TERRACYCLE - MATERIAL DE HIGIENE A campanha teve início em 2018 e arrecada esponjas que não são mais utilizadas nas residências dos nossos colaboradores.

Swiffer recycling

I get all sorts of press releases over the transom. One that caught my eye this week was an announcement from Swiffer — the product that “gives cleaning a whole new meaning — that it was launching a recycling program.   The company has teamed up with recycling company TerraCycle to allow consumers to recycle products such as Sweeper Dry Refills, Sweeper Wet Refills, Duster Refills and WetJet Refills.   You just save your used Swiffer products, box them up (after they’re dry, of course; UPS won’t accept dripping packages), print a mailing label from TerraCycle and send them off. The company will separate the components and recycle the plastics.   If you’re interested, go to terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/swiffer and sign up.   Swiffer and TerraCycle didn’t mention whether the carbon footprint of trucking or flying all that stuff across the country would negate any benefit gained by recycling the plastic.

Trenton-based international recycling leader TerraCycle is working with Swiffer, a pioneer in the Quick Clean category and used in more than 50 million households worldwide, to help clean up the environment. Together, they will make Swiffer Sweeper, Duster and WetJet refills nationally recyclable. Also, as an added incentive, for every shipment of Swiffer waste sent to TerraCycle through the Swiffer Recycling Program, 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.   “We are very excited about our partnership with TerraCycle to offer free recycling of all Swiffer refills in the US. This is an important step towards sustainable solutions for our products and the start of an exciting journey with Swiffer and TerraCycle” said NA Brand Director, Kevin Wenzel.   Through the Swiffer Recycling Program, consumers can now send in the following Swiffer cleaning products to be recycled for free:  

• Swiffer® Sweeper™ Wet Mopping Cloths
• Swiffer® Sweeper™ Dry Sweeping Cloths
• Swiffer® Sweeper™ Wet Heavy-Duty Mopping Cloths
• Swiffer® Sweeper™ Dry Heavy-Duty Sweeping Cloths
• Swiffer® Dusters™
• Swiffer® Heavy-Duty Dusters™
• Swiffer® WetJet™ Mopping pads
• Swiffer® WetJet™ Heavy-Duty Mopping pads
• Swiffer® WetJet™ Wood Mopping pads

  Participation in the program is easy, simply sign up on the TerraCycle program page at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/swiffer and mail in the accepted waste using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the waste is broken down, separated by material and the plastics are cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.   “Cleaning our home is a task that we all share,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “By participating in the Swiffer Recycling Program consumers can demonstrate their commitment to a clean home, as well as a clean planet, all while being rewarded for doing the right thing.”   The Swiffer Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

For the last several years L Brands’ Bath & Body Works division, with just over 1,700 North American stores, has been its shining star. While its flagship, Victoria’s Secret has experienced steep declines, with revenues down 6.5% year-to-date, Bath and Body Works is up 11.8%.   Still small compared with Victoria’s Secret—$3 billion in year-to-date sales compared with $4.5 billion for VS (excluding its international division)—Bath & Body Works is on track to reach upwards of $5 billion for fiscal year 2019 and bring in over 35% of total corporate revenue. The Trefis Team reports that virtually all of L Brands’ incremental revenue growth since 2015 is owing to Bath & Body Works.   At a time when L Brands’ doesn’t need any more competition in the highly contested personal care market, its chief competitor from back in the day, The Body Shop, has found its second wind under its new owner, Brazil-based Natura & Co.   As its name implies, Natura is a natural personal care company founded on principles of sustainability and “clean beauty.” It hits the sweet spot in personal care today, estimated to be a $13.3 billion global market in 2018 with projections it will achieve 9.4% CAGR from 2019-2025 to reach $25 billion.   For many years Bath & Body Works didn’t have to worry about The Body Shop, which lost its footing under L’Oreal’s ownership after it bought the brand in 2006 only to sell it off to Natura in 2017. But in Bath & Body Works’ early days, The Body Shop was its chief rival.   Rumor has it that Bath & Body Works was started in 1990 as a knockoff of The Body Shop with look-alike logo and packaging. The Body Shop followed with a lawsuit, which it won, so Bath & Body Works adopted its gingham-themed Heartland Era branding that lasted through 2002 when it updated again.   Though Bath & Body Works copied The Body Shop’s style, it didn’t copy its spirit, which was based on sustainability, natural, and ethically sourced ingredients. Founded in 1976 by the late environmental and human rights activist Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop was early to natural beauty. It was one of the first beauty companies to ban animal testing and it led in Fair Trade practices in the beauty business.   Recently, Bath & Body Works adopted The Body Shop’s animal cruelty position, but not much else. A search on its website yields no hits on the term “Organic” and “Natural” yields a handful of products containing essential oils. Bath & Body Works did not respond to my request for comment.  

The Body Shop goes back to the future

  For The Body Shop, the period from 2006-2017 under L’Oreal were its dark ages. Roddick passed away only a year after L’Oreal took over and The Body Shop didn’t fit nicely under the corporate umbrella. U.K.-based retail analyst Richard Hyman was quoted by the BBC saying, “Frankly it’s a bit of mystery them [L’Oreal] buying it in the first place. What they bought is a retailer, and what they’re good at is brands.”   Now under Natura, The Body Shop has an owner that understands the brand’s DNA and can capitalize on it. “With Natura we are bringing back the spirit of Anita Roddick and the whole reason she created The Body Shop. It feels like a coming-home party, but we should never have left that home because it’s always who we were and are,” shared Andrea Blieden, The Body Shop’s U.S. general manager who came over from L’Oreal after working as vice president of marketing for Kiehl’s.   “The brand is going back to its roots, after veering off course. We are going back to our brilliant founder’s vision that we should never have departed from,” she continues.   Now customers can experience the reincarnated spirit of the brand in a new concept store on Oxford Street in London, soon to be followed by similar prototype stores in eight cities across the globe over the next 12 to 18 months, including two planned for the U.S.   A prototype store in Los Angeles is slated for second quarter of 2020 and a store in New York will open in late second quarter or early third quarter of 2020. Blieden and team are still working on the details.  

Setting the stage

  Described as an “Activist Makers’ Workshop,” the new prototype store is designed to reflect the zeitgeist of today’s environmental-activist culture. “A key component of our workshop is to give space in the stores to be activists and to educate customers in the community what we stand for and how we support what they stand for too,” Blieden says.   “For example, we are employing plastic waste pickers in India who previously struggled to get a fair wage for their work. We are buying that plastic for a premium price and reusing it in all of our shampoo and conditioner bottles,” she continues.   The Body Shop was just awarded a B Corp certification, which means, “We are a business recognized for putting people and the planet first, not just profit,” she explains.   “All the components of Roddick’s activism, which was rare in the 1980s and 1990s, comes to life in our workshop where we are reusing and repurposing materials that would have been thrown out or wasted,” Blieden continues, explaining that the store’s fixtures are made from such materials, including recycled zinc and reclaimed wood.   Taking center stage in the store is a craftsman’s bench where customers can mix their own shea body butter concoction using spatulas and bowls provided with the resulting product ready to take home in wrapped paper.   “The craftsman idea is important to us because it goes back to The Body Shop roots, where Anita made her lotions and potions in her kitchen,” she says, adding that this hands-on experience allows deeper engagement with the brand, the store staff and among the customers as well. “It gives people a space to experience and test out the product. It is a place to play.” Next to the craftsman’s bench is an activism zone, where customers can sign up and promote their favorite causes and take selfies to share with their friends. For example, the London store has a collection bin for donations to Bloody Good Period, which sends sanitary products to women in need. “Female empowerment is really important to the company,” Blieden adds.   Returning to prominence in the new prototype store is the refill station where customers can personally fill a reusable metal container with the most popular shower gels and creams, with the offerings changing seasonally. This concept was first introduced in 1993, but it was before its time. And besides the refill station, there is also a TerraCycle bin to collect plastic bottles for recycling. Long term, the plan is to convert more of the 1,000 company-owned stores throughout 69 countries to the new model. Or if a full-scale remodel isn’t called for, the company will bring essential elements of the prototype stores into them, like the refilling and plastic recycling station.   “We are trying to build a more sustainable shop for the future,” she says. “We still want customers to get the essence of The Body Shop experience no matter what store they go to.”  

Compare and contrast

  With only about 100 The Body Shop stores in the U.S. compared with 1,600 Bath & Body Works stores, L Brands is probably not too worried right now about The Body Shop cutting into its business. But The Body Shop is leaning aggressively into the future by returning to its past, which was ahead of its time in the 1980s and 1990s, but perfect for today.   Bath & Body Works, like its corporate sister Victoria’s Secret, seems to be stuck in the past. And if L Brands’ past behavior is a predictor of its future behavior, it will be slow to pick up the clues that its gravy train is running out of steam.  

É com grande alegria que o Grupo Oswaldo Cruz recebe o Selo de Responsabilidade Social referente aos anos de 2019–2020 A Responsabilidade Social é um dos Nossos Valores.

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Lisa Knowles, DDS, shares how to create eco-ambiance in the dental office.   Q: Why would anyone want to create eco-ambiance in a dental office?    A: Let’s discuss 2 main reasons. The first reason speaks to a number of people in the United States who are concerned about creating a sustainable planet. According to a report published in 2017 by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, the number of Americans “very worried about global warming” is at a record high. These kinds of beliefs are spurring people to consider their personal impacts on the environment. I fall into this category. I read a lot about the environmental impacts of industries on our Earth. Healthcare choices, mandates, and policies force us to create our fair share of waste. To meet OSHA standards, for example, we generate tons of medical waste that contributes to our landfill usage—from sharps container waste to billions of personal safety disposables like gloves and masks.   We have to create some waste. But, there are ways to reduce our optional waste within our work environments.   There are several categories (with examples) I recommend for consideration when trying to be more eco-friendly:   1. Office Design   Start with ways to save costs on electricity and water usage. By learning more about Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) practices, any office can become more energy conscious. A new build or a remodel can incorporate best practices to enhance an eco design.   2. Dental Materials Selection   Patients want safe dental products in their mouths. Stay abreast of hot topics like BPA in composites and amalgam alternatives. Even though we may feel certain products are safe and pass our evidence-based standards, there are patients who want other options. At the very least, they want someone to explain their risks with our dental materials.   3. Daily Use Product Selection   Choose less plastic when possible. Incorporate things like bamboo utensils and biodegradable cups in a team eating area. Encourage the team to pack a lunch instead of increasing landfill waste with fast food wrappers and containers. Use more cloth towels and washcloths instead of paper towels. Buy laundry detergents with no phosphates to help prevent algal blooms downstream from our offices.   4. Consumption Habits   Do we have to buy it new? Can we reupholster chairs? Can we give our older chairs to a new dentist starting out? Do we need new scrubs every year, or can we use them for 2 years or more? New products require a lot of energy to create.   5. Reconsider Freebie Give Outs   Offer bamboo toothbrushes and silk floss for patients. Skip the plastic bags and use paper bags with stamped logos or don’t even offer a bag. Many of my eco-conscious patients decline the bag.   6. Encourage a Reduce, Re-use, Recycle Culture   Make it easy for people to recycle paper products. Have recycle bins strategically located to remind team members to recycle first before throwing anything away into the trash. Put one in the bathroom, too!   The second reason for creating  eco-ambiance in the dental office focuses on the business benefits of creating such an atmosphere. There are financial benefits for pursuing a target market that buys into sustainability and living more Earth-friendly. Let’s consider Whole Foods Market shoppers. According to a consumer analysis of Whole Foods Market in the International Journal of Latest Engineering and Management Research, Whole Foods Market chose a specific target market to offer groceries and goods. “‘People who bought organic foods in last 6 months: 55% are age 25 to 54, 60% are at least graduates, and 53% have income over $50,000.’ The primary target market is men and women aged 22 to 40 (more women), who care about the sustainability of the earth and prefer all-natural products.” Since 1980, Whole Foods Market increased its number of stores from one to 340. It was sold to Amazon for $13.7 billion in 2017. The eco-shoppers are out there, and they believe in a lifestyle that demands a softer footprint on the earth.   This type of shopping and trust in a grocery store is another reason, I believe, Whole Foods Market faired so well. In the analysis, the process for product selection is explained: “While procuring, the company checks for the authenticity of their suppliers for the raw or the finished products that they procure from. The products go through a strict quality check and then find their way in the Whole Foods Market store.”   In other words, the consumers learn to trust that Whole Foods Market is providing a first line of defense for them when trying to eat organic foods and purchase foods with fewer additives and preservatives. A dental office with an eco-flair can do the same thing. The patients are comforted to know their dental space is less wasteful than others, is screening products for healthier options, and is also choosing to a support a lifestyle that is more conscious—like them. Time is precious, and if someone can help sift out purchase options, it’s helpful for consumers.   As we consider our business strategies in the years to come, it may be wise to incorporate an eco-ambiance into your environment.   CLOSING COMMENTS   Currently, we have to create some waste, but that may not always be the case if more affordable options become available. There is a process right now by TerraCycle to freeze used gloves, decontaminate them, and repurpose them. TerraCycle is a company that helps us recycle almost everything. Yes, it comes with a price, but so does landfill usage and expensive clean-up activities after environmental disasters.   The choices are ours to make with how we want our dental settings to look and feel in the future. The patients will make their choices, too. Many will want an eco-option. Will your space be green enough with the best eco-dental ambiance?   Dr. Knowles received her degree from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and has been in practice for 20 years. Before opening her practice, Dr. Knowles created her speaking, writing, and consulting business, IntentionalDental Consulting. She speaks and writes to dental professionals around the globe about leadership, overall body health and wellness, and eco-conscious dentistry. She is a Board of Trustees member for the Michigan Dental Association and is on the ADA Council for Government Affairs. She can be reached at intentionaldental@gmail.com.