The Green Organic Dutchman reported its year-end results late Tuesday with the company finally announcing revenue for the first time and its HemPoland subsidiary generating $1.9 million in the fourth quarter. The Toronto-based company said it ended the year with $263.5 million of cash and restricted cash as it continues to build out its two Canadian cultivation facilities in Hamilton and Valleyfield. Still, the results failed to impress investors who sent TGOD’s shares down more than 6 per cent in trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange late Wednesday. Canopy Growth signs another extraction agreement, this time with HollyWeed In a sign of anticipated demand for cannabis edible and extractable products here in Canada, Canopy Growth continues to bulk up its capacity to process dried cannabis into oil-based material after the company announced a multi-year deal with HollyWeed Manufacturing & Extracts. The two-year agreement will see Victoria-based HollyWeed process dried cannabis provided by Canopy Growth into high-quality oil and resin. Both companies expect the first shipment of product for extraction will occur in fall 2019. Canopy has entered similar extraction deals with other processors including MediPharm Labs and Valens GroWorks. Saskatchewan pot shops looking to recycle unused cannabis packaging Some Saskatchewan cannabis retailers are looking to tackle the issue of all this legal cannabis packaging piling up in landfills with a new recycling program. Global News reports that U.S.-based TerraCycle is creating a recycling program for these items where cannabis packaging purchased from a licensed retailer, including tins, joint tubes, plastic caps and flexible plastic bags can be accepted and turned into plastic pellets and used as a material in items like park benches and playgrounds. Israeli political party sees legalization-friendly platform result in surging polls A new Israeli political party is tapping into the country’s pot-friendly voters riding that support to a surge in polls ahead of Israel’s April 9 elections. The Zehut party – Hebrew for “identity” – espouses libertarian social and economic policies and has made legalizing cannabis a top priority. Moshe Feiglin, the party’s leader may emerge as a kingmaker in Israeli’s traditional coalition-based parliament, but some critics are raising concerns about the his previous support of ultra-nationalist and other extremist views. DAILY BUZZ US$77.1 million -  The amount of revenue U.S. cannabis operator Curaleaf generated in its fiscal 2018, according to its full-year results the company announced on Wednesday Cannabis Canada is BNN Bloomberg’s in-depth series exploring the stunning formaton of the entirely new – and controversial – Canadian recreational marijuana industry. Read more from the special series here and subscribe to our Cannabis Canada newsletter to have the latest marijuana news delivered directly to your inbox every day

Tom Szaky, president and CEO of international recycling company TerraCycle® is pleased to announce he has been selected as a closing keynote speaker at the 7^th annual Responsible Business Summit New York, scheduled for March 18-19.   Speaking alongside Caroline Rees, President & CEO of Shift, Szaky will address how companies are increasingly looking towards sustainable innovations to change environmental, social and governmental risks into viable business opportunities.   "As the corporate world becomes increasingly aware of the environment and the role they play in its preservation, responsibility falls to the luminaries of sustainability to educate businesses, large and small, on how to set and achieve environmental goals through investments, collaboration and innovation," said Szaky. "I am honored to take up this mantle and be part of the strong line-up of speakers who will be delivering insightful and engaging presentations at the summit."   The Responsible Business Summit is North America's premier platform where senior practitioners from across the country meet and share practical ideas on how their businesses can lead the change to a new sustainable future. The summit provides direct, actionable insights accompanied by honest discussions on the challenges and opportunities ahead.   For more information on the event visit https://events.ethicalcorp.com/rbs-ny/ or reach out to Ed Long, Project Director at Ethical Corporation at ed.long@ethicalcorp.com, +44 (0) 207 375 7188.   For more information on TerraCycle's and its innovative recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

Mountain House, the leader in freeze-dried backpacking and emergency food options, has partnered with international recycling company TerraCycle® to offer consumers a free, easy way to recycle packaging waste from their line of Mountain House pouches.   "Since our inception nearly 50 years ago, Mountain House has been widely regarded as the gold-standard brand of camping food," said Brandy Lamb, Marketing Director. "We are conscious of how our packaging can impact the people and the planet we share, which is why we're pleased to add, through our partnership with TerraCycle, national recyclability to our commitment to consumers."   Through the Mountain House Recycling Program, consumers can now send in their empty pouch packaging to be recycled for free. Participation is easy: sign up on the TerraCycle program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/mountain-house and mail in the pouch packaging waste using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. Additionally, for every one pound of waste shipped to TerraCycle, collectors can earn $1 to donate to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice.   "Mountain House is giving their customers the unique opportunity to minimize their environmental impact by offering them a way to responsibly dispose of the packaging from their freeze-dried meals," said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. "In turn, by participating in the Mountain House Recycling Program, customers are one step closer to truly minimizing their environmental impact."   The Mountain House Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. For more information on TerraCycle's recycling program, visit www.terracycle.com.  

 

A new program from the shaving company will help make disposable razors less environmentally damaging.

Gillette has just launched a recycling program with waste management company TerraCycle to collect all sorts of disposable razors, including cartridge units and the plastic packaging encasing razors. The Gillette Razor Recycling Program will let consumers send back recyclable razor material -- of any brand -- to the company. In addition, businesses, colleges and community organizations are being invited to set up drop-off spaces for the Gillette program. The company and TerraCycle will supply a recycling bin that can be folded close and sent back via UPS when it’s full. Organizations who participate can earn money or gifts for every 15 pounds of old razor material they send in, through TerraCycle’s Sponsored Waste Recycling Program. Every shipment that size earns points that can be used for charity gifts. The collected packaging will be recycled to become brand-new items like dog bowls, park benches, bike racks and more. Subscribers to the Gillette On Demand service can also use its functions  to send back plastic material. TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky called the recycling effort  “an innovative, first of-a-kind program. “ “This is an important first step toward sustainable solutions for shaving products,” said Gillette CEO Gary Coombe. The company is  also working on plans to extend the program to other countries “very soon,” he said. But Gillette is not discontinuing its own plastic disposable lines. Gillette’s website extols the “use and toss” convenience of the throwaways.  A spokeswoman said the company serves shavers at all price points and tries to “encourage” shavers to “trade up to our premium systems” which make up 80% of Gillette’s razor sales. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away 2 billion plastic razors  every year, an awesome figure — but just a drop in the bucket compared to the total problem.  For example, the EPA says every year, roughly 102.1 billion plastic bags are used and discarded by Americans. All told, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced in the world so far, and 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste, according to the journal Science Advances. Only 9% has been recycled. Gillette is a unit of Procter & Gamble, which like other major CPG companies, has recently gotten more serious about environmental issues. In January, for example, P&G partnered with Loop, an e-commerce program started by TerraCycle, to introduce “circular” recycling solutions. Via the Loop program, consumers can buy and then use aluminum containers over and over again, refilling them with major brands from participating companies like Pantene, Tide, Cascade and Oral-B.

The recycling bin is often a catch-all for items you know will be taken in the curbside pickup, then you toss in something you think might be acceptable. Experts say if you want to recycle household plastics correctly and efficiently, conduct a little research first to become familiar with what your local recycling program can actually process. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) estimates at least 5 million tons of post-industrial and post-consumer plastics were recycled in the United States in 2016.   “Recycling saves energy and helps preserve the environment,” said Mark Carpenter, assistant vice president of communications, media and marketing for ISRI. “The one thing we stress is to make sure you are recycling right. Check to make sure what is recycled and what is not in your community.”     Recycle this   While there are always exceptions, plastics with resin identification codes #1 PET (polyethelene terephthalate) and #2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) are common forms of plastic and will likely be accepted in a curbside collection program. This includes water and cola bottles, laundry detergent bottles and milk jugs, among others.   Don't recycle that   The following plastics are rarely, if ever, recycled in curbside pickup:   · Softer plastics with resin identification code #3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) · Takeout containers, to-go cups, plastic utensils and “Styrofoam” with code #6 PS (polystyrene) · Other plastics, such as BPA or polycarbonate, with the code #7 OTHER   “Never put any items that have been contaminated with human fluids such as an IV drip tube or items made out of PVC, such as plastic pipe,” Carpenter said. “Garden hoses, plastic rope, twine and other ‘tanglers’ should also never be placed in a recycle bin.”   Wish-cycling   Wish-cycling, the act of putting something in the recycling bin with the hope that it is recyclable when unsure, can actually cause more harm than good, according to ISRI experts.   After unrecyclable items arrive at recycling centers, they can cause costly damage to the equipment, according to a fact sheet from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This also can create additional work – more sorting and sending to landfills – which raises costs.   So if you have questions about chip and cereal bags, food containers or toys, for example, it’s best to ask your local recycling facility. And keep in mind: items smaller than 2 inches are often not recyclable because the machinery used to sort the materials can’t capture items that small (like lip balm tubes, for example) even if the plastic is technically recyclable, Carpenter told AccuWeather.   A plan for plastic bags   Plastic bags, with resin identification code #4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene), are often not accepted at curbside pickup but can be brought to supermarkets or big box stores.   “Residential recycling programs typically use a series of conveyors, belts and other equipment in which plastic bags can get tangled. The bags can jam the gears and belts, breaking the equipment,” Carpenter said. “Stores that collect plastic bags can send them directly to recyclers who have equipment designed to handle that material.”   Tips of the trade   If a plastic is not accepted by a local curbside recycling program, it does not mean it is not recyclable. Many communities have collection points or special events for such materials. There are also resources, such as Earth911, where you can look up local collectors that recycle various materials, and TerraCycle, which offers recycling programs, funded by companies, for hard-to-recycle waste.   “It is important for people not to think of their recycling bin as a substitute for their trash bin,” said Carpenter. “Recycling can bring many benefits to the economy and environment, but we need the public to view it as a public duty and take care with what they put in the recycling bin.”

Herbal Essences and TerraCycle are joining forces to celebrate World Water Day. Together, the companies have created recyclable shampoo and conditioner bottles that are made of 25% 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,” Tom Szaky, TerraCycle’s CEO said. “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.” The beauty brand, part of the Procter & Gamble portfolio, is looking to make a difference in driving awareness about ocean plastic and how it positively impacts its footprint, the company said. The initiative featues three products from Herbal Essences’ bio:renew collection — white grapefruit & mosa mint, argan oil, and coconut milk — will be available in the limited-edition Beach Plastic bottles, which can be found on store shelves from March to June. “Businesses can play an important role in driving and inspiring change in the world,” Ilaria Resta, North America general manager at P&G Hair Care, said. “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% renewable and recycled materials in our products and packaging.” In addition, the beauty brand and TerraCycle will partner on a nationwide take-back program that will help ensure every Herbal Essences bottle can be recycled and not end up in the ocean. The program will begin in time for World Ocean Day on June 8.

SUNY Oswego students and faculty have started collecting exhausted writing utensils — markers, pens and even mechanical pencils — and sending them to a recycling company in the latest of many efforts the campus community has taken to go green.   Six students in a technology class of Daniel Tryon launched the effort, manufacturing 212 wooden collection boxes last semester from old Swetman Gymnasium bleachers.   “Each box has a laser-engraved finish to add design details on the top, inside and front panels,” said Erika Wallace, a senior in technology education who helped manufacture the boxes. The boxes are “designed to be easy to use, light weight and magnetic to fit right into the school environment.”   Sustainability advocate Kate Spector, mathematics specialist with the Office of Learning Services, plans to work with students to continue distributing the boxes. They will mount the boxes on magnetic whiteboards in classrooms and other likely spaces around campus — the Tutoring Center, Penfield Library and others — where empty dry erase markers and other writing implements routinely have been tossed in the trash. The wooden boxes, fronted with a slotted acrylic panel, hold 15 to 20 dry erase markers each, more for smaller implements.   After routine collection, students will empty the utensils into a well-labeled green cardboard recycling box — TerraCycle refers to it as a “zero waste box” — just outside the College Store on the mezzanine level of Marano Campus Center. The larger box holds about 5,000 depleted implements.   Eliminating waste   Spector believes the presence of the boxes and the recycling effort will add one more action item for students and faculty in the college’s effort to promote sustainability. All campus members are encouraged to use the TerraCycle central collection box for their worn-out writing utensils.   “The primary goal of this project is to re-direct a segment of our waste stream, giving a second life to these materials,” Spector said. “In a larger sense, this project aims to spark conversations about shifting from a throwaway culture toward one that creates zero waste.”   TerraCycle, a private U.S. recycling business headquartered in Trenton, N.J., operates on the slogan, “Eliminating the Idea of Waste.” Besides the national effort to collect used writing utensils, the company runs a volunteer-based curbside collection program to gather heretofore non-recyclable pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, and then partners with corporate donors to turn it into raw material to be used in new products.   “The collected waste is mechanically and/or manually separated into metals, fibers, and plastics,” TerraCycle says on its website. “Metals are smelted so they may be recycled. The plastics undergo extrusion and pelletization to be molded into new recycled plastic products.”   Materials accepted in Oswego’s TerraCycle project include pens, pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers, marker caps, permanent markers and permanent marker caps, according to the company.   SUNY Oswego’s sustainability efforts are reflective of a pledge college President Deborah F. Stanley signed in 2007, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, to demonstrate both regional and national sustainability leadership by modeling the campus as an example of ways society can reduce its carbon footprint.   Under the leadership of the Office of Sustainability, SUNY Oswego’s students and employees have helped drive initiatives that move the sustainability needle in ways large and small: Save the Trees to reduce paper use, substituting paper straws for plastic ones in campus dining halls and other locations, the Perk Up program to utilize reusable cups, Tap In to promote reusable water bottles, Bike Share to invest in a green way of transportation and the student-programmed Bus Share web application to encourage use of mass transit on and around campus.   Wallace said she wanted to leave her mark for future students, much like the ones she teaches locally. The recycling project served as her capstone for the technology course, her senior project under Tryon’s mentorship. “In the future, I want students, like my own, to be able to utilize energy more efficiently,” Wallace said.   Being a part of the marker recycling project serves as a positive reminder to Wallace. “Do something special, so that in 10 years you can look back and say, ‘I made a difference.’”   For more information, contact the Office of Sustainability at oswego.edu/sustainability, call 315-312-6601 or email sustainability@oswego.edu.