of your choice and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Schwarzkopf Recycling Program: Participants interested in recycling all other Schwarzkopf branded retail products outside of the hair coloration and aerosol product lines are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/schwarzkopf-hair. This recycling program accepts plastic jars, lids, bottles, closures, tubes, pumps, caps etc.; as well as flexible and rigid aluminum; and cardboard and paper.

  "We're proud that 100% of Schwarzkopf retail product packaging will now be recyclable," says Manuela Emmrich, Marketing Director, Hair US, Henkel Beauty Care. "Through the TerraCycle/ Schwarzkopf program, there is now a solution for hair product packaging that has historically been difficult to recycle, due to a myriad of curb-side recycling program requirements," she continues.   The Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs are open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through any of the Schwarzkopf Recycling Programs, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. Once collected, the packaging waste will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.   For more information on TerraCycle's recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.   About Henkel in North America In North America, Henkel operates and holds leading positions across its three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry & Home Care. With sales of around 6 billion US dollars (5 billion euros) in 2018, North America accounts for 25 percent of the company's global sales. Henkel employs approximately 9,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.henkel-northamerica.com.   About Henkel Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market – across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2018, Henkel reported sales of around 20 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of around 3.5 billion euros. Henkel employs around 53,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com.   About TerraCycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in Fortune magazine's list of 52 companies Changing the World. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.

Todos os anos a Escola Pedro Apóstolo, de Curitiba, envolve seus alunos com projetos especiais que tragam valores importantes na construção de seres humanos melhores. Em 2020 a escola optou por trazer à tona o assunto da reciclagem. Ela aderiu a dois programas nacionais da TerraCycle, instituição global líder em soluções para resíduos de difícil reciclabilidade. Foram instalados na instituição dois recipientes de coleta: um de esponjas de louça e outro de materiais escolares. Para se ter ideia, as esponjas de louça não são processadas por cooperativas de reciclagem e uma simples caneta, por exemplo, é composta por tinta, que é um material tóxico, além das partes de plástico e de metal, que demoram décadas para se decompor.

The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association's Annual Convention is taking place March 14-17, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida. Speakers this year will include TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky and Journalist/author Elizabeth Kline.   Open only to current members of the association, the Annual Convention, themed "Putting it in Motion," will feature expert speakers, panel discussions and unique networking opportunities for professionals within the textile reuse and recycling industry.   The convention will address the topic of the circular economy, a system where products and services are traded in closed loops or "cycles." According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's 2016 publication, Trash to Treasure: Changing Waste Streams to Profit Streams, one of the most comprehensive ways to eliminate waste and increase profits in a business is to adopt a circular economy model, where products and services are designed to be refurbished and repaired throughout their lifecycle.   "The topic of circular economy has become a part of the vernacular of the reuse and recycling industry," says Jackie King, SMART's executive director. "Programming for our Annual Convention this year is designed to help our member companies understand the importance of the circular economy, and what they can do to adapt or evolve their businesses so they don't get left behind."   The event features two keynote presentations. The first, entitled, "Loop: Solving for Disposability While Maintaining Its Virtues," will be presented by Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle . TerraCycle is a waste management company known for its innovative approaches to eliminating waste. Operating across 21 countries, the company partners with leading consumer product companies and retailers to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise be directed to a landfill or be incinerated. Szaky's presentation will educate attendees on the theories of waste management and present ideas on how businesses can do their part to eliminate it.     The second keynote, "Conscious Consumers and the Rise of Resale Shopping," will be presented by Elizabeth Kline, a New York-based journalist, author and expert on consumer culture, fast fashion, textile waste and sustainability of the clothing industry. Her presentation, based on her new book, The Conscious Closet, will explore how secondhand is key to satisfying the conflicting demands of conscious consumers who want it all - sustainability, affordability and lots of choices. She will share her experience researching the global secondhand industry over the past three years, and her findings.   In addition to exceptional programming, SMART's Annual Convention will also feature an "upcycled" fashion show, where SMART member companies are invited to walk the runway, donning their finest ensembles made from any textile materials sourced from within their businesses.   The convention's platinum sponsors include Bank and Vogue Limited, Green Team Worldwide Environmental Group, International Trading Solutions, Mid West Textile Co, NPS Corporation, Star Wipers, Inc., TEXAID Textilverwertungs-AG, Whitehouse & Schapiro, LLC; gold sponsors Garson & Shaw, LLC and Tranzonic Companies; silver sponsors Canada Fortune Group, Trans-Americas Trading Co and Wipeco Industries; bronze sponsors J and K Textiles International Private Limited, Mednik Riverbend, SC Roseco SRL and Wipeco Inc.   To learn more about SMART and the work of its members - for-profit businesses in the textile reuse and recycling industry - visit www.smartasn.org. For questions about the Annual Convention, or becoming a SMART member, contact Director of Meetings & Member Services, Heather Lester, CMP, at 443-640-1050 x112 or heather@kingmgmt.org.

  I’m going to try to keep this post concise, but I have a feeling it won’t work. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I never really thought about sustainability before 2018. And then really thought about it in 2019. I wouldn’t say I come from a wasteful family, but growing up with 3 siblings we always had Gatorade or water bottles in the basement, or Ziploc bags in our lunch boxes, etc, so it was all “normal” for me.   Anyway, now that I’m a “adult” and as a planet we’re seeing the effects of our actions as humans, it has become something on the top of my mind often. Things I didn’t even think about before stand out to me – like how many single use water bottles have I used? Why are miniature ketchup packets so wasteful? Does gum really need all that packaging? Why do we use and throw away so much?   This was my motivation behind Sustainable Swaps 2020. I see the need for change. I want to change. But change is HARD. Unlearning is significantly harder than learning. And now I have to unlearn years of habits, which is why I wanted the challenge. Focusing on one area of change per month is more sustainable (see what I did there?) then expecting a complete life and habit overhaul in a matter of weeks. My reach is small, but even if I can change my habits and I have some people doing it alongside me, we’re still making progress.   Today though, I want to focus on fashion + sustainability. The fashion industry is one of the top contributors to polluting the environment. Between water wasted, fast fashion garments lasting a few wears + being tossed, and carbon emissions, it’s, quite frankly, a disaster. Combine those reasons with the constant push to do more, use more and buy more. Which has only gotten worse with social media, and now we’re looking pretty royally fuc***.  

There are a few different points I want to touch on with sustainability, so bear with me.

  First, what makes a clothing item sustainable? Sustainable clothing refers to fabrics derived from eco-friendly resources, such as sustainably grown fiber crops or recycled materials. It also refers to how these fabrics are made. (source). Okay great, thanks for sharing, but what if my budget is $40 for jeans and this “sustainable” pair is $240? Great question. My friend Nicole brought this up on her instagram the other day and she said it better than I did, so I’m going to share it here:   “SUSTAINABILITY is a popular buzzword but the discourse is too often INACCESSIBLE to the majority of people. it’s wonderful if you’re able to afford the high prices of ethical fashion brands, but overwhelmingly “sustainable” brands are exclusive to the thin + affluent. when it comes to sustainability in your closet, the goal isn’t just to shop more ethically but to make the items in your closet really stand the test of time. SUSTAINABILITY = LONGEVITY  

Which is a great segue into my next point…

  We don’t need to overhaul our closets and stock them full of new “sustainable” items. What we need is for us to buy less, take better care of it, wear it more frequently. And then wear it as long as we can. I believe it is better to simply buy LESS than to continue to buy, even if it is considered sustainable. Do I still buy from fast fashion stores? Yes. Does that make me a horrible human? No.   Case and point. My green H&M midi skirt in the photo below. It was cheap, it’s from a fast fashion retailer, but guess what? I’ve owned it and consistently worn in for the past 3.5 years, and have no intention of getting rid of it anytime soon. And those jeans? My most loved + most comfortable pair. Purchased from J.Crew at the end of 2017 and still worn all the time.  

I’d rather purchase an item from a non-sustainable brand and love it then purchase a more expensive sustainable item to sit in my closet.

    Don’t get me wrong – I am going to slowly work my way toward more sustainable and ethical brands. But I think the best thing to do is simply buy LESS. (yes, WAY easier said than done, trust me).  

Another way to shop more sustainably? RESALE.

My favorite place to look is Poshmark and I have been getting into the habit of checking Poshmark for an item first. For example, last summer I scored a pair of Madewell jeans for $30! This winter I purchased my tan faux leather puffer barely used off Poshmark for $45. And I was most recently able to snag a dress I loved last year that sold out for 30% of the original price. Not only does it save you MONEY, it gives clothing items their second act.   In addition to Poshmark there are options such as eBay, ThredUP, The Real Real (high end) and local consignment stores. I’ve already written an entire post on how I resell clothing + accessories – you an check it out here.   Another great option to switch up your wardrobe is to trade with friends, sisters, cousins, etc. Sometimes my sisters and I will give each other items, or do a long term borrow.   When you are done with an item and it’s not in good enough shape to resell or give away – reuse or recycle it. (Old t-shirts, and jersey dresses make great rags). Otherwise, here are some recycling options:   1.) Blue Jeans Go Green – Denim Recycling – they turn jeans into home insulation! (Madewell partners with them!) 2.) H&M – bring in a bag of clothing and textiles to recycle and they’ll give you a 15% off coupon – their website states it has a 0% chance of ending up in a landfill. Read more here! 3.) Patagonia will accept any of their old products 4.) Terracycle – you can purchase a box and fill it with textiles. This could get pricey! 5.) Nike – you can drop off old Nike shoes to be recycled at certain locations. Learn more here.

Circling back – while there is a big push to buy from “better” more sustainable brands, for me the big focus is simply LESS.

Scrolling through Instagram and other platforms it feels like the mass consumerism is so far out of control. But, the beauty in that is that we, the consumers, hold the power. It might take a while, but if we shift our purchasing habits then retailers will have to shift with us.   I hope this was at least slightly informative for you, it’s a topic that’s been on my mind for a while. If you’re looking to learn more about the fashion industry + sustainability, or open your eyes to new accounts, here are my recommendations: –> follow Fashion Revolution on Instagram (@fash_rev) –> follow The Sustainable Fashion Forum on Instagram (@thesustainablefashionforum) –> follow Style this Life on Instagram (@stylethislife) The five: ways that fashion threaten the planet – The Guardian The fashion industry emits more carbon… – Business Insider Sustain Your Style – All You need to know about fashion & sustainability How to buy clothes that are built to last – The NY Times How to step out of the shop-spend-consume cycle – Ideas.Ted.Com The Apparel Industry’s Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics – World Resources Institute   I’d love it if you weighed with your thoughts, ideas or any great resources I should check out! thanks for stopping by today. xo, Maddy