After Nationwide Vote, Teachers from North Carolina, Kansas and Michigan Chosen for Creating the Most Innovative Lessons in Environmental Education Is there one inspiring school project that will always stick with you? Lessons learned in the classroom often last a lifetime, which is the idea behind the new "Green Your School Fund" created by Tom's of Maine in partnership with Donorschoose.org. Teachers across the country were tasked with submitting classroom projects that help kids care for the planet and learn about pressing environmental issues in their community like air and water quality and sustainable agriculture. A portion of the "Green Your School Fund" was set aside for an innovation challenge, where teachers were asked to come up with exceptionally creative green projects. The top prize of $25,000 in classroom funding goes to a project idea from Cleveland Elementary School in Cleveland, NC. As determined by a nationwide public vote, the winning project teaches students sustainability as they learn to build vertical hydroponic gardens that use a solar powered water system and composted foods left over from student lunches to help the garden thrive. "Providing our young people with real world experiences and ways to solve important problems now will foster a love of learning and give them a competitive edge in becoming future problem solvers," said Lynn Bradley, the instructional technology teacher at Cleveland Elementary School who submitted the project. "We all need a champion to make a lasting impression that validates what we do as educators, whether it is by molding our talents, opening our eyes to a new idea or leading by example. This school year, Tom's of Maine has proven that sharing their passion for environmental stewardship through philanthropy can change the lives of many. Our learning will never be the same!" In second place, receiving $15,000 in classroom funding, is a project submitted by first grade teacher Holly Taylor from Adams Elementary School in Wichita, KS to improve air quality and combat the school's growing asthma problem by having students create air-filtration devices. The third place winner, receiving $10,000 in classroom funding, is a project submitted by sixth grade teacher Lori Barr from Pinewood Elementary School in Jenison, MI, which will allow students to examine bacteria in their local lake and explore ways to make it once again safe for swimming. The other seven finalists, each receiving $2,000 in classroom funding, were submitted by teachers from Ashford School in Ashford, CT; Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast, FL; Cummings School in Memphis, TN; Ella White Elementary School in Alpena, MI; Nauset Regional Middle School in Orleans, MA; Polo Park Middle School in Wellington, FL; and Sequoia Middle School in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Upcycling heisst der Design-Trend der Stunde. Als Rohstoffe für die neuen Produkte dienen dabei Abfälle – für viele eine sinnvolle Sache. Trotzdem gibt es auch kritische Stimmen.

Der amerikanische Upcycling-Unternehmer Tom Szaky, Chef und Gründer von Terra Cycle, widerspricht beiden Kritikpunkten in seinem Buch zum Thema: Wenn ein Konsument beispielsweise einen Rucksack aus Capri-Sonne-Verpackungen kaufe, so Szakys Argumentation, müsse nicht extra ein neuer Rücksack hergestellt werden. Damit werde der Abfallberg kleiner, auch wenn der Capri-Sonne-Rucksack dereinst weggeworfen werde. Szaky verweist im Buch zudem ­explizit auf den geringeren Energiebedarf von Upcycling- im Vergleich zu neu hergestellten Produkten. Auch Szaky weiss aber, dass Upcycling allein das Abfallproblem nicht lösen kann. Im Verhältnis zum weltweiten Müll sei Upcycling nur ein winziger ­Nischenmarkt, schreibt er.

Dive Brief:

• During a recent Facebook webinar for the World Economic Forum, TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky explained that the only way the world can truly see waste reduction is if consumers change shopping habits to purchase reused and recyclable products, or to not purchase anything at all, as reported by Edie.
• "Consumerism is the underlying issue of every single environmental issue of earth," Szaky said, going on to explain that big business was designed to "mirror" consumer habits and if consumers don't demand durable goods, businesses won't provide them. 
• Szaky also noted that, of all global packaging, only 5% is recycled. Around 25% ends up in oceans, while the remaining 70% is burned or sent to landfills.

Dive Insight:   As the CEO of a company specializing in hard-to-recycle materials, it can be assumed that Szaky understands the obstacles of recycling just as well, or even better, than traditional recyclers. He noted in the webinar that closing the loop for hard-to-recycle materials is extra challenging in developing countries because there aren't financial incentives or proper understandings of why hard-to-recycle materials need to be tackled.   The idea of "closing the loop" on a global scale has been discussed at length across the industry while a circular economy has been touted as a way for economies to flourish. At recent USCCF Sustainability Forum, consulting firm Accenture estimated that a closed-loop system of reuse could unlock $4.5 trillion in economic growth. And while its been found that there is a global consumer demand for sustainable goods, the loop is far from being closed.   While consumers may be the driving force behind challenges in the waste industry, it is the job of industry professionals to teach all consumers about proper practices and the environmental and economical consequences of not following those practices. While more industry leaders are stepping-up efforts on educational initiatives, it is clear that more needs to be done to get all consumers on board.

In today’s world, the basic model for the production of goods is linear: Natural resources are extracted and turned into products that are used for a limited time. While some of these products are recycled, most eventually end up in the world’s landfills.  This model is becoming increasingly unsustainable and expensive for businesses. Commodity prices rose more than 150 percent between 2002 and 2010 and an additional three billion middle-class consumers are expected to enter the global market by 2030. This unprecedented demand for goods and services, coupled with increasing resource scarcity and price volatility, is causing companies to move from a traditional “take-make-dispose” model to a more circular strategy. Closing the loop with innovative logistic solutions In recent years, I’ve seen companies like Dell, Patagonia and TerraCycle focus their sustainability efforts on implementing seamless take-back programs that make use of turnkey packaging, pickup services and pre-paid return labels. With approximately 97 percent of business leaders listing logistics as important to transitioning to a circular economy, partnering with intelligent logistic providers will be crucial for companies to implement cost-effective circular strategies. The future of the circular economy I recently had the opportunity to participate on a panel at GreenBiz VERGE 2016 with Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, and Kevin Zweier, VP of Transportation Practice at Chainalytics, to discuss trends shaping the future of the circular economy. In addition to the critical role of logistics, major takeaways from the discussions included:

Tailoring the solution

Companies trying to implement circular strategies face a “first-mile” challenge with re-using products and resources for future consumption. Each product in a company’s supply chain must be analyzed based on its unique characteristics from raw material to end-of-life. Circular planning must then be used to determine whether reclaimed products and resources should be transported back to a central hub facility or dealt with on a local level.

Education is key

To build mainstream acceptance and support for a realized circular economy, governments and businesses alike should prioritize educating consumers about circular principles, including which products can be reused, recycled or upgraded. By helping customers make easy decisions when they are done using a product, we can ensure valuable materials don’t end up in landfills.

We all have a role to play

While companies are investing in innovative partnerships and creating more sustainable solutions, there is also a need for customers and consumers to take advantage of these offerings so that these investments can be supported by a strong business case. One of the most common misconceptions about the circular economy is that it will be impossible to achieve. I believe that when companies invest and collaborate to implement “smarter” supply chains and give others an opportunity to participate, the notion of a circular economy can certainly be realized. 

In today’s world, the basic model for the production of goods is linear: natural resources are extracted and turned into products that are used for a limited time. While some of these products are recycled, most eventually end up in the world’s landfills. This model is becoming increasingly unsustainable and expensive for businesses. Commodity prices rose more than 150 percent between 2002 and 2010 and an additional three billion middle-class consumers are expected to enter the global market by 2030. This unprecedented demand for goods and services coupled with increasing resource scarcity and price volatility is causing companies to move from a traditional “take-make-dispose” model to a more circular strategy. Beyond the cost, there is increasing awareness of the impact of the linear model on the well-being of the planet, and a growing sense of urgency as we see the ultimate ramifications on society and the environment.   Closing the Loop with Innovative Logistic Solutions In recent years, I’ve seen companies like Dell, Patagonia and TerraCycle focus their sustainability efforts on implementing seamless take-back programs that make use of turnkey packaging, pickup services and pre-paid return labels. With approximately 97 percent of business leaders listing logistics as important to transitioning to a circular economy, partnering with intelligent logistic providers will be crucial for companies to implement cost-effective circular strategies. UPS teamed up with Nespresso to help the company ensure their single-serve coffee capsules are properly recycled. Nespresso offers pre-paid recycling bags for consumers to mail back used capsules by dropping them off at one of the 88,000 UPS drop-off locations across the U.S., or by giving them to any UPS driver. The aluminum from the capsules is then melted down and used in new products, and coffee grounds are composted into high-quality soil amendments that go to landscapers, garden centers, municipalities and homeowners. This is one example of many where partnerships are critical to closing the loop. The Future of the Circular Economy I recently had the opportunity to participate on a panel at GreenBiz VERGE 2016 with Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle and Kevin Zweier, VP of Transportation Practice at Chainalytics, to discuss trends shaping the future of the circular economy. In addition to the critical role of logistics, major takeaways from the collaborative discussions included: Tailoring the Solution. Companies trying to implement circular strategies face a “first mile” challenge when it comes to reusing products and resources for future use. Each product in a company’s supply chain must be analyzed based on its unique characteristics from raw material to end-of-life. Circular planning must then be used to determine whether reclaimed products and resources should be transported back to a central hub facility or dealt with on a local level. Education is Key. To help build mainstream acceptance and support for a realized circular economy, governments and businesses alike should prioritize educating consumers about circular principles, including which products can be reused, recycled or upgraded. By helping customers make easy decisions when they are done using a product, we can ensure valuable materials don’t end up in landfills. We All Have a Role to Play. While companies are investing in innovative partnerships and creating more sustainable solutions, there is also a need for customers and consumers to take advantage of these offerings so that these investments can be supported by a strong business case. 

Biodegradable? Environmentally friendly? Altered performance? Better than recycled? With bio-based materials' checkered past in the past, what remains a truth or a myth? Lux Research maintains that new bio-based materials and chemicals offer performance advantages over petro-based; bio-based products manufacturer MHG chimes in, and well-respected upcycler Tom Szaky provides his insights. In its recent announcement, “New bio-based materials and chemicals offer performance advantages over petro-based,” Lux Research, Boston, maintains that although bio-based materials earned past skepticism, the next generation offers high value in specialty chemicals, biopolymers, and advanced materials.   An Upcycler’s Input In his Jan 7, 2015 Sustainable Brands article, “The push for bioplastics and the myth of biodegradability,”TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky stated, “… many are pointing to plant-derived plastic alternatives as the ultimate solution to our unsustainable dependence on fossil fuel-based plastics,” but warned that their biodegradability is a characteristic of “misplaced optimism and confusion.” “Petroleum-derived plastics don’t exist in nature, and as such there are no microorganisms naturally predisposed to facilitating decomposition (without the help of additives). Bioplastics are not always biodegradable, either, which can be another source of confusion for consumers. For example, Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle simply replaces 30 percent of the ethanol in their normal polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle with 30 percent plant-derived ethanol. This means the bottle is still considered PET and can be recycled even though it’s made with some plant material, but it still won’t biodegrade,” Szaky stated. Therein lies the sticky wicket, as well as the basis for optimism, because rapidly advancing technology changes the dynamics. For example, only six months after the article’s publication, CocaCola introduced its reformulated PlantBottle 2.0, made entirely of plants—100 percent plant-based PET. Szaky acknowledged that polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic, made from corn biomass, “does indeed biodegrade into water and carbon dioxide … in the right conditions.” High humidity and high temperatures are required, he said. In the article, Szaky points to one clear advantage of large-scale adoption of bioplastics beyond the biodegradability quandary: “First and foremost is the fact that the required raw materials are renewable; the supply of corn, sugarcane, algae, and other bioplastic feedstocks are only as finite as our cultivation capacity, and the plastics industry could finally emancipate itself from its dependence on fossil fuels.”

TerraCycle ist "Das Konzept Abfall abschaffen" durch das Recyceln des "Nicht-Recycelbaren". Tom Szaky (34), Jungunternehmer und Gründer von TerraCycle, dazu im Interview.

Stream: Gentrification, Dramatized The rising tide of high-quality television doesn’t lift all boats. Participant Media recently announced it would shut down its three-year-old cable channel, Pivot, one of the multitude of outlets scrambling to build a reputation for original programming. Pivot made quirky, interesting choices: the unsettling Arctic murder mystery “Fortitude”; the Australian coming-out comedy “Please Like Me”; and “Human Resources,” an “Office”-like documentary series about an actual New Jersey recycling company.

The Tom’s of Maine “Green Your School Fund” is investing in kids and asking for consumers’ help in determining the most creative environmental projects submitted by educators nationwide by voting daily on greenschoolfund.com through Oct. 17, 2016. More than 250 projects from 40 states were submitted and a panel of judges—musician and actor Kevin Jonas; enterprise editor and senior reporter at The Huffington Post, Kate Sheppard; CEO of TerraCycle, Tom Szaky; 2016 National Teacher of the Year, Jahana Hayes; and founder of the I am the Maven blog, Kerri Jablonski—chose the 10 most creative ideas as finalists. The project that receives the most votes will receive $25,000 in funding to turn their project into a reality. Second place and third place winners will receive $15,000 and $10,000 respectively and seven honorable mention projects will receive $2,000 each. The fund is also distributing more than $900,000 to classrooms across the country.

Our friends at Inhabitat are running a very popular post titled How Sweden recycles 99 percent of its waste, which they picked up from Global Citizen. They are not the first to cover this; back in 2014 Huffpo ran 99 Per Cent Of Sweden's Garbage Is Now Recycled. It all seems to derive from an official Swedish government site which writes that “With its ongoing recycling revolution, less than one per cent of Sweden’s household waste ends up in a rubbish dump” and comes with an impressive video, which Mike covered earlier in TreeHugger.   The trouble is, by any definition of recycling, this is a stretch. In fact, they incinerate about 50 percent of their waste to make heat and energy. And even in their own website, they admit that is not the best approach, that it is not really recycling, and that it takes less energy to actually recycle and reuse than it does to burn and manufacture a replacement from scratch. Then there is the question of what impact waste to energy has on the actual recycling rate. TreeHugger contributor Tom Szaky wrote in his post, Does waste-to-energy make sense? Waste-to-energy also acts as a disincentive to develop more sustainable waste reduction strategies. It may work better in the short term with strict pollution standards and as a last-resort for waste disposal, but it does not offer us a sustainable long-term solution. Preserving material (through recycling and reuse) already in circulation is a key component of sustainable development. Burning finite resources may not be the best approach down the line.