Scientist at Cornell University and the University of Minnesota have discovered a way to combine polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics together without compromising durability. Usually incapable of creating a homogeneous mix, PE and PP plastics are limited in terms of what they can be recycled into together. However, using multi-block polymers, the team created a structurally strong plastic alloy that could potentially make it easier for manufacturers to recycle these two types of plastic waste. "It would essentially reduce the overall cost of modifying polyolefins and significantly increase the amount of polypropylene and polyethylene that gets recycled because the formulations can be made at a lower cost," says Ernie Simpson, global vice-president of research and development at TerraCycle.

Getting rid of plastic waste remains a Sisyphean task despite our efforts to tackle it by employing PET-eating bacteria and turning it into footwear, liquid fuel, and even the foundations for an entire village. The material that ends up being recovered and reused is just a drop in a non-stop growing mountain of garbage. But what if there was a way to create a super-durable alloy out of two of the biggest sources of packaging waste while using less oil at the same time?   Bringing this potential win-win scenario a step closer to reality is a team of scientists from Cornell University and the University of Minnesota, who recently announced the creation of a polymer additive that can create such an alloy out of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The idea, according to researcher Geoffrey Coates, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell University, is two-fold: to make a better material from the world's most used polymers and also help recycle them more efficiently. Though PE and PP are individually tough as standalone plastics and have a similar hydrocarbon makeup, they are immiscible with one another. Common grades of the polymers become brittle and unusable when blended together, thus limiting what companies can do to recycle these materials. To get around this problem, the research team developed a multiblock copolymer that can weld common grades of commercial PE and isotactic polypropylene (iPP) together, depending on the molecular weights and architecture of the block copolymers, by creating molecular stitches between the two materials. This makes the resulting blend as tough as iPP and PE themselves. In their tests, the researchers welded together two strips of iPP and PE plastic using different multi-block polymers as adhesives, and then pulled them apart. In most cases, the polymers are easily separated due to their incompatibility, as was demonstrated when the researchers carried out the tests with di-block polymers. However, in the case of the tetrablock additive, the plastic strips held together so well that it ripped the polymer apart, a sign that it is "a very good material" to glue polyethylene and polypropylene together, says Coates. According to the researchers, what makes the results all the more encouraging is that they were able to create the alloy with just one percent of the additive, giving rise to the possibility that it could improve recycling and also lead to the creation of a whole new class of mechanically tough polymer blends. For Ernie Simpson, global vice-president of research and development at TerraCycle, the New Jersey-based company that specializes in upcycling consumer waste, what makes this a potential game changer is the cost savings it could bring to a company's bottom line compared to the current compatibilizers on the market. "If the claims are true that a one percent addition is as efficient at 10 percent of other compatibilizers, on a cost-basis, this would be a serious game changer," Simpson tells New Atlas. "It would essentially reduce the overall cost of modifying polyolefins and significantly increase the amount of polypropylene and polyethylene that gets recycled because the formulations can be made at a lower cost." Of course, this depends on factors such as the amount of compatibilizers being used and their original cost. Assuming this new material comes in at roughly the same cost and requires just one percent instead of 10, the savings would encourage people to make new formulations based on the tetrablock and use them in various applications, he points out.

Scientist at Cornell University and the University of Minnesota have discovered a way to combine polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics together without compromising durability. Usually incapable of creating a homogeneous mix, PE and PP plastics are limited in terms of what they can be recycled into together. However, using multi-block polymers, the team created a structurally strong plastic alloy that could potentially make it easier for manufacturers to recycle these two types of plastic waste. "It would essentially reduce the overall cost of modifying polyolefins and significantly increase the amount of polypropylene and polyethylene that gets recycled because the formulations can be made at a lower cost," says Ernie Simpson, global vice-president of research and development at TerraCycle. Read the full story on New Atlas.

Environmentalism and sustainability are now essential aspects of brand building, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, effectively engaging consumers poses many challenges. The expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with products and services, and standing out from direct competitors and defining oneself as a leader in the category requires an extra level of value strategy. Getting back to basics may help businesses and major brands better communicate their dedication to the circular economy, engaging the consumer through an invitation to participate. Through our partnerships at TerraCycle, we’ve seen several consumer product brands and businesses experience success with in-store recycling collections. Drives Foot Traffic One of the invaluable positives to an in-store recycling promotion is the foot traffic it generates. Though marketing experts like to attribute the burgeoning trend of e-commerce to millennial shopping behavior, the reality is that all generations of consumers find themselves taken with the convenience of shopping online. But brick-and-mortar retailers offer customers what online shopping can’t: the opportunity to physically touch, feel and experience products for themselves. The advantage created by making recycling the reason a customer enters a brick-and-mortar retail store is a two-fold: number one, you get them in the store and, number two, they have something to feel good about before they even buy anything. For example, TerraCycle and GU Energy Labs have recently expanded their successful Performance Nutrition Recycling Program to include all brands of performance nutrition packaging, and have given all GU retailers the opportunity to designate their locations as a public drop-off points for recycling performance nutrition packaging such as energy gel, drink mix and energy chew packets. Creating in-store foot traffic around an empowering behavior like recycling inspires goodwill and positive feelings in the same environment where purchases occur, maximizing profit potential for each retail transaction. Builds Brand Loyalty We know that consumers are now more willing to pay more for sustainable products and services than ever before. But while cost, performance and credibility remain prohibitive factors standing between consumers and “doing the right thing,” creating and strengthening brand loyalty for these eco-conscious companies is essential for driving sales against well-established competitors. This is especially true for specialty brands like Wellness Natural Pet Food, a premium pet food brand available in pet specialty stores. Presented for purchase alongside well-known dog food brands like Purina or Iams, Wellness Natural Pet Food is faced with the tall order of offering the consumer a promise of value exceeding that of other labels. Through TerraCycle, Wellness provides a recycling solution for its difficult-to-recycle product packaging, and retailers designated as public-drop off locations per the program can promote themselves as a collection point, communicating their sustainability commitment to customers. This type of sustainable marketing rewards the consumer by giving them the opportunity to invest in a cause. Emotional and social value benefits are prevalent here, as the activation plays to emotional sensibilities and allows the consumer to make a social statement. In-store recycling collections are a visual, tactile way to engage customers with the product you are trying to sell. Consumers are driven to purchase by a variety of factors, and it’s up to manufacturers and brands to figure out what those are, and market accordingly.

Garbage sorting, collection of goods, these are a good way to protect the environment. In Australia, this particular emphasis on environmental protection of the country, classification and recycling is more commonplace. But a wide variety of items, do you know how to correctly distinguish recyclable items? If you take the wrong things to recover, there will be bad things happen Oh!

Through a free, national recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle, sponsored by Entenmann's Little Bites, Prima Murdock, of Winchester, helped the nationwide collection reach the milestone of 2 million snack pouches diverted from the waste stream.    Along with keeping the pouches out of landfills, collectors earn points that can be redeemed for cash donations to the nonprofit or school of the collector's choice. Through the efforts of collectors like Murdock, donations passed $35,000.   TerraCycle is an international recycling company that finds innovative solutions for materials not typically accepted at municipal recycling facilities. Through free recycling programs, participants collect waste and ship using a pre-paid shipping label to TerraCycle for processing. TerraCycle recycles the waste into plastic that can be used for products such as park benches, recycling bins and playgrounds.   The Entenmann's Little Bites Pouch Recycling Program is open to any individual, school or organization interested in reducing local landfill waste. For information: https://terracycle.com.

El compostaje de desechos orgánicos es una de las mejores cosas que se puede hacer por el medio ambiente.

Por Tom Szaky CEO Terracycle

Según la Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alrededor del 28% de desechos sólidos en los Estados Unidos consiste en desperdicio de alimentos y recortes de jardinería. Cuando estos materiales orgánicos son enterrados bajo pilas de basura dentro de un relleno sanitario, se descomponen anaeróbicamente, (sin oxígeno) y generan metano un gas de efecto invernadero bastante dañino. No sólo el compostaje desvía los materiales orgánicos de los rellenos sanitarios, sino que también crea un material rico en nutrientes, perfecto para el cultivo de una amplia variedad de plantas. La barrera de entrada puede parecer alta, pero el compostaje es tan fácil como usted quiera hacerlo. Durante los primeros años de mi empresa de reciclaje TerraCycle, yo estaba haciendo compostaje dentro de mi dormitorio de la universidad.

28% de desechos sólidos en los Estados Unidos consiste en desperdicio de alimentos y recortes de jardinería

Esta guía le ayudará a comenzar: Apodado “Oro Negro” por muchos jardineros y agricultores, el compost es una sustancia similar al suelo, hecha de materiales orgánicos descompuestos, tales como guarniciones de jardín y restos de comida. Cuando se utilizan correctamente, los microorganismos benéficos que se encuentran en la pila de compost rompen los residuos hasta convertirse en una sustancia irreconocible que es oscura, esponjosa y rica en nutrientes. Se puede utilizar para sembrar plantas, como una forma bloque de paja, o como una “Enmienda del suelo” que aumenta el contenido orgánico del mismo.

Lo que usted necesitará (y qué evitar) Antes de sumergirse en el compostaje, usted necesitará saber los materiales del hogar que componen una pila de compost saludable. Su mezcla debe tener algo de cada una de las siguientes categorías: “Verdes”: Estos materiales son ricos en nitrógeno y permiten que los microorganismos de su compost produzcan proteínas y se reproduzcan. Ejemplos incluyen frutas, verduras y otros restos de comida, malas hierbas, café usado, estiércol, cáscaras de maíz y recortes de césped.

“Marrones”: Estos son sus materiales ricos en carbono, típicamente secos, y proporcionan microorganismos con una fuente de energía. Cubrir los materiales verdes con marrones también puede ayudar a reducir los olores indeseables que emanan de la pila. Los ejemplos incluyen ramitas, hojas, papel triturado, cartones de huevo, filtros de café, trozos de cartón y virutas de madera.

Agua: El compost debe estar ligeramente húmedo, pero no empapado. Por último, su pila de compost necesita tener la tempera lo suficientemente alta para aumentar la tasa de descomposición y matar las malas hierbas y otros parásitos patógenos que pueden estar al acecho. La pila debe permanecer en cualquier lugar entre 60° y 71° Celcius; termómetros dentro del compost son una manera barata de mantener un registro de la temperatura de sus pilas. Mantenerse en este rango de temperatura requerirá voltear la pila de vez en cuando (veremos cómo hacer esto más adelante).

Ahora que ya sabes los ingredientes básicos que se necesitan, echemos un vistazo a lo que no deberías tirar en tu pila. Algunos de estos materiales plantean riesgos para la salud, algunos pueden atraer plagas, y otros potencialmente pueden contaminar su compost con enfermedades o productos químicos sintéticos.

Aunque hay ciertamente maneras de compostaje en las restricciones antes dichas (por ejemplo, hay maneras apropiadas de crear un compost con el “desecho humano”), los recién llegados deben apegarse con lo fundamental hasta que se conviertan en profesionales del compostaje.

• Sustancias grasas, aceitosas, como desperdicios sucios de salsa de pizza, salsas o toallas manchadas de grasa.

• Desechos de carne,

incluidos los pescados.

• Productos lácteos.

• Madera tratada químicamente.

• Plantas enfermas.

• Cualquier cosa tratada con pesticidas o herbicidas.

• Papel brillante, como revistas

o papel fotográfico.

• Desechos humanos o animales.

• Nueces y su cascara (contienen juglone, un producto químico tóxico para algunas plantas)

¿Cómo empezar al aire libre? Ahora que usted tiene algunos antecedentes, es hora de que su sistema de compostaje comience. Hay un sin número de lugares donde puede almacenar su compost dependiendo de su situación de vida y las restricciones de tamaño. Los contenedores estacionarios del compost son una de las opciones más comunes, y pueden ser tan grandes o pequeños como usted lo necesite. Los compartimientos son otra opción popular. Usted puede comprar contenedores de compost o recintos de alambre pre-construidos de cualquier centro de jardinería, o puede hacer su propio usando macetas o contenedores viejos de su jardín.

Una vez que haya decidido qué opción es mejor para usted, necesitara encontrar un buen lugar para colocar su compost. Si usted tiene acceso a un área al aire libre, colóquelo en una parcela de por lo menos 3 pies x 3 pies y que se encuentre protegido del ambiente.

Cuando estés listo para comenzar a agrega tus elementos marrones y verdes, una buena regla general es agregar 1 parte de verduras por cada 3 partes de marrón. Agregue los marrones y verdes en capas alternas de unas pocas pulgadas de grosor, asegurándose de que los materiales no se agrupen. Todos sus verdes deben ser enterrados enteramente debajo de una capa de marrones así las plagas y los olores no deseados se mantendrán alejados.

Con su operación de compostaje más o menos en marcha, tiene que mantener las temperaturas en el punto dulce de 69° a 71°, asegúrese de que nunca se vuelve demasiado seco o húmedo. Aérelo y controle su temperatura girándolo por lo menos una vez a la semana. Tome una pala, péguelo a su pila, y empiece a mezclar y girar como si estuviera combinando una ensalada.

Si la pila comienza a oler o recibe visitas no deseadas de plagas, asegúrese de que todos sus verdes estén enterrados. Si la pila está empapada, agregue más marrones. Si está demasiado seca, añada más verduras o agua.

Cuando todo está dicho y hecho, usted debe tener su propio oro negro en cerca de 4 a 6 meses.

¿Cómo empezar en el interior del hogar? Incluso si vive en un apartamento o una casa con espacio limitado al aire libre, todavía puede iniciar un sistema de compostaje simple y de pequeña escala en el interior. De vuelta en la universidad, mis amigos y yo compostamos en el interior con la ayuda de las lombrices de tierra. Alimentaríamos los gusanos de los desechos de comida de la cafetería de la escuela y luego recogeríamos sus piezas fundidas densas en nutrientes, (una palabra de fantasía para los desechos de gusano) para usarlas como fertilizante. Si bien esta forma es más extrema dentro del compostaje, llamada vermicomposting, no es accesible o atractivo para todos, existen un montón opciones de compostaje en interiores.

Para un sistema casero fácil, consiga primero un recipiente pequeño con una tapa o una cubierta, como una vieja lata de basura de acero de 38 o 56 litros. Taladre una docena de agujeros pequeños, espaciados entre ellos a unos centímetros de distancia, perfore a lo largo de la parte inferior y a los lados de la papelera, estos agujeros ayudará con el drenaje y la aireación. Mantenga su recipiente en una bandeja de algún tipo para evitar derrames o desórdenes. Llene la parte inferior de su recipiente con una capa de varias pulgadas de grueso de material de drenaje, como la tienda de macetas mezcla una capa de papel desmenuzado en la parte superior. A continuación, comience a agregar sus verdes y marrones en capas alternas como de costumbre. Finalmente, gire la pila una vez a la semana con una pala pequeña o una pala de jardín. Mantenga la tapa en su cubo y cubra sus verduras con una capa de periódico triturado u otros marrones, para evitar olores.

¡Y eso es! Con el mantenimiento adecuado, usted debe tener compost fresco en unos meses

Lo último que se puede hacer como un nuevo compostero es simplemente difundir la palabra sobre el compostaje y sus innumerables beneficios. Anime a sus amigos y miembros de la familia a buscar el inicio de su propio sistema de compostaje. ¡Si tienes hijos, haz que participen! Cualquier cosa que usted pueda hacer para motivar y educar a otros nos lleva un paso más cerca de un planeta más limpio, más brillante y más saludable para las generaciones futuras.

How do you define “good” food? Maybe to you good food is comfort food; food that tastes delicious and stirs up pleasant memories. Maybe you consider good food to be healthy, nourishing food. Or maybe good food equates to high-quality food and you splurge on expensive cuts of meat, fish, and artisan products. But have you ever considered the “goodness” of your food to extend beyond the food itself? It’s time to start thinking about the benefits your food can have, aside from satisfying your taste buds and your tummy. Given the current state of our world, with problems ranging from environmental concerns to terrorism, it is so important to know that there are companies out there that still care about how they give back to society. Some of our most beloved food companies hope to improve our planet for future generations by incorporating a social or environmental giving tie-in to their brands. But they can't achieve their goals alone. They need consumers (with excellent taste) to help them. By exercising our purchasing power to support socially- and environmentally-responsible companies, we are demonstrating a concern for our planet and doing our part to sustain it right by our favorite companies’ sides. Our purchases also keep these sustainable companies in business, so that they can continue to make our world a better place to live. Here are 8 of my favorite brands that have both good food and good intentions. 6) LARABAR I didn’t know a nutrition bar could taste so much like dessert…until I discovered LARABAR. And the best part? All of their products are made from recognizable ingredients that are minimally processed. Not only is LARABAR committed to creating non-GMO products made with Fair Trade ingredients, but they also partner with two bomb organizations, Feeding America and Terracycle. Feeding America aims to alleviate hunger and bring awareness to the issue of hunger, while Terracycle makes recyclable products. Dessert-like nutrition AND sustainability initiatives make this a company you definitely want to get behind.