Mayors are being challenged in competition for the biggest haul of butts     A Beamsville-based group of volunteers united by their goal to decrease Niagara’s environmental footprint is asking for the public’s help.   The Eco-Defenders are hosting Lincoln’s annual Butt Blitz on Saturday, April 27, where participants will spend roughly four hours picking up cigarette butts.   Last year’s blitz collected over 17,000 butts from Grimsby and Lincoln alone, and over 239,000 from across Canada.   New this year, the group is unveiling the Mayors’ Biggest Butts Competition, where the mayor of the municipality with the most butts collected will win a trophy.   “It is our intention that this could become an annual competition and the trophy would get passed around to the winners,” co-ordinator Jane Gadsby said in her letter to the mayors.   Every littered butt retrieved will be sent to TerraCycle, where it will be turned into plastic and used to make products like shipping pallets. Tobacco will also be separated and sent out to be composted.   Anybody wishing to support the effort can do so by notifying the group in advance of especially littered areas, can volunteer to join the cleanup or can donate prizes for volunteers of all ages.   Lincoln Butt Blitz volunteers will meet at the Fleming Centre, in Beamsville, at 10 a.m. and will clean until roughly 2 p.m. For more information, visit the groups Facebook page.  

Debuting next month, the "circular shopping platform" aims to make reuse as popular as recycling.       Loop will deliver Haagen-Dazs ice cream in a reusable stainless-steel container. (Photo courtesy of Loop) What if you combined Amazon Prime with a 1950s milkman and Target's democratic design? That pitch might make the judges on Shark Tank scratch their heads, but it's the exact premise of a grocery delivery service that will debut in the Northeast next month, with potentially revolutionary implications for sustainability and the environment. On May 21, Loop will launch a "circular shopping platform" at loopstore.com. It will stock hundreds of familiar branded products — including condiments, ice cream and personal-care items — in durable, reusable packaging instead of single-use bottles, boxes and cans. Customers subscribe to the service and place orders that arrive via UPS; after the products are used up, Loop circles back to pick up the empties at no charge, then cleans and sanitizes them for reuse. Replenishments are automatically delivered. It's the brainstorm of TerraCycle, a company founded in 2001 to recycle previously unrecyclable materials. The overarching concept is the circular economy: Instead of "make and dispose," the goal is "reuse and eliminate." Materials are used for as long as possible, then recycled or reused, with the goal of creating zero waste.

"It's funny: Most of the things we buy, we don't really want to," says TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. "When you go to say Starbucks and you buy a cup of coffee, you buy the coffee, but the cup is also in the price, and you own the cup. But do you really want to own it in the end? If we change ownership — instead of having the consumer own the package, the manufacturer owns it — the manufacturer is motivated to move away from making a product as cheap as possible to making it as durable as possible." To kick off the service, Loop partnered with some of the world's biggest manufacturers of grocery items, including Proctor & Gamble, Nestlé and Unilever. Brands available at launch will include Pantene, Tide, Crest, Gillette, Pampers, Always, Dove, Seventh Generation and Hellmann's. The reusable containers are made from innovative polymers and metals that are stylish and functional: Häagen-Dazs ice cream arrives in a stainless steel, double-walled container that's warm to the touch but frozen inside; Axe deodorant comes in a container that looks designed by Apple. "The design level is a whole new departure from anything in disposable," says Szaky. "Durability enables reuse, but it also enables amazing materials that can be leveraged in beautiful designs." But what if consumers don't want to pay for that premium? "That's crucial. For scale, we need not just the big brands and big retailers, but affordable pricing," says Szaky. "The goal with all the products is to cost about the same as what you normally pay." A small deposit will be charged for the containers; it's fully refunded when they're returned. "We need Loop to be affordable for it to really change the world," says Szaky. "Even middle income and rich people don't want to pay a premium if they don't have to. This is about more than just the circular economy. It is the circular economy at its heart, but it's also about the future of how we consume."  

In 2017, the global cosmetics industry was valued at 532 billion dollars. A ton of beauty products are purchased and used every single day. Eventually, those products turn into empty packaging that needs to be disposed of. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 2015 rate of recyclable materials like plastic, glass, and paper actually being recycled was only at 34.7 percent. That means that the majority of foundation bottles, moisturizer jars, and shampoo and body wash bottles (as well as other pieces of household waste) are going into landfills. As a beauty editor, I test a lot of products. So many, in fact, that I rarely finish an entire bottle of shampoo or jar of moisturizer. I’d like to say that I always rinse out each and every one of the products I’m no longer using, then recycle the bottles accordingly. The truth is, though, I don’t — and part of the reason is, I didn’t always know how, or if the products can even be recycled in the first place. Do I have to rinse out everything before I recycle it? Are there any containers that can’t go in the trash? Can I mix the empty packaging from all of my products in the same recycling bin? These are the questions I ask myself every time I’m ready to dispose of a beauty product. And, when I’m not sure one of my products can be recycled, I just throw it in my bin and hope for the best. It's called “wish-cycling,” and as I learned while researching for this story, it’s exactly what you shouldn't be doing. That’s why one of my 2019 goals is to make sense of it all so that I recycle more of my beauty products and throw less in the trash. RELATED: Here's What Actually Makes a Deodorant Natural To demystify the process, I spoke with Alita Kane, community liaison of The Recycling Partnership, a non-profit organization that provides recycling consulting to communities nationwide. I gave Kane the task of breaking down general recycling rules, and how they apply to your beauty products. Check out her advice below.

1. Recycling Plastic Can Be Complicated, So Find Out What's Accepted In Area

Most of your beauty products likely come in plastic packaging (and the rest are likely in glass, but more on that later). Given the recent war waged on plastic straws and the impact the material has on the environment, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that plastic should be a priority. The only problem is that all plastic is not created equal. “The challenge is that plastic comes in so many shapes, forms, and sizes,” says Kane. “To narrow down what can actually go in your bin, stick to bottles, containers, jugs, and tubs.” This can include products like shampoo bottles, moisturizer jars, and body wash bottles. Kane says that recycling availability is different across the country, and is constantly changing — often at a pace that people can’t keep up with the latest information. The rules aren't consistent across the board, so before recycling your products, you'll want to do some digging on your local city hall and/or sanitation department websites for information. However, she says that one of the biggest factors affecting what your municipality will pick up is which manufacturers are getting sent these materials. When your recycling is picked up curbside, it’s brought to a material recovery facility (or MRF). Then, it’s sorted, packed into bales, and sent to manufacturers for reuse. “Depending on who that MRF is, and who they have purchasing their materials, locally and internationally, is really going to make a difference on what your municipality is able to allow you to put in that recycling bin,” she explains.

2. That Arrow Symbol You Learned In School? It Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

When I see a three chasing arrow symbol (also known as the Möbius Loop) on one of my products, I always assume it means it’s made of recyclable materials. It turns out that the chasing arrows, and the number that appears in the middle of the symbol, indicate the type of resin that the package is made from. Technically, that packaging is only recyclable if that resin is accepted by your area’s curbside recycling program. “These arrows are not an indicator of recyclability,” confirms Kane. “There is no one out there policing whether or not a company can put that symbol on their products, so a lot of times it’s misplaced. It doesn’t indicate recyclability as much as it tends to indicate the contents of the product packaging and what type of resin material it’s made from.”

3. Shape And Size Matter

If you’re like me and throw lipstick tubes and sample-sized serums into your recycling bin, Kane says you could be doing more harm than good. Product packaging that’s too small usually gets lost when it’s being sorted. Kane says a good rule of thumb is to leave anything that’s smaller than an index card out of your recycling bin. These items unfortunately have to be tossed into the trash, or recycled by a third party program (more on that later). As for the shapes of packages, the materials need to be hard. Anything that’s flexible or squeezable — tubes of toothpaste, hand cream bottles, and sheet mask pouches — can’t be recycled. RELATED: The 8 Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens for Summer 2019

4. Yes, You Need To Rinse Your Empties

A few drops of shampoo left in the bottle is perfectly fine, but if there’s almost enough in bottom for you to shampoo your hair with, you’ll need to take the extra step to clean it. If liquids co-mingle with other recyclable materials like paper and cardboard, it can get everything wet and ultimately ruin its ability to be recycled. Kane says that if the if the recyclable materials cross-contaminate, they can’t properly be sorted and processed, and thus can’t be repurposed into new materials. Removing any adhesives or glitter stuck on product packaging is also important for the same reason.

5. Pay Attention To Caps And Pumps

Plastic caps are too small on their own to be recycled, but if they’re left on the bottle or jar they came with, you can put them in your bin. As for pumps, check to see if they have a metal ring in them. “Technically that would be a mixed material so you wouldn’t want to have that together,” says Kane. Take the pump off, put that part in the trash, and then put your empty lotion bottle in the recycling bin.”

6. Glass And Paper Are Pretty Simple To Recycle

The good news: not all recyclable materials are as complicated as plastic. Paper and cardboard, and glass are among the easiest things to recycle — for now. The cardboard boxes that your products come in, along with any paper instruction booklets, are typically safe to toss into recycling bins. If your area picks up glass, stick to putting bottles, containers, and jars in your bin. Kane says that things like moisturizer containers can be picked up curbside as long as they’re bigger than an index card and don’t have any mirrors on them because that would make it a mixed material. VIDEO: How to Use Tinted Brow Gel  

7. Your Hairspray and Dry Shampoo Are Recyclable

Spray cans made from aluminum, steel, or tin can be thrown into your blue bin. “If it’s an aerosol like a dry shampoo, make sure it’s completely empty,” says Kane. “If it has a plastic cap, that plastic cap should come off.” Since material facilities don’t have the equipment to sort mixed materials, the cap needs to be removed in order for the spray can to be successfully recycled.

8. Know Your Other Recycling Options

Alternatively, you can check whether the brand or store you purchased the product from has their own recycling program. A few examples? Unilever, the parent company of brands like Dove and TRESemme is partnering with Loop, a shopping platform that will carry some of their brands' products in sustainable packaging that when empty, gets picked up, cleaned, and refilled. Credo Beauty has a partnership with TerraCycle, a third-party recycling program, and will take customers’ empties in exchange for customer loyalty points. The biggest takeaway? Think twice before throwing any beauty product packages into your recycling bin. And if that eye cream jar, moisturizer bottle, or eyeshadow palette can’t be recycled, check to see if the brand or a third-party company can take it back. Yup, it’s a little extra work, but our planet is worth it.

Because everything in the recycling and solid waste world is in disarray right now, it’s time for new thinking and action. There is something called “Loop,” which turns some old-fashioned thought into a new world of actionable solutions. Think of the milkman and “Charles Chips” of days gone by and the way products were delivered right to your door in mostly reusable containers. Then also hear the words of Tom Szaky, CEO of Terracycle, the company putting forward the concept of the “Loop”: “Loop is about the future of consumption and one of the tenets is that garbage shouldn’t exist.” This idea is based on delivering products to homes and businesses in reusable containers, with a goal of having all packaging be reusable or recyclable by design. Some companies on board with this thinking are huge ones: Proctor and Gamble, Pepsico, Nestle, Unilever, Mars, Clorox, Coca Cola, Nature’s Path, Danone and many others, here and abroad. With the encouragement of Terracycle, an example of reuse would be for Tide detergent to come in a durable stainless steel container with a sturdy twist cap. Haagen-Dazs ice cream could be packaged in reusable double-walled stainless steel tubs designed to be kept cold. Similar products such as shampoo, hand soaps, mouthwash, creams, etc. can be handled this way. UPS and other delivery services would deliver a box of these supplies and pick up the empties to and from your home, their facility or another delivery scenario point. Concurrently, the “zero-waste” movement strives to take our wasteful ways down to a bare minimum. This is no easy task, given the current levels. Roughly, each American generates about 5 pounds of trash per day, of which only about 30% is either recycled or composted. Much of this material goes to landfills, where it produces large amounts of methane gas, a small fraction of which is captured or burned off. We have a long way to go and need a multi-pronged attack.   Source reduction efforts on both the production and consumer sides are critical to making substantial progress without resorting to landfilling and burning. Some of the same large corporations that are talking about “buying into” the Loop process are also still manufacturing products in containers that are not recyclable in most areas. On the recycling side of things, since other countries are now restricting the amount of our waste that they will buy; we need to co-ordinate exactly what materials can be universally marketed. The issue of contamination within the recycling stream must be straightened out through education and, if necessary, code enforcement actions. As in many cases involving business trends, they need strong signals from both government and consumers to react positively for the environment with new or less packaging, or the refillable container idea. “Loop” is scheduled to be rolled out in test markets in the Eastern United States and in parts of Europe right about now. Check out progress by searching for “TerraCycle Loop” online. Also, the zero-waste movement has many iterations and suggestions online. The Galloway Township Office of Sustainability has more information on the current state of recycling, ways to “precycle,” tips on source reduction of trash as well as deeper, nontraditional recycling. The office can be reached at gtnj.org or at 609-652-3700, ext. 209.  

On Earth Day, April 22, Russo Music Academy, 619 Lake Ave., Asbury Park, is holding a guitar string recycling program from 5 to 8 p.m.   In conjunction with D'Addario, which is rolling out what they say is the world's first wide-scale recycling program, Playback, Russo is offering a free set of strings and restring on any qualifying 6-string electric or acoustic guitar when you bring in used strings to contribute.   Customers can choose between a set of D'Addario's premium NYXL electric guitar strings or D'Addario's NEW Nickel Bronze acoustic guitar strings.   The free strings are limited to one per customer, and restrictions apply.   Playback is powered by TerraCycle, an international upcycling and recycling company that works to collect difficult-to-recycle items and repurpose them into innovative products.   Visit russomusic.com for more on Russo Music Academy.

Packaging and product design are integral to consumerism as we know it. Discover how the plastic-free movement is creating a shift in how products are displayed, made, and disposed of.

Every time you go into a retail or grocery store, you see food products or other items packaged in a way to appeal to the senses. Packaging is a way to differentiate one brand from another; it gives the customer a first impression of the product. Some packages are vibrant and bold, whereas others are neutral and muted. The design of the packaging is more than the aesthetics. It also encapsulates the brand message in a single product. Image via Ksw Photographer. At first glance, packaging is simply a means to present a specific product on the shelf. It’s opened once and then trashed or recycled. But what happens to the packaging when it has been discarded? That oh-so-carefully designed container ends up in landfills, oceans, and rivers, causing harm to surrounding wildlife and ecosystems. In fact, it’s estimated that around forty percent of all plastics produced is packaging. That’s more than the plastic created and used for building and construction! Surely, there’s a way to reduce package and plastic pollution while still appealing to consumers. Image via Larina Marina. After being exposed to images and videos of wildlife harmed by plastics, consumers and business alike are stepping up to face plastic pollution. The up-and-coming plastic-free movement has gained momentum in making others aware of the effects of excessive plastic use. It has achieved so much traction that many businesses are changing how they approach product and packaging design in order to take more responsibility of how the product is being discarded.

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What’s the Plastic-Free Movement All About?

This trending movement, also coined “zero waste” or “low waste,” is currently gaining traction. It’s catching everyone’s eyes due to viral images and videos showing wildlife and sea life harmed by the overconsumption of plastic. What was once a revolutionary material is now so heavily consumed that it’s wreaking havoc on our environment, due to its infinite lifespan. So, the goal of the plastic-free movement is to bring awareness to the amounts of plastic that is used on a daily basis. From straws to coffee cups to food packaging, plastic is everywhere. This durable yet flexible material is heavily embedded in most cultures worldwide; in some areas, you simply cannot escape plastic. Image via maramorosz.  The good news is, there are many areas where plastic consumption can be reduced. More and more consumers are opting for reusable items over disposable items, including reusable water bottles, straws, produce bags, or grocery bags. While switching over to something as small as a reusable straw may not mean much, using one product over and over again instead of its single-use counterpart diverts a lot of plastic from landfills and oceans. Image via Bogdan Sonjachnyj.  The plastic-free movement has become so well known that brands are stepping up their sustainability efforts, from the manufacturing to the disposal of a product. Many companies have changed their packaging to reduce plastic, switched to recycled or reusable materials, or ditched traditional packaging altogether.

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The Rise of Package-Free Goods

In addition to the increasing trend of consumers opting for plastic-free goods, many are opting for package-free goods. Consumers can find package-free goods in the bulk sections of many grocery stores, in farmers markets, in specialty stores, or in zero waste-oriented stores. This concept forgoes the traditional packaging that most products would typically have, such as a label, container, or design component, thus eliminating the packaging design and experience altogether. Image via Newman Studio. While typical packaging is used to lure customers to a specific products, more and more businesses are offering items without packaging in order to reduce total cost of goods and materials. Still, going package-free is not ideal for every product. Many items are required to have some sort of packaging component, such as oral hygiene products. Even though many products are unable to go package-free, the plastic-free movement has motivated many brands to think twice about their packaging and product design’s overall impact.

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Companies That Are Reducing Their Products’ Impact

While many brands still have a lot of work to do in order to make their packaging and product more sustainable, there are quite a few companies that are doing it right. From creating thread from recycled plastics, to using only compostable materials, these businesses prioritize sustainability throughout the product’s lifecycle and advocate for making the world a cleaner place.

Adidas x Parley

In order to combat the heaping patches of ocean plastic, Adidas and Parley have collaborated to make athletic wear from recycled plastics. This collaboration effort tackles the increasing issue of littered plastics on beaches and coastlines while creating something new from trash. Many other brands have taken this approach of creating thread from plastic, including Rothy’s, Girlfriend Collective, and Everlane.

Numi Tea

  Numi Tea is the gold standard for sustainability efforts. They live and breathe all things earth-friendly, from the teas and herbs they source all the way down to carbon offsetting projects. They also go above and beyond packaging efforts by using soy-based inks, compostable tea bags (most contain plastic!), implementing organic and fair trade practices, and working with local areas to ensure thriving communities.

Pela Case

Pela Case disrupts the phone case industry by using flax straw, instead of hard plastics or silicone, as the main component of their case material. The flax straw used in their phone cases provides a solution to the flax straw waste from harvesting flax seed oil, while also creating a fully compostable phone case.

Elate Cosmetics

  Rather than packaging cosmetics in hard to recycle plastics and mixed materials, Elate Cosmetics uses bamboo to make their packaging more sustainable. Bamboo is known to be a self-regenerating source of timber that relies on less water than other wood. The clean beauty brand also strives to reduce packaging costs by offering refillable palettes shipped in seed paper.

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How Brands and Designers Can Implement Low-Waste Strategies

Businesses and designers have the ability to make a lasting impression in terms of sustainability. Just by making tweaks to packaging or by changing the material from virgin to post-consumer recycled content, brands can appeal to consumers while lessening their impact on the environment. Image via Chaosamran_Studio.

Use Recycled or Post-Consumer Recycled Content Whenever Possible

Many products and packaging use virgin materials, whether it’s new plastic, paper, or metal. The amount of resources and processing needed to create new materials can do more harm than good to the environment. A great way to reduce waste and lessen the product’s impact is to source product materials from recycled or post-consumer recycled content(PCR). Give those recycled items a new life instead of using more resources.

Reduce Excessive and Unnecessary Packaging

There’s nothing worse than opening up a large container and seeing that the product takes up only a small portion of the packaging. Excessive or unnecessary packaging uses up more material than necessary. Drastically reduce packaging waste by thinking about “right sizing” packaging. Is there an element of the packaging that can be removed without affecting the overall branding? Carlsberg took initiative and noticed the endless amounts of plastic used in securing beverage six-packs. They then switched to the innovative Snap Pack to reduce waste, emissions, and harm to the environment.

Implement a Program to Responsibly Return or Dispose of Products

If package or product redesign is too monumental of a task, there are other ways to reduce your product’s impact. By participating with programs that responsibly recycle packaging, such as Terracycle, your business can ensure the product is disposed of properly. Another way to reduce packaging costs and impact is by engaging in a return scheme. Smaller businesses partake in a return system where the consumer pays for a deposit on the packaging, such as a growler or milk bottle, then returns the packaging to the business to be sterilized and sanitized for refill. In larger businesses, this can create logistical issues, but companies such as Loop are creating a new standard for returnable packaging.

Incorporate Reusable Packaging or Encourage Consumers to Reuse

Most packages are made to be thrown away or recycled once opened. Businesses can extend the lifecycle of the packaging alone by using materials that can be reused or upcycled. Glass, metal, cotton, or sturdy cardboard can often be reused to fit other needs, such as storage for food or personal items. When using reusable containers such as glass jars, encourage your consumers to reuse the packaging by showing them simple ways to upcycle the item.

Stick to a Single Packaging Material

Packaging that contains more than one type of material, or mixed materials, often make it more difficult to recycle. For instance, lining a cardboard box with a thin plastic window can reduce the probability of the package being recycled. By using only cardboard or any other easily recyclable materials, consumers can simply put the package in the recycling bin rather than having to separate all materials.

Earth Day is all about admiring and celebrating the beautiful things our planet has to offer — and many beauty companies are onboard. With April 22 approaching, we decided to round up some of our favorite new clean, green and sustainable hair, skin and makeup products to celebrate! These Are the Best Hair, Makeup and Skincare Products of 2019 There are tons of great picks that inhabit what it means to be eco-friendly without compromising efficacy. Because when it comes down to it, a cruelty-free and vegan formula is great, but it’s also got to work. So in honor of Earth Day, we gathered 15 products that fit the green-beauty mold and totally earn their spot on your beauty roster. Some of our favorite items are part of larger programs with proceeds that go to eco-friendly causes. For instance, John Legend teamed up with Kiehl’s for a limited-edition face mask that not only improves the appearance of pores but also doubles as a charitable donation. Proceeds up to $25,000 will go to the Earth Day Network’s Great Global Clean Up, which mobilizes volunteers to collect trash from green spaces, landscapes and waterways. Hair brand Garnier also takes part in a sustainability initiative, partnering with TerraCycle to reduce the carbon footprint. Not only do they prevent personal care waste from further filling landfills, but since 2011 they’ve diverted as much as 11.7 million empties and turned them into garden beds, park benches and lumber playgrounds. Youth to the People even came out with a special Earth Day edition of its cleanser housed in a large glass bottle was specifically made to be refilled and reused. Plus, the brand partnered with organizations to protect the plant to see that $1 from every purchase will go towards making our world a safer place. Then there’s just your basic clean formulas that are kinder to the planet that we just cannot get enough of. Keep scrolling to see our 15 favorite clean and green beauty picks for Earth Day!

Earth Day Celebration at SUNY Orange: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 25, 115 South St., Alumni Green (rain: Shepard Student Center), Middletown. Green events including student club displays, Ask-a-Master Gardener, 511Rideshare, CleanAirNY, SunCommon, TerraCycle, green career information, environmental and healthy-living organizations, campus clean-up, a plant sale and more. 341-4166,kirsten.gabrielsen@sunyorange.edu