Spring is our most honest season and the sidewalk glaciers that are rapidly receding are the most honest brokers around.   They contain the truth of Toronto and right now the truth is butts. Endless butts. As if preserved in amber, the great spring melt is revealing thousands of cigarette butts on our streets in great piles and in long toxic carpets that will wash into the lakes and rivers if not swept up soon.     A collection of cigarette butts trapped in sidewalk glaciers.  (SHAWN MICALLEF / FOR THE TORONTO STAR)   There’s more than just butts though; the glaciers provide an opportunity for urban archeology of the recent past. Along just one block of College St., the glaciers revealed a baked potato, a giant screw, a notebook, water bottles, clothing, shoes, and an entire Christmas tree that had been, until recently, completely buried.   There are also bikes that were caught in one of the recent blizzards. The lack of snow clearing, coupled with a few warm days, where the snow drifts turned to slush before freezing again, caused bikes parked along the sidewalks to become trapped like woolly mammoths in ice, impossible to move without a pick axe and a lot of muscle.   So there most stayed, not necessarily abandoned, just immobile. They’ll loosen up just as coats and scarves are in this fleeting transition time, when solid ground becomes mud for a few weeks as Toronto goes through its brown period before bits of green appear. Still, like Newfoundland icebergs in July, some of the most resilient sidewalk glaciers will linger on our streets for a while yet.   Pay attention to them as you pass through the city and their unusual beauty may grow on you. They are, of course, filthy, but grit-filled ice, some of it as black as asphalt or charcoal, makes for an exquisite material for accidental sculptures.   They melt and hollow out in strange ways and shapes, creating new dirty ice stalagmites during subsequent freeze-thaw cycles, the worst popsicles you could ever taste.   It’s not often we get to watch something disintegrate on the street. Along some streets that weren’t properly cleared, block-long glaciers lay in the gutter, nearly indistinguishable from the road surface. As they too shrink, tiny rivers of melt water will form mini ravines in them, like how Toronto itself was formed over time.   Like or loath winter, proper snow clearing or not, this time of year reveals how poorly we treat the public realm. Or at least how some of us do. It’s almost boring to write about this and it seems futile: litterbugs are eternal. And yet, it’s such an upsetting thing to witness, in action or in aftermath, it always demands push back.   A bicycle frozen in sidewalk ice.  (FOR THE TORONTO STAR)   As a responsible dog owner who sometimes searches for wayward turds on night walks with my iPhone flashlight, the amount of thawing poop in public places right now is distressing too. Who are these people who don’t stoop and scoop? You shame the rest of us. Worse, you shame your canine, an innocent who just needed to go and hoped you’d do the right thing.   Some of it is even bagged. The bagged poop, left out, is a subset of this genre that is most confounding: bag it only to leave it in a snow bank? Why the half measure? This phenomenon happens on hiking trails too: people will bag it then leave it at the trailhead.   As for the cigarette butts, they seem to be the last socially acceptable form of litter. Tolerated, at least. The quick flick of a thumb and finger, a flash of embers, it’s satisfying, I get it. For a brief couple years in the 1990s I smoked. The old, prone to breaking down, Pontiac Sunbird I drove had a lighter and built-in ashtray, but I flicked every butt out the window without a thought. Now that seems reprehensible, but that at the time was normal. Everyone did it.   While butts can be consistently found nearly everywhere, they tend to cluster in front of cafes and bars, the kinds of social spaces where people go outside for a smoke, then flick them a few metres away without thinking. If you stare at just the gutters, you’ll know you’re passing such an establishment without looking up because of all the butts.   Four years ago, a pilot project was started though a partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the West Queen West Business Improvement Area, Councillor Mike Layton’s office and a recycling company called TerraCycle. Boxes that smokers could butt out in were installed on poles and businesses emptied them and sent the butts away for recycling. The responsibility was shared, though smokers bear the most. We need more of this.   Spring cleaning, if we still go in for that sort of thing in this low tax city, will return Toronto to its usual state of cleanliness, which isn’t what it once was. That’s a choice we’ve collectively decided to make.   Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @shawnmicallef  

Spring is our most honest season and the sidewalk glaciers that are rapidly receding are the most honest brokers around.   They contain the truth of Toronto and right now the truth is butts. Endless butts. As if preserved in amber, the great spring melt is revealing thousands of cigarette butts on our streets in great piles and in long toxic carpets that will wash into the lakes and rivers if not swept up soon.     A collection of cigarette butts trapped in sidewalk glaciers.  (SHAWN MICALLEF / FOR THE TORONTO STAR)   There’s more than just butts though; the glaciers provide an opportunity for urban archeology of the recent past. Along just one block of College St., the glaciers revealed a baked potato, a giant screw, a notebook, water bottles, clothing, shoes, and an entire Christmas tree that had been, until recently, completely buried.   There are also bikes that were caught in one of the recent blizzards. The lack of snow clearing, coupled with a few warm days, where the snow drifts turned to slush before freezing again, caused bikes parked along the sidewalks to become trapped like woolly mammoths in ice, impossible to move without a pick axe and a lot of muscle.   So there most stayed, not necessarily abandoned, just immobile. They’ll loosen up just as coats and scarves are in this fleeting transition time, when solid ground becomes mud for a few weeks as Toronto goes through its brown period before bits of green appear. Still, like Newfoundland icebergs in July, some of the most resilient sidewalk glaciers will linger on our streets for a while yet.   Pay attention to them as you pass through the city and their unusual beauty may grow on you. They are, of course, filthy, but grit-filled ice, some of it as black as asphalt or charcoal, makes for an exquisite material for accidental sculptures.   They melt and hollow out in strange ways and shapes, creating new dirty ice stalagmites during subsequent freeze-thaw cycles, the worst popsicles you could ever taste.   It’s not often we get to watch something disintegrate on the street. Along some streets that weren’t properly cleared, block-long glaciers lay in the gutter, nearly indistinguishable from the road surface. As they too shrink, tiny rivers of melt water will form mini ravines in them, like how Toronto itself was formed over time.   Like or loath winter, proper snow clearing or not, this time of year reveals how poorly we treat the public realm. Or at least how some of us do. It’s almost boring to write about this and it seems futile: litterbugs are eternal. And yet, it’s such an upsetting thing to witness, in action or in aftermath, it always demands push back.     A bicycle frozen in sidewalk ice.  (FOR THE TORONTO STAR)   As a responsible dog owner who sometimes searches for wayward turds on night walks with my iPhone flashlight, the amount of thawing poop in public places right now is distressing too. Who are these people who don’t stoop and scoop? You shame the rest of us. Worse, you shame your canine, an innocent who just needed to go and hoped you’d do the right thing.   Some of it is even bagged. The bagged poop, left out, is a subset of this genre that is most confounding: bag it only to leave it in a snow bank? Why the half measure? This phenomenon happens on hiking trails too: people will bag it then leave it at the trailhead.   As for the cigarette butts, they seem to be the last socially acceptable form of litter. Tolerated, at least. The quick flick of a thumb and finger, a flash of embers, it’s satisfying, I get it. For a brief couple years in the 1990s I smoked. The old, prone to breaking down, Pontiac Sunbird I drove had a lighter and built-in ashtray, but I flicked every butt out the window without a thought. Now that seems reprehensible, but that at the time was normal. Everyone did it.   While butts can be consistently found nearly everywhere, they tend to cluster in front of cafes and bars, the kinds of social spaces where people go outside for a smoke, then flick them a few metres away without thinking. If you stare at just the gutters, you’ll know you’re passing such an establishment without looking up because of all the butts.   Four years ago, a pilot project was started though a partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the West Queen West Business Improvement Area, Councillor Mike Layton’s office and a recycling company called TerraCycle. Boxes that smokers could butt out in were installed on poles and businesses emptied them and sent the butts away for recycling. The responsibility was shared, though smokers bear the most. We need more of this.   Spring cleaning, if we still go in for that sort of thing in this low tax city, will return Toronto to its usual state of cleanliness, which isn’t what it once was. That’s a choice we’ve collectively decided to make.   Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @shawnmicallef  

Including tips on how to recycle more than just plastic bottles.     Believe it or not, reducing the amount of trash you produce doesn't just positively impact the state of our landfills—it can also give your pocketbook a boost. Sure, it takes time to mend items that you can no longer use or to find new ways to repurpose them elsewhere in your home, but the end result is worth it. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to offset the amount of trash you produce and how much you throw out every day. If you simply can't reuse an item—be it old clothing or tarnished kitchenware—consider these six simple alternatives to sending them off to the landfill.  

Mend Your Clothing

In 1929, the average middle-class man owned six work outfits; the average woman, nine—all built to last. The typical American today buys six items of clothing per month. And we dump an awful lot, too: 84 percent of unwanted attire ended up in landfills or in an incinerator in 2012, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. To streamline what you own (and, ultimately, what you trash), invest in fewer, higher-quality pieces, and when they wear thin, repair them. The Japanese tradition of sashiko is a form of mending that announces itself with artful designs in white thread. The sewing technique leaves shirt plackets and pant knees thicker and more durable. If you don't want to DIY it, shop at retailers that make mending part of their ethos. Nudie Jeans, for instance, offers free repairs on every pair of its jeans for life. Patagonia does the same for all of its gear, in addition to providing repair instructions, selling used and recycled clothing, and even more through its Worn Wear program.  

Drop Off Plastic Bags

Did you know that retailers will actually take back the plastic bags you used to bring your purchases home? The ones that hold groceries, produce, and dry cleaning are all made of high- or low-density polyethylene, which most municipal recyclers can't accept. But many major retailers, including Target and Walmart, offer drop-off bins. Visit how2recycle.info to find participating stores.    

Start Using Refillable Containers

Back in the day, the milkman picked up empty bottles. We may soon be able to return ice cream and other containers in the same fashion, thanks to programs underway at Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and several other companies. Together with Terra-Cycle, they're testing a website called Loop, where you can buy food and toiletries in glass, metal, and reusable engineered-plastic vessels and mail them back for more. Nespresso already has a program like this underway: Shoppers can return its pods in prepaid envelopes, where the aluminum gets recycled, and the grounds get composted.   In the meantime, try repurposing glass bottles and jars you have, filling them with food you make or buy in bulk, like grains and beans.  

Turn Denim Into Insulation

Take any stretched, faded, or outdated jeans to J.Crew, Madewell, or a Rag & Bone store. You'll get a discount on a new pair, and the discarded items will get transformed into home insulation as part of these companies' partnerships with Cotton Incorporated's Blue Jeans Go Green initiative.  

Recycle Your Makeup Jars

L'Oréal, Garnier, Burt's Bees, L'Occitane, and more beauty brands are working with the eco-ninjas at TerraCycle to upcycle as much as possible, including tricky mascara tubes. Go to terracycle.com to find a collection point near you (like local drugstores) and drop off your empty packaging. TerraCycle will take it from there.  

Get Composting

Got food scraps? Congratulations: Even in the city, you qualify to transform them into a fertilizer that can help feed the planet. Place fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, tea leaves, paper tea bags, coffee grounds, and paper filters into an airtight countertop bin to put a lid on the smell—or keep it in a covered bowl in the freezer. Then, take your weekly bag to a municipal site or farmer's market stand, or start a pile in your backyard. Here's how you can get started.  

CINCINNATI – Herbal Essences has teamed up with TerraCycle to create recyclable shampoo and conditioner bottles made of 25 per cent beach plastic.   “Plastic floating in our oceans and rivers has been a recent topic for discussion and unless people work to find solutions, it stays just that—a discussion,” says Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO.   “By incorporating beach plastic into their bottles, Herbal Essences is showing that they are committed to doing something and leading by example. I look forward to our continued work together to raise awareness and make a bigger difference.”   “Businesses can play an important role in driving and inspiring change in the world,” says Ilaria Resta, North America general manager of P&G Hair Care.   “My team and I are very passionate about driving responsible consumption. Actions like incorporating ocean plastic into our bottles is just one way we are bringing innovative solutions that have a reduced impact on the environment. This is a step towards our long-term vision of using 100 per cent renewable and recycled materials in our products and packaging.”   Three of the Herbal Essences bio:renew Collections  will be available in these innovative, limited-edition Beach Plastic bottles from March to June 2019.   Herbal Essences is continuing to partner with TerraCycle beyond this limited-edition Beach Plastic bottle in a nationwide take-back program to ensure every Herbal Essences bottle can be recycled and not end up in the ocean. The take-back program will begin in time for World Ocean Day on June 8, 2019. Both Herbal Essences and parent company P&G are sponsors of The Ocean Project to grow engagement and action to protect oceans.

Março é mundialmente conhecido como o Mês Internacional da Mulher, período que destaca  as lutas femininas em prol dos seus direitos, à celebração das grandes vitórias alcançadas, bem como evidencia exemplos de mulheres que protagonizam verdadeiras revoluções  nas esferas em que atuam.

A Ganier revelou seu novo slogan, “By Garnier, Naturally”, cujo objetivo é destacar seu compromisso com as questões ambientais. A marca, que pertence ao grupo L’Oréal, também informou que até o final de 2019 a fabricação de todos os shampoos, condicionadores e leave in de sua linha de produtos mais vendidos, a Fructis Sleek & Shine, utilizará 100% de resíduos reciclados pós-consumo.

WinterFest 'the biggest live music event' the resort has hosted By Kalene McCort Staff Writer POSTED:   03/21/2019 10:24:47 PM MDT | UPDATED:   ABOUT 10 HOURS AGO   Subaru Winterfest is making a tour stop at Eldora today through Sunday, with plenty of swag, music and festival fun in tow.   After a two-month, nine-mountain stop across the United States, the free music festival tour makes its final stop in Boulder County this weekend.   The weekend event, orchestrated in part by ski resort operating company Powdr, will bring live music, outdoor gear demos and eats from a diverse array of vendors. This will be WinterFest's second year stopping at Eldora and the eco-conscious event aims to attract snowboarders, skiers, music fans and winter enthusiasts looking to hit the mountain, catch some tunes and peruse the latest in adventure swag.   "This year's Subaru WinterFest is the biggest live music event that Eldora has ever hosted," said Sam Bass, marketing director at Eldora, "and the lineup fits so well with Eldora's low-key, rootsy vibe. Above all, we're looking forward to showcasing Eldora as an awesome music venue in addition to being Boulder County's backyard ski area. It's always been the easiest place for skiers and riders from the northern Front Range to do what they love and now it's on the map as a fantastic spot to see music in Colorado's great outdoors.”   California country rockers Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Montana bluegrass band The Lil Smokies and Colorado's Trout Steak Revival fill out the music lineup throughout the weekend.

"I'm ready to play outside — sun or snow," said Travis McNamara, banjoist and singer of Denver-based bluegrass band Trout Steak Revival. The band takes the stage at 2:30 p.m. today "It is one of the few things unique to our genre — it's outdoors music."   Performing at Subaru WinterFest is a special thrill for Trout Steak Revival, not only because the venue is practically in the band's backyard, but because of the musicians' ties to the automotive sponsor.   "Three of the five band members drive Subarus," said McNamara. "We are a walking cliché. And yes, we did our first tour to the Midwest many moons ago in two cars, one of which was a Subaru Outback and housed a 90-pound golden retriever named Luna, who would breathe on you for the whole trip."   "Since the show is so close to home, we will all be going back home to sleep in our own beds," added Bevin Foley, fiddler and vocalist for Trout Steak Revival. "We leave next week for a Midwest tour and recharging at home is always something to take advantage of when we can."   In addition to the live music performances courtesy of electronics giant Harman Kardon, SiriusXM Radio will be playing the latest from emerging artists and DJs at various hangout zones throughout the resort. Guests can win with daily drawings featuring $3,000 in prizes — and they can also kick back in one of the numerous hammocks dotted throughout the property.   "I have played a few shows at Timbers [Tap Room and Coffee in Eldora] and it's great to be up in that neck of the woods," said Foley. "I have spent a lot of time in that area of the world. I used to work at Blue Owl Books in Nederland and lived in Ward for a little while, so it is great to get up to Eldora and see some really close friends."   Cars, swag and sustainability   While no test driving will be allowed, attendees can check out the latest Subaru models, including the 2019 Forester Sport and the three-row Subaru Ascent. The Ascent, the largest Subaru yet, features flexible seating for up to eight passengers and all-wheel drive. Subaru owners can take advantage of VIP parking for easy access to the lift and lodge. And locally, in celebration of WinterFest, Boulder's Flatirons Subaru is offering a limited amount of two free Eldora lift tickets to those who visit the retailer at 5995 Arapahoe Ave., for a test drive.   The festival will feature cups of joe from Portland's Stumptown Coffee and gourmet s'mores — courtesy of Boulder's Chocolove and California's Smashmallow — around Solo Stove fire pits. There will also be a chance for people to test out the latest gear from Nordica, Lib Tech, Thule, Klean Kanteen.   "It's an honor and a privilege to get to play music for a living, so we try to bring our positivity and connect with the crowd at every show," said McNamara. "We've also been recording a new album, due out this fall, so we'll be mixing in some new material. Should be fun."   This year's festival puts its emphasis on green living, with demos from nonprofit Leave No Trace — a company that has origins (and an office) in Boulder. Leave No Trace is celebrating its 25th anniversary and will have a booth set up Saturday and Sunday that will feature interactive games and trivia, Bass said.   "[They] will be providing information about how people can enjoy the outdoors responsibly," said Bass, "whether that's attending an outdoor festival, backpacking, enjoying winter sports, river rafting — you name it."   Klean Kanteen will be giving away stainless steel drinking vessels for the duration of the weekend and TerraCycle will provide the recycling stations.   "We're in the business of delivering memorable experiences in beautiful places and that's why all of us who work at Eldora ended up here," said Bass. "We love seeing smiles on the faces of our guests and knowing that we're helping them spend meaningful time with their loved ones, outdoors, in an amazing local place like Eldora."   Kalene McCort: 303-473-1107, kmccort@prairiemountainmedia.com  

WinterFest 'the biggest live music event' the resort has hosted By Kalene McCort   Staff Writer POSTED:   03/21/2019 10:24:47 PM MDT | UPDATED:   ABOUT 10 HOURS AGO     Subaru Winterfest is making a tour stop at Eldora today through Sunday, with plenty of swag, music and festival fun in tow.   After a two-month, nine-mountain stop across the United States, the free music festival tour makes its final stop in Boulder County this weekend.   The weekend event, orchestrated in part by ski resort operating company Powdr, will bring live music, outdoor gear demos and eats from a diverse array of vendors. This will be WinterFest's second year stopping at Eldora and the eco-conscious event aims to attract snowboarders, skiers, music fans and winter enthusiasts looking to hit the mountain, catch some tunes and peruse the latest in adventure swag.   "This year's Subaru WinterFest is the biggest live music event that Eldora has ever hosted," said Sam Bass, marketing director at Eldora, "and the lineup fits so well with Eldora's low-key, rootsy vibe. Above all, we're looking forward to showcasing Eldora as an awesome music venue in addition to being Boulder County's backyard ski area. It's always been the easiest place for skiers and riders from the northern Front Range to do what they love and now it's on the map as a fantastic spot to see music in Colorado's great outdoors.”     California country rockers Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Montana bluegrass band The Lil Smokies and Colorado's Trout Steak Revival fill out the music lineup throughout the weekend.

"I'm ready to play outside — sun or snow," said Travis McNamara, banjoist and singer of Denver-based bluegrass band Trout Steak Revival. The band takes the stage at 2:30 p.m. today "It is one of the few things unique to our genre — it's outdoors music."   Performing at Subaru WinterFest is a special thrill for Trout Steak Revival, not only because the venue is practically in the band's backyard, but because of the musicians' ties to the automotive sponsor.   "Three of the five band members drive Subarus," said McNamara. "We are a walking cliché. And yes, we did our first tour to the Midwest many moons ago in two cars, one of which was a Subaru Outback and housed a 90-pound golden retriever named Luna, who would breathe on you for the whole trip."   "Since the show is so close to home, we will all be going back home to sleep in our own beds," added Bevin Foley, fiddler and vocalist for Trout Steak Revival. "We leave next week for a Midwest tour and recharging at home is always something to take advantage of when we can."   In addition to the live music performances courtesy of electronics giant Harman Kardon, SiriusXM Radio will be playing the latest from emerging artists and DJs at various hangout zones throughout the resort. Guests can win with daily drawings featuring $3,000 in prizes — and they can also kick back in one of the numerous hammocks dotted throughout the property.   "I have played a few shows at Timbers [Tap Room and Coffee in Eldora] and it's great to be up in that neck of the woods," said Foley. "I have spent a lot of time in that area of the world. I used to work at Blue Owl Books in Nederland and lived in Ward for a little while, so it is great to get up to Eldora and see some really close friends."   Cars, swag and sustainability   While no test driving will be allowed, attendees can check out the latest Subaru models, including the 2019 Forester Sport and the three-row Subaru Ascent. The Ascent, the largest Subaru yet, features flexible seating for up to eight passengers and all-wheel drive. Subaru owners can take advantage of VIP parking for easy access to the lift and lodge. And locally, in celebration of WinterFest, Boulder's Flatirons Subaru is offering a limited amount of two free Eldora lift tickets to those who visit the retailer at 5995 Arapahoe Ave., for a test drive.   The festival will feature cups of joe from Portland's Stumptown Coffee and gourmet s'mores — courtesy of Boulder's Chocolove and California's Smashmallow — around Solo Stove fire pits. There will also be a chance for people to test out the latest gear from Nordica, Lib Tech, Thule, Klean Kanteen.   "It's an honor and a privilege to get to play music for a living, so we try to bring our positivity and connect with the crowd at every show," said McNamara. "We've also been recording a new album, due out this fall, so we'll be mixing in some new material. Should be fun."   This year's festival puts its emphasis on green living, with demos from nonprofit Leave No Trace — a company that has origins (and an office) in Boulder. Leave No Trace is celebrating its 25th anniversary and will have a booth set up Saturday and Sunday that will feature interactive games and trivia, Bass said.   "[They] will be providing information about how people can enjoy the outdoors responsibly," said Bass, "whether that's attending an outdoor festival, backpacking, enjoying winter sports, river rafting — you name it."   Klean Kanteen will be giving away stainless steel drinking vessels for the duration of the weekend and TerraCycle will provide the recycling stations.   "We're in the business of delivering memorable experiences in beautiful places and that's why all of us who work at Eldora ended up here," said Bass. "We love seeing smiles on the faces of our guests and knowing that we're helping them spend meaningful time with their loved ones, outdoors, in an amazing local place like Eldora."