Less than a year ago, I told you about Loop, the company launched by Trenton-based Terracycle. Basically, Loop is seeking to completely change the way Americans purchase and use disposable containers. The change is dramatic; if Loop gets its way, all containers will be reusable. Basically, the company is taking the old milkman model and applying to everything, from Haagan Dazs ice cream to Clorox Wipes. Instead of buying those products and throwing away the container when you’re done, Loop sends you the products in branded stainless steel packaging, and when you’re done, you send it back. Zero waste. “We’re stopping and thinking and saying that even if 100 percent of products and packaging were recyclable, and even if 100 percent of products are made from recycled content, is that still the best?” Anthony Rossi, the vice-president of Global Business Development at Loop, told me for the original article. “Two years ago Tom (Szaky, Terracycle founder and CEO) got to thinking and said ‘no, we can’t stop there.’ One, it’s utopian. I don’t think we’ll ever get close to that number, but two the real problem here is disposability. And so we’re attacking disposability by working with partners to reengineer their packaging to be durable and reusable while providing infrastructure to get products to consumers and back.” OK. That was about 10 months ago. Today? “Time” has named Loop one of the 100 best inventions of 2019, 5,000 people are using LoopStore.com to do tons of their shopping, and another 85,000 are on the waiting list to get into Loop’s pilot program. I’d say so far, so … really freaking fantastic. “It’s rethinking trash,” said Donna Liu, a Princeton resident who is a Loop customer. “And it’s easy to use. Honestly, in the beginning, I was a little bit puzzled as to when you order, how do you time it. But it’s much simpler than I thought it would be. You schedule your order online and it comes within a day a two.” Liu said she orders about once a month, with the order including many of the typical grocery store purchases. “Personal care products, shampoo, conditioner, cleaning products, some foods, snacks, dried grains, rice, quinoa, cashews … I just kind of browse their store, look at the things I’d be using anyway, and order it,” Liu said. Granted, Liu admits it is slightly more expensive to order through Loop, but she sees it as a long-term investment that will pay off down the road. “I call it the ‘green margin,’ Liu said. “It’s the cost of not generating more trash, it’s the cost of not adding to the environment’s problems.” And that’s, obviously, the whole reason Loop exists. To create a system in which our purchases don’t add to the problem. And really: Even if you’re a staunch anti-environmentalist, there’s no downside to Loop’s model becoming the dominant force in the industry. And it could certainly happen, and might even happen sooner that anyone dare hope. “At launch, we were in the early phase of the pilot and since May, we have added over 120 products and have doubled our coverage in the United States, adding six new states,” said Eric Rosen, the publicist for Loop/Terracycle. “We have also recently announced committed retail partners in the UK (Tesco), Canada (Loblaws), and Australia (Woolworths). We are also beginning to engage in scale-up conversations with our U.S. retail partners and planning for how we will bring the Loop platform into retailers’ e-commerce platforms and brick-and-mortar stores. And in 2020, you can expect Loop to be available in Canada, the UK, Germany and Japan. And we anticipate being in-store in select locations in the United States.” It would not surprise me one bit if we blinked ourselves to 2030 and saw that Loop has very legitimately changed the way the world’s system of product packaging. Trenton makes, the world reuses.

As every consumer faces the rising costs of a shrinking market of what can and cannot be recycled, more manufacturers are stepping forward with programs of their own.   The latest is Swiffer, which has partnered with waste management company TerraCycle. The new Swiffer Recycling Program allows you to send in Swiffer mopping, sweeping and dusting pads as well as the dusters for recycling.   If TerraCycle’s name sounds familiar, that’s because last year it worked with Tacoma’s DaVita Kidney Care Center with its Kitchen Separation Zero Waste Boxes.   ·         The Swiffer program is the latest in its corporate recycling programs and its “recycle everything” promotions of free recycling programs funded by brands, manufacturers and retailers. · ·         The latest announcement is timely, given the recent headlines of local recycling fee increases and entities such as Goodwill struggling with their own recycling challenges.   According to Monday’s news release from TerraCycle announcing the new Swiffer program: “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.”   Once you’ve joined TerraCycle’s program, you can then collect the accepted Swiffer recyclables in a box at home and then mail in the waste using a prepaid shipping label.   There’s also the option, once signed up, to earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to a nonprofit, school or charitable organization of your choice.   For more program details and to sign up, go to https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/swiffer.

TerraCycle is adding another recognizable brand name to its list of recycling partners.   On Monday, the Trenton-based recycler said Swiffer – used in more than 50 million households around the world – will make its Swiffer Sweeper, Duster and WetJet refills recyclable across the country.   Consumers can now recycle Swiffer Sweeper’s Wet Mopping Cloths, Dry Sweeping Cloths, Wet Heavy-Duty Mopping Cloths and Dry Heavy-Duty Sweeping Cloths; Swiffer Dusters, Heavy-Duty Dusters; and Swiffer WetJet Mopping pads, Heavy-Duty Mopping pads and Wood Mopping pads.   According to TerraCycle, in the program waste is collected, broken down and separated by material so that plastics can be cleaned and melted into hard plastic, which can be remolded to make new products. To take part, customers – individuals, schools, offices or community organizations – can mail in accepted waste using prepaid shipping labels after signing up on TerraCycle’s program page.   In a statement, NA Brand Director Kevin Wenzel described the effort as an important step toward creating sustainable solutions for Swiffer products.   “Cleaning our home is a task that we all share,” said TerraCycle Chief Executive Officer and Founder Tom Szaky in a prepared statement. “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.”   As an incentive, for each shipment received through the Swiffer Recycling Program, TerraCycle said collectors will earn points to use for charity gifts, or to be converted into cash donations for the nonprofit, school or charitable organization of their choice.   Other recently announced partners in TerraCycle‘s recycling program include Gerber, Herbal Essences, and Martini & Rossi.  

If the flight to San Francisco weren’t so damn long (and bumpy af 87% of the time), I’d be going west way more often. And not only because I love catching up with my husband’s side of the family. The Bay Area has become an amazing beauty destination. Over a quick Thanksgiving trip, I lucked out with a few truly spectacular meetings. The day before heading back, I ventured out to Novato to explore the freshly paved retail landscape of Beauty Heroes. After a guided tour, a spontaneous IG live, and sampling roughly 3248 products, I got to lunch and chat all things green beauty with *the* Founder, Jeannie Jarnot, and Kevin Dooley, the brand’s Director of Marketing. P.S. We even snuck in some contraband bubbles to the cafe. Because Holiday Season. If you’re not familiar with Beauty Heroes, the concept began with a monthly subscription box. It may actually be the best monthly beauty box out there. Focused on the clean, green, and non-toxic prestige indie beauty industry spectrum, every box features a full-size Hero product and a deluxe-size Sidekick. Often times, the hero secures an exclusive launch via the Beauty Heroes platform. Having been an ambassador for over a year, I can confidently say that most of my green beauty discoveries wouldn’t have happened without this access. As I stepped out of my uber and raced inside to dodge the rain, I missed the ultimate personal touch: a board welcoming me to the store. Details of this visit hadn’t been confirmed much in advance (family time, weather, etc.) but in true Beauty Heroes fashion, what was planned as a last-minute drive-by was converted effortlessly into a VIP experience. In other words, their approach to customer service is equally impressive as their product selection. A week later, sitting in freezing Connecticut, I find myself reminiscing about the very special Novato afternoon. Plotting a return is at the top of my to-do list. For those who live closer or who may be planning a trip to the Bay Area, I’m hoping my personal highlights will be helpful. What started as a checklist that helped me gather my thoughts quickly turned into 8 Reasons You Should Visit The Beauty Heroes Store in Novato, CA. Enjoy.

1: THE GOODS!

The store is a clean beauty shopping mecca. Shelves along the walls display gorgeously merchandised collections and are organized by brand or self-care category. On the floor, spacious table counters are tempting with impeccably arranged makeup items to test and admire. There is even a special Handsome Heroes section with low-key non-intimidating picks to help guys explore the clean grooming space. In addition to gold industry standards such as Josh Rosebrook or Laurel, the store makes a conscious (and phenomenal) effort to introduce smaller, lesser-known brands that are entering the indie beauty space. Set aside a solid hour for browsing through this treasure hunt.

2: THE FLIGHT BAR

It wasn’t only the champagne cork stools that caught my attention. Or the actual bar counter. Ok, maybe. Positioned by the check-out area, the space offers ‘flights’ of skincare or makeup. If you’re not familiar with the term, a flight is a ‘tasting’ with a goal of discovering a favorite. I believe there were four stations, two featuring Honua Skincare (which is this month’s Discovery) and two with curated options of a red lip ‘flight’ to help you find that perfect shade of festive for the holidays. It’s an excellent way to experience a particular brand or product category. Because not everything is for everyone. It’s, like, common knowledge, Romy. 

3: MONTHLY DISCOVERY FEATURE

Worthy of its own display, the current month’s Beauty Discovery is featured for non-subscribers to explore. Whether you’re shy or afraid of committing to delivery each month, you can experience the latest selection right in the store. And if you like it, you can sign up for your very own surprise delivery on the spot. After you do, you’ll receive 15% off everything in the store (ok fine, there are two brand exclusions but still) every time you shop. This very special member perk also applies to shopping online.

4: THE TREATMENT ROOM

There is a hidden gem of a treatment room upstairs and you want in. I was ecstatic to see Beauty Heroes offer its very own menu of skincare and makeup services. The makeup station is downstairs, and Carolina (Ciao, Bella! Come stai?) is the resident makeup artist supreme-o. Above the retail space, there is a quaint, spa treatment room where you can experience the glow-boosting magic of high-performing clean beauty during a 30-, 60- or 90-minute zen break. Beauty Heroes is the first place to offer The Josh, an exclusive protocol of Josh Rosebrook formulas expertly tailored to address your complexion concerns. Other options include Hero Worship, Hawaii Five-O, Radiant Fox, and The Ceremony.

5: THE MINIS

I’m willing to admit to having a travel-sized product fetish but I am also willing to bet there are a lot of us out there. The TSA-friendly selection here is superb. Not limited to in-flight essentials, the minis make for the perfect gym bag or Dopp kit staples. My eye longingly gazed over some personal favorites like Ayuna’s cream II  or Ranavat’s Jasmine Tonique. Since the focus is on discovery at Beauty Heroes, I was thrilled to be introduced (thank you, Jeannie!) to a new find from Lucky Teeth. I am now the proud owner and user of a super chic organic dental floss.

6: TRY IT ON

Right by the relaxing lounge area and next to the makeup application station, you can indulge sink side in a full-on skincare routine. Mention which products you’re tempted by and try them out at a Beauty Heroes vanity. Grab a washcloth, get your cleanser, mask or moisturizer on, and admire the glow in the selfie-ready mirror. Or just linger there casually without looking creepy and find a reason to wash your hands because that LILFOX Orange Blossom Ylang Bang hand wash is divine.

7: BRING YOUR RECYCLABLES

I hadn’t heard about TerraCycle (mea culpa) so Jeannie gave me a quick tutorial. I was beyond impressed. In order to minimize the impact of our product usage on the environment, the system adopts specific recycling guidelines. This way difficult-to-recycle items get the proper treatment and a second chance around. Bring your empty product containers, toothbrushes, razors, even baby food pouches, as each category of product is disposed of in its own bin. TerraCycle and its recently launched Loop initiative encourage us to change our way of consuming products to generate zero waste.

8: GET ON THE EMAIL LIST!

The Beauty Heroes newsletter tops the list of least intrusive updates in my inbox. In addition to announcing their monthly discovery, they are amazing at curating limited editions or seasonal offers at very attractive price points. Since the retail location is focused on developing and nurturing the green beauty community, Jeannie invites brand founders to participate in intimate in-store events. Whether a panel, Q & A, or meet & greet, you’ll get the story behind each brand and experience their formulas first hand. Did I mention that there are drinks involved? I mean they do carry The Beauty Chef but we’re like almost in Wine Country. Beauty Heroes is located at 817 Grant Avenue in Novato, CA 94945 and is open 7 days a week. For hours and more info check out their Facebook page. And if you’re nowhere near but want to receive your monthly discovery, sign up at beauty-heroes.com.  

Swiffer®, a pioneer in the Quick Clean category and used in more than 50 million households worldwide, has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle® to make their Swiffer Sweeper™, Duster and WetJet™ refills nationally recyclable. 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 nonprofit, 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.   Participation in the program is easy, simply sign up on the TerraCycle program page at 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.

This year, Coca Cola unveiled a bottle made from 25% recycled plastic while PepsiCo announced it will be investing $25 million in recycling infrastructure. As mbg recently reported in our natural beauty trends forecast, Dove also switched to bottles made from 100% recycled plastic in 2019, and its parent brand, Unilever, announced that it will use half as much new plastic in its products by 2025. Meanwhile, Olay began testing refillable pods for its most popular moisturizer. For mindbodygreen's brand-new line of nr+ supplements—released as a limited-edition run last month, to be launched in broader distribution in January 2020—we've packaged the recyclable glass bottles in completely compostable trays, made from mushrooms. Public awareness and unrest about plastic pollution have been building for years (hello, straw bans), but it wasn't until 2019 that major corporations really started to do something about it.  

What's driving the shift away from plastic packaging?

A new service called Loop has helped kick-start the push away from plastic. Launched in May of this year in Paris and a handful of states across the northeastern U.S, the service allows people to shop for grocery, household, and personal care products from brands like Tide, Febreze, and Crest. The kicker? For a small markup, these goods are shipped out in durable, reusable packaging that can be sent back in to be reused and refilled. Loop is a direct rebuttal to the idea that recycling can save us from the waste crisis: "Recycling is like Tylenol: You take it when you have a headache, but there are better ways to never get the headache to begin with," Tom Szaky, the CEO of TerraCycle and Loop, told mbg last year. In the six months since launch, Loop has kicked off in another five states and plans to enter six new markets before early 2021: The U.K., Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia, and potentially the West Coast of the U.S. Loop is also onboarding about one new brand to their platform every business day. "There's been a lot of organic demand from consumers. We just hear nonstop from people that they're really excited about the service, and they want to see it available in their state," explains Heather Crawford, the VP of marketing and e-commerce at Loop. Upward of 85,000 people have signed on to the waitlist so far, and they're not the only ones who want to see the service take off: Crawford has seen that the massive names—the Unilevers and P&Gs of the world—are eager to get involved and rethink the delivery of their products to keep up with the times. When mbg heard Unilever's CEO Alan Jope speak at this year's Climate Week NYC, he confirmed that Unilever is working to make its business more environmentally responsible— a change that investors are insisting on more often. "I'm noticing our investors increasingly asking us to run our business for the long term. This idea that the Street is only interested in short-term performance, I don't accept," Jope said. "We're going to see capital inflows into responsible business and capital outflows out of polluting and carbon-dense industries. It's that simple." For another signal that the low-waste life is trending in the business realm, we can look to Williamsburg's Package Free Shop: Opened in 2017 by zero-waste poster child Lauren Singer, the shop sells health, beauty, and living essentials that are free of single-use plastic parts and packaging (think shampoo bars wrapped in paper and compostable vegetable brushes). The company's recent $4.5 million seed funding round proves that investors are confident that people beyond the trendy Brooklyn 'hood want to opt into its zero-waste ethos. "In the past year, more people than ever before have realized the impact that single-use plastic and waste has on the environment," Singer tells mbg. The recent funding will help the Package Free team work toward their mission to make zero-waste products hyper-accessible to the average Joe or Jane: "Our goal is to manufacture products that are both the most sustainable ones on the market and are as accessible and convenient as buying a Unilever or P&G product."

All signs point to more packaging innovation in 2020.

David Feber, a partner at McKinsey & Company who works primarily in the consumer packaged goods space, tells mbg, "Sustainability is combining with other powerful trends such as e-commerce and digitalization to drive major disruption in packaging over the next several years in the consumer products space." This year, a McKinsey report on Gen Z buying habits found that this "hypercognitive" generation, born between 1995 and 2010, will likely only push the needle toward more sustainable packaging solutions as they come of age. And sustainable packaging is just the start: A report by BBMG and GlobeScan predicts that in order to stay relevant with the next generation, companies will have to take more mission-driven action. "While Gen Z is ready to champion brands who show bravery on the issues that matter, they are also the first to call bullshit when they see it, especially when they see brands promoting their commitment to 'doing well by doing good' while staying silent about the negative impacts at the heart of the business practices that make their success possible," it reads.  

Ink Cartridges

On average, 70 percent of used ink cartridges are thrown into landfills, where it will take over 1,000 years for them to decompose, according to tonerrecycle.net. "When something is tossed in the garbage and either landfilled or incinerated, the value of that material is lost forever," Lauren Taylor, the Global VP of Communications for TerraCycle, says. "When an object is recycled, it provides a more circular solution." Instead of letting those cartridges spend centuries in a landfill, look for recycling instructions on the cartridge's package. Staples will give you $3 off your next cartridge purchase for bringing in your used ones, and HP accepts old HP-brand cartridges via mail. Here are more simple ways to reduce waste—and save money.

Juice Pouches

Because most juice pouches are made of plastic polymer and aluminum, they unfortunately can't be recycled. You don't need to dump them, though. For every Honest Kids, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid Drink pouch you send to TerraCycle, the company will donate 2 cents to the charity of your choice. (They provide free shipping, too!) What's more, your old juice pouches will get a second life as colorful purses, totes, and pencil cases, which are sold at Target and Walgreens stores throughout the U.S.

Having recently toured our Lycoming County landfill and recycling facilities, learning of a local company with nationwide and global ties, commitment to sustainability (recycling, reusing, composting) is rewarding.   Bimbo Bakeries USA (Grupo) will be bettering the environment and reducing landfill waste with their packaging partnership with TerraCycle. They are putting their plan into action.   As a conscientious consumer and environmental justice proponent who reuses as often as possible before recycling and composts much household waste, TerraCycle is one more step, involving mail return.   TerraCycle is a broad-based social enterprise for hard-to-recycle waste streams. It involves a large category of specific brands which can be returned by boxed mail with free shipping. Participants redeem points measured by weight. These points can be directed to charities of choice or cashed and donated. TerraCycle recovers 97 percent of collected waste.   I encourage researching the TerraCycle programs and beginning the New Year as Bimbo Bakeries is doing. The Earth thanks you too.  

LOL Surprise toys are some of the hot-selling toys that are preferred by children. They come under the bestseller lists, bringing in huge profits.   However, they are bringing in huge plastic wastes through their plastic bags and wrappings, especially as they are on the top-of-the-wish list item.  Now MGA Entertainment making LOL items is trying to make up for the plastic wastes that come with the packaging.   CEO Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment says that the company will be bringing down its plastic wrapping usage. Instead, it will wrap the toys with other materials that are more environment-friendly.   MGA Entertainment is pairing up with TerraCycle, a recycling company to cut down on wastage. The plastic paper and the plastic toys will be recycled and used again, says the company. The company has further plans for the recycling, which has not been announced as yet, says CMO Hailey Wu Sullivan.   Larian says that the LOL items are some of the top best-selling toys. They come in varying price ranges with as little as $5 to higher prices like $240. LOL Surprise has seven to 15 best-selling toys, says Larian.   The LOL toys are expected to bring in good revenue of more than $500 million for this year alone, according to analysts. MGA Entertainment owns Bratz too.   The company will be recycling the packaging material and the toys too. Customers can now pack both packaging and toys in a fitting box and ship them to TerraCycle. They will then be melted down and turned into pellets.   From 2020, the plastic packages are expected to be replaced by paper for the inner packaging of the LOL Surprise toys. Biodegradable plastic will be used from next year and the company is working on these plans, says Larian.   The company is planning for a sustainable environment by cutting down on plastic wastage from its packaging and toys.