TERRACYCLE NEWS
ELIMINATING THE IDEA OF WASTE®
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Zero Waste: Start Practicing Sustainable Self Care With These Affordable Beauty Products
Simple swaps to nourish you and your planet.
Shampoo Bars
Not only are shampoo bars plastic packaging free, but the solid, compact consistency of the conditioning shampoo means you get a lot more use out of a smaller product. Perfect for traveling, switching to shampoo bars means 100ml limits and TSA checks are a thing of the past. Simply lather the shampoo in your hands like a regular soap bar and shampoo as normal. The Yellow Bird Peppermint Shampoo BarSafety Razors
Safety razors are no longer a thing of the past. This switch takes a little practice but is worth the initial effort, and could not only save you hundreds of dollars on wasteful single-use plastic but also trips to the grocery store. Oui Shave Rose Gold Single Blade RazorZero Waste Makeup and Skincare Brands
A majority of our self-care routines is skincare and makeup. What you put on your face should nourish and protect you, so why not do the same for the planet while you’re at it? Kjaer WeisBody
Exfoliate and moisturize your body without the waste. CroonLip Balm
A portable and often short-lived product, lip balms are designed to moisturize on-the-go so going plastic-free makes a huge difference to the waste you can cut out in treating chapped lips. Lovett Sundries Lip Balm & TintDeodorant
Feel good and smell great with zero-waste deodorants you can carry on-the-go. Manuka Probiotic DeodorantThese Eco-Conscious Brands Deserve Some Recognition
From sustainably-sourced ingredients to carbon neutral initiatives, these brands are helping offset their environmental impact.
Allbirds
For Allbirds, sustainability has always been top-of-mind; it’s part of the brand’s DNA. Every product from the footwear company is made out of environmentally-friendly, renewable resources, and their production process uses 60 percent less energy. Now, Allbirds has announced it’s going 100 percent carbon neutral under the Allbirds Carbon Fund. It’s a self-imposed internal carbon tax the company will use to fund emissions reduction projects. What does that mean? Going carbon neutral means that if you’re adding polluting emissions to the atmosphere, for example, you would subtract them or negate those effects by purchasing carbon offsets which are basically credits for emission reductions achieved by projects such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency retrofits. So, for Allbirds to go carbon neutral, they essentially have to make-up for any environmental impact with positive initiatives like renewable energy projects. To celebrate, the brand has released a limited-edition endangered bird shoe collection where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the National Audubon Society, a non-profit conservation organization based in the U.S. $135; available at allbirds.caHonua Skincare
Born and raised on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, Kapua Browning created Honua Skincare in 2015 due to increasing demand in the skincare products she was originally formulating specifically for her facial clients. Made with traditional Hawaiian botanicals like Olena oil (Hawaiian turmeric) and noni fruit, Honua celebrates the Hawaiian culture and Aloha spirit. Ingredients are sustainably sourced from Hawaiian farmers and Honua works with the community to help give back by organizing beach clean-ups and educational events. (These initiatives are paying off: Hawaii has some of the cleanest air in the world.) Plus, the unique box packaging is made using wind energy and it’s even compostable (thanks to the absence of glue and the use of a vegetable ink). Prices start at $35; available at thedetoxmarket.caDresden
This Australian eco-friendly eyewear brand just launched its sustainably-made glasses and sunglasses in Canada. Uniquely, the brand offers just one universally-flattering frame style, but in four sizes (from extra small to large) and hundreds of colour varations (16 standard colours and hundreds of blended colours). In order to meet their zero-waste mandate, Dresden reuses excess dye-coloured plastic waste from their eyewear moulds to create one-of-a-kind transitional frames with blended colours. (This is where the hundreds of blended colour frames come in.) Select one of these frames and you might have the only pair ever created. Prices start at $49; available at dresden.visionANARA Denim
Newly launched ANARA Denim (the brand officially launched on Earth Day, April 22!) is designed in Vancouver and ethically manufactured in Melbourne, Australia. The denim is made from a fabric blend that contains over 50 percent hemp, and uses two-times less water and yields 250 percent more fiber on the same amount of land compared to cotton. $245; available at anara.co Need an excuse to shop? Here are 13 ways green living can make you healthier.EVIO Beauty
Brandi Leifso, founder of EVIO Beauty, is on a mission to create products that are good for your skin, good for the planet, and good for the community. In addition to producing beautiful, highly-effective products that are vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free and free of parabens, EVIO Beauty uses hemp-based packaging materials in order to cut down on their use of plastic. Up next? A cannabis skincare line in partnership with Aurora Cannabis. Prices for EVIO Beauty start at $18; available at eviobeauty.comEncircled
Sustainability and versatility are two values at the heart of Encircled, a Canadian company making eco-friendly clothing. With a tag-line of “Be more with less,” Encircled is an antidote to fast-fashion, creating high-quality, versatile items that belong in every capsule wardrobe. Their best-selling Chrysalis Cardi can be styled more than eight different ways. You can even wear it as a infinity scarf or a one-shoulder dress! $138; available at encircled.caKLIIN
One KLIIN towel can potentially replace seventeen rolls of paper towel, according to this Canadian company. The reusable towel is made of 100 percent natural fibres and can be used for everything from wiping counters and doing the dishes to scrubbing the bathroom and washing the car. One towel will last up to three hundred washes after which it can be tossed into the composter. Yep, it biodegrades into organic matter within four weeks. Available in two sizes, with prices starting at $5; kliin.co.Weleda
Each year, 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans, and according to a 2017 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, only 9 percent of plastic actually ends up being recycled. To make it easier for consumers, Weleda has partnered with TerraCycle on a free recycling program for their Skin Food line. “Preserving the balance between what we take from nature with what we give back is our core value,” says Rob Keen, CEO of Weleda North America, via press release. “This respect for nature is in our DNA and it guides everything we do – from our innovative biodynamic farming practices that actually pull carbon out of the atmosphere, to our manufacturing facilities in France, Germany and Switzerland that use energy from 100% renewable sources. We also employ thoughtful ingredient sourcing and ethical partnerships that protect the life energy and potency of our products. Now we are teaming up with TerraCycle to ensure that our recently launched Skin Food packaging has every opportunity to be recycled.” TerraCycle will collect empty packaging from the Skin Food line of products where it’s then cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded into new recycled products. Full details about how to participate can be found at terracycle.ca. Next, discover 14 ways toxins are sneaking into yourBefore you throw away your beauty #empties, this is what you should know
One mission, many ways: 7 earth-forward companies we know and love
Impossible Foods was founded with an ambitious mission: to restore biodiversity and reduce the impact of climate change by replacing the use of animals as a food production technology. This commitment is at the core of everything we do. It’s the driving force that motivates us. And we know we aren’t the only ones.
ACTIVATE: Patagonia
“We’re in business to save our home planet.”
Like many other planet-forward companies, Patagonia uses all resources at their disposal to make an impact. Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, was key to the establishment of “benefit corporations” — expanding the boundaries of traditional corporate models to include creation of environmental and social good. Famously known as “The Activist Company,” Patagonia doesn’t limit their work to the products they make: they use their corporate platform to champion important environmental issues, including the preservation of Bears Ears National Park, the Green New Deal, and more. Learn more about Patagonia’s mission on their website.
DRIVE: Tesla
“Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Founded on the belief that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of quality, Tesla has helped universalize the concept of electric personal transit. With their vehicles alone, they have prevented over 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere — not to mention the tangential impact of other car companies following their lead. In the spirit of moving toward a zero-emission future, Tesla has now expanded their efforts to create a sustainable energy ecosystem — releasing products like Powerwall, Powerpack and Solar Roof. Learn more about Tesla’s mission on their website.
SHOP: thredUP
“thredUP is on a mission to inspire a new generation of shoppers to think secondhand, first.”
The fashion industry is notoriously harmful to the environment. Every year, new clothing production contributes billions of pounds of waste to our landfills — in addition to using precious natural resources and polluting our atmosphere. thredUP encourages more people to give clothes a second life before buying something new. Their ultimate goal is to change the way new generations think about used clothing and in doing so, inspire a movement around sustainable fashion. They’ve crunched the numbers and again, the small actions add up: if everyone chose used over new just once a year, almost 6 billion pounds of emissions, 25 billion gallons of water, and 449 million pounds of waste would be saved. Learn more about thredUP’s mission on their website.
EAT: Beyond Meat
“At Beyond Meat, we believe there is a better way to feed the planet.”
Beyond Meat is one of our many allies in the fight for a more sustainable global food system. Like us, they believe that plant-based protein is the future — one that will improve human health, alleviate climate change, reduce global resource constraints and improve animal welfare. They focus on using familiar vegetable proteins, such as pea-protein and beet juice, to recreate the experience of eating meat. Beyond Meat first launched in Whole Foods, and now has multiple products across retail and foodservice that all have a significantly lower impact on the environment than animal-based protein. Learn more about Beyond Meat’s mission on their website.
DRINK: S’well
“S’well’s ongoing mission is to create products that are both beautiful and eco-friendly, that infuse innovation with inspiration, and that continue to give back to communities in need.”
Sometimes, something as simple as purchasing a reusable water bottle can have a monumental impact. Disposable water bottles are one of the biggest contributors to single-use plastic consumption. Globally, 1,000,000 plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and most of these plastics end up in landfills or waterways. S’well is dedicated to reducing that consumption by providing an alternative that people are excited to use: fashionable, functional, and better for the planet. Learn more about S’well’s mission on their website.
CLEAN: The Seventh Generation
“We’re inspiring a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations.”
For the past thirty years, Seventh Generation has been looking out for the planet and the people on it. Founded on the belief that a company’s values are as important as the products they put out into the world, Seventh Generation has set a gold standard for corporate social responsibility. Their products do more than clean your home — by using plant-based ingredients and recycled packaging, they also safeguard the environment. And they haven’t stopped there: their Social Mission Board continues to raise the bar for sustainable practices to ensure a continued dedication to people and planet. Learn more about Seventh Generation’s mission on their website.
RECYCLE: TerraCycle
“TerraCycle is Eliminating the Idea of Waste® by recycling the ‘non-recyclable.’”
Though the definition of what is “recyclable” has become increasingly limited, TerraCycle is out to prove that anything can have a second life. Through partnerships with companies, manufacturers, municipalities and more, they’ve implemented a number of solutions to make recycling more feasible for both businesses and consumers. These solutions include free recycling programs, Zero-Waste Boxes (allowing people to send in everything from action figures to flip flops), and a host of educational resources. So far, they’ve successfully diverted millions of pounds of waste from landfills and incinerators — preventing them from polluting our oceans, terra forms, and atmosphere. Learn more about TerraCycle’s mission on their website.
In order to protect the best-known planet in the universe, we’ll need to work together.
We applaud companies with this mindset, and encourage our friends and fans to explore the different ways they can make a positive impact.
Earth Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the issue at hand and remember why we’re fighting for this great planet. This is why we’re supporting our friends at The North Face (Read about their environmental efforts on their website) to petition to make Earth Day a national holiday — so we can all take time to appreciate this place we call home.
Sign the petition here.
Then, grab a burger, order some groceries, and start your spring cleaning.