The United Nations held its first virtual World Oceans Day event on Monday, partnering with nonprofit Oceanic Global as a production partner, making the live event free to attend globally.   Some 3,000 people RSVP’d, with more likely to have tuned in worldwide, said Lea d’Auriol, founder of Oceanic Global. Fashion brands like Everest Isles and Solid and Striped partnered with Oceanic Global, as have others since its inception in 2015. The Oceanic Global Foundation emerged following the foundation’s inaugural ocean festival “Oceanic x Ibiza.”   The 2020 theme, titled “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean,” arrives during a time of heightened tensions in the U.S. and elsewhere, as the Black Lives Matter movement sweeps across the globe with ongoing peaceful protests. Almost on cue for visualizing the urgency demanded by environmental groups, a week prior Russia declared a state of emergency after 20,000 tons of diesel spilled from a power plant in the city of Norilsk, Russia, into the Arctic Ocean. Melting permafrost was cited as the culprit — indicative of the effects of global warming in the region.   All things considered, d’Auriol is focused on collective action today. She quoted the poet Audre Lorde: “‘There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives,”’ adding, “In that same spirit, the work we do in the ocean and environmental space is inextricably linked with human rights, public health, and fighting against racial injustice.”   Concern for the environment is all-encompassing, but marginalized groups (African American and Latinx people) tend to be the “most concerned” about climate change, as they are often the most vulnerable and exposed to its effects, according to a study conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.   D’Auriol also pointed to a recent Washington Post op-ed by Dr. Ayana Johnson, a scientific adviser to Oceanic Global, marine biologist and policy expert, as further explanation of the interconnectedness of such sustainability issues. This year’s virtual event convened cross-industry stakeholders including model Cara Delevingne, singer and song-writer Ellie Goulding, environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, TerraCycle founder and chief executive officer Tom Szaky, and marine conservationist Gayatri Reksodihardjo, among others.   “We cannot allow a slip back to so-called business as usual,” said Goulding, championing the importance of voting. “Please speak up and stand up for the ocean and nature…[Sic]. There will never be another time like this.”   There was an industry-focused panel on the blue economy, which is centered around the sustainable use of ocean resources for equitable economic and social development, which was led by Scientific American’s editor in chief Curtis Brainard.   The blue economy includes fisheries, renewable energy, climate change, waste management, maritime transport and tourism, as defined by the World Bank.   America’s marine economy, including goods and services, contributed about $373 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2018, according to June data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.   And globally, fish is a primary source of animal protein for one billion people in the world, as per the World Health Organization. Dr. Melissa Garren, founder and ceo of Working Ocean Strategies, spoke of the triple bottom line including people, planet and profit and how technology can assist the goals of the many small-scale fisheries, increasingly where women play an important role.   “There is an incredible amount of opportunity in the private sector space to make a sustainable impact,” said Garren. It boils down to, again, transparency and accountability.   Szaky spoke of how TerraCycle evolves the circular economy through waste management, even taking on the burden of wasted diapers through its partnership with Dyper, as well as collecting cigarette waste in special receptacles.   “The biggest lesson we’ve learned, especially with engaging with the for-profit sector, which for us would be brands, retailers, etc. — it’s not [framed] as much about solving the problem, but how can [brands] win by doing that. The greater the funding will be and the greater the consistency will be — whether they care about sustainability or not,” said Szaky.   Already, COVID-19 is causing major global disruptions to many industries and not just the maritime and coastal sectors, but also metal and mineral mining that would be needed to build offshore renewable energy. As the World Bank noted in its May report, more ambitious climate targets call for more minerals needed for a clean energy transition — or some three billion tons worth of minerals and metals.   As past events drew awareness to issues like plastic pollution, coral reef bleaching, and overfishing, among others, this year’s event urged individual attendees to specific actions like registering to vote, volunteering in one’s community and reducing plastic consumption.   Some scientists like Johnson even called for an outright reframing of the ocean from victim to “hero,” emphasizing solutions in regenerative ocean farming, algae biofuel and offshore renewable energy in nothing short of a “Blue New Deal.”   While no solution applied to fashion specifically, Szaky mentioned how “ocean plastic awareness has skyrocketed over the past few years,” highlighting heightened consumer awareness and collaborative campaigns with institutions like Parley for the Oceans, which has worked with brands such as Adidas and Stella McCartney to recycle marine plastic into a more sustainable polyester.   But when it comes to recycled polyester, it doesn’t matter if it came from recycled plastic bottles or fishing nets, the material’s impact is a more immediate marketing boost to brands than a permanent waste solution — after accounting for microfibers and lack of scale recycling solutions. “Until we can choose to prioritize climate solutions, sustainable practices, and building the regenerative systems that we need to see for our Earth to heal,” natural disasters and tragedies like the recent oil spill [in Russia] will continue to take place, according to d’Auriol. As the event showed, stakeholders across sectors will have to do more to keep afloat in a tumultuous world where global sea levels continue to rise.

Heard any interesting recycling facts lately? We asked recycling innovator TerraCycle, to tell us the three most important facts about recycling they know. Chances are, you don’t know them yet. If you’ve never heard the amazing story of TerraCycle – where have you been? Founded by CEO and visionary Tom Szaky in 2001, this company is all about sustainability, innovation and making the world a better place. They’re the creators of the #RecycleEverything and #KeepOnRecycling movements. Today the company embodies its slogan, ‘eliminating the idea of waste,’ and has developed programs that recycle the most difficult materials imaginable, from PPE to batteries. TerraCycle operates all over the world, making recycling accessible, useful and profitable.   So, they know a thing or two about recycling facts, stats and tips. This month, we’ve been investigating what residents think they know, but actually don’t know – about recycling. There’s a lot of misinformation, skepticism and ignorance out there! We turned to Sue Kauffman from TerraCycle for some answers. Here’s what we discovered.  

3 Recycling Facts That No-one is Talking About

  We were curious – what 3 facts about recycling do people know nothing about?  

Fact #1: Recycling Combats Climate Change

• “Recycling directly counteracts climate change. The recycling rate is 35% in the United States and this keeps 184 million metric tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing 39 million cars from the road. If the recycling rate was higher, even more climate change accelerating greenhouse gases would be removed from the equation.”

If anyone ever asks you why you recycle, now you can tell them that it combats climate change. Once we end wish-cycling and get the system in North America working correctly again, it will make a positive impact on the rate of global warming.  

Fact #2: We Are Terrible at Recycling

• “According to the EPA, around 75% of the American’s waste can be recycled but we only recycle about 30% of it.”

This is a recycling statistic that we’re quite familiar with here at Recycle Coach. Our municipalities need to advance business and residential recycling education to improve recycling contamination rates, and increase how much waste is recycled.   People think they’re doing the right thing, but the reality is that wish-cycling is rife and not enough people are invested in recycling. There is upwards of 50% room for improvement.  

Fact #3: Aluminum Cans Are Recycled Fast

• “On average, an aluminum can will be back on a store shelf just 6 weeks after you throw it in the recycling bin. This amount of waste adds up, too. The average person goes through more than 25,000 cans in their lifetime - but a recycled aluminum can conserve 95% of the energy and water required to produce an aluminum can from virgin material.”

Now that’s a fast recycling process! When you recycle cans, you’re saving the environment and sustaining an industry. It’s one of those closed loops that TerraCycle loves to create.  

Why Do Residents Believe False Recycling Facts?

  Next, we asked TerraCycle why people tend to believe so many fake recycling facts and stats. Why do residents think they can’t get any better at recycling? Why don’t they realize the impact 1 can could make? Do they really believe that recycling doesn’t make any difference?   The Response:   “Many Americans are aware to some extent that the United States is the world’s largest producer of waste. With only 4% of the world’s population, the U.S. still manages to produce 30% of the planet’s total waste.   Convenient “facts” that are either cherry-picked or outright false allow people to carry-on unsustainable habits and permit them to believe that they’re making less of an environmental impact than they actually are.   A good example of this are misleading recycling symbols that contribute to “wish-cycling”, a counter-productive habit where consumers toss anything with a recycling symbol in their blue bins without first confirming that the item is recyclable in the municipality.   Much of this material, especially plastics other than #1 and #2 which are the most commonly accepted, will not be recycled and risk contaminating otherwise recyclable material, clogging recycling machinery and leading to a loss of resources, time, and money.”  

How Can We Teach Residents Accurate Recycling Facts?

  Finally, we asked TerraCycle if there was anything we could do to rectify what people think they know about recycling today. How do we fix this huge knowledge gap? The Response:   “Much of the responsibility to educate residents falls to their municipalities. Since China stopped accepting much of the world’s recyclables in 2018 due to contamination fears, these education efforts have ramped up in almost every state as local recyclers now contend with the same issues.   No matter the outlet of information, it is important to not overload residents with too much at once. Many towns have begun education campaigns that focus on small steps first, like how greasy pizza boxes or plastic shopping bags cannot be tossed in the blue bin. Building on these minor lifestyle changes, we can help to increase the rate of recycling and cut-down on wish-cycling.”   It seems that to reach residents with important recycling facts and statistics, a smart approach is needed. There, we’re 100% aligned! Our team creates custom campaigns that focus on a particular problem a municipality is dealing with directly, in order to resolve it piece-by-piece.   Using modern technology, we believe accurate recycling facts will find their way into cities, neighborhoods and families. Technology can be the bridge that closes this gap.   For now, remember the 3 most important facts of the day, according to recycling innovator, TerraCycle: Recycling combats climate change, we’re terrible at it, and a single person’s impact can save the world – even if it’s just a can-do attitude.   Municipalities: learn this by heart.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 UN World Oceans Day has switched format to be an online event that is open and free to all. On 8 June from 10am to 5pm EDT (UTC−04:00), the event will be streaming live. It is produced in partnership with non-profit Oceanic Global and aims to raise global awareness about the abundance the oceans provide, and individual and collective duty to use its resources sustainably.   At 12:40PM, Ellen Cuylaerts, curator of the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition, will be joined by the contest’s judges: Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, and John Thet, to announce this year’s winners.   The full day’s schedule is below. In order to attend and get updates from the event, please register.     SCHEDULE 10:00AM Opening Remarks High-level speakers will open UN World Oceans Day with remarks on the 2020 theme “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean”. Speakers H.E. António Guterres. Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande. President of the General Assembly *Remarks: Cara Delevingne * 10:20AM The State of the Ocean Speakers will provide an overview of the state of the ocean and highlight the inter-linkages of the problems we face, as well as opportunities we can harness. Speakers Sylvia Earle. President & Chair, Mission Blue Bill McKibben. Co-Founder, 350.org João Miguel Ferreira de Serpa Soares. Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs & United Nations Legal Counsel 11:00AM “Spotlight Solutions” for the Ocean This segment spotlights current projects offering innovative solutions that address the themes of the eight interactive dialogues of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference. Moderator Lucy Biggers. Climate and Sustainability Correspondent, NowThis Speakers Peter Thomson. United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Francis Zoet. Co-Founder & Director of Operations, The Great Bubble Barrier Ahmad “Aki” Allahgholi. Founder & Managing Director, Coralive.org Olivier Ceberio. COO and Co-Founder, Resolute Marine Michael Selden. Co-Founder & CEO, Finless Foods Jossie Jasmin. Dive shop Manager & Instructor at Amun Ini Dive Bigs Eggert. Owner of Amun Ini Dive Dirk Rosen. Founder & Executive Director, Marine Applied Research and Exploration Elisa Morgera. Professor of Global Environmental Law, Strathclyde University Law School & Director, “One Ocean Hub” Jim Ritterhoff. Executive Director, FORCE BLUE 12:00PM The Cousteaus: A Multigenerational Conversation on Ocean Exploration The Cousteaus will provide a multigenerational perspective on our evolving understanding of the ocean across time, highlighting certain innovations in science and exploration that have shaped our relationship with the ocean. Speakers Jean-Michel Cousteau Celine Cousteau Fabien Cousteau 12:20PM OceanX: Innovation, Technology and Deep Sea Exploration The segment will highlight exciting developments in the world of science, technology and exploration, with a particular focus on deep sea exploration, opportunities for future discoveries and the rapid progress in this field. Speakers Mark Dalio. Founder & Creative Director, OceanX Edith Widder. CEO & Senior Scientist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc. 12:40PM UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Winners Announcement of the finalists and winners of the 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition. Curator Ellen Cuylaerts. Freelance Underwater and Wildlife Photographer and Curator, 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Judges Jim Standing, Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, John Thet Remarks: Ellie Goulding   1:00PM The Blue Economy and Private Sector Impact This panel discussion will shed light on how the private sector is engaging communities to develop solutions for a healthy ocean. Moderator Curtis Brainard. Managing Editor, Scientific American Speakers Tom Szaky. Founder & CEO, TerraCycle Michael W. Lodge Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Dave Ford. Founder, Soul Buffalo & Co-Founder, Ocean Plastics Leadership Network Melissa Garren. CEO & Founder, Working Ocean Strategies Deeper Dive One Ocean Foundation 2:00PM Communities Innovating for a Sustainable Ocean Panelists will provide examples of community-driven innovative approaches to effecting positive change in our relation with the ocean, highlighting key lessons learned. Moderator Andrea Thompson. Associate Editor for Sustainability, Scientific American Speakers Gayatri Reksodihardjo–Lilley. Director & Founder, Indonesian Nature Foundation (Yayasan Alam Indonesia Lestari - LINI) Julia Kumari Drapkin. CEO & Founder, ISeeChange Asha de Vos. Founder & Executive Director, Oceanswell Shanta Shamsunnahar. Program Coordinator, MPA Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bangladesh Deeper Dive Christophe Bailhache. Photographer & Filmmaker, Co-Founder of Underwater Earth 3:00PM Youth Driving Innovation Youth from around the world will share their solutions to drive innovation, engage their community and bridge generational gaps for a healthy and sustainable ocean. Moderator Jack Harries. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Speakers Forbi Perise Eyong Nyosai. Greening Forward Lilly Platt. Environmentalist and Global Youth Ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition, WODI &Youth Mounds. Founder of Lilly’s Plastic Pickup. Dylan Vecchione. Founder, ReefQuest Foundation Callie Veelenturf. Marine Conservation Biologist; Founder, The Leatherback Project and Rights for Nature World Ocean Week Remarks Remarks on World Oceans Week and the efforts of the Friends of World Oceans Day (FOWOD) community. Speakers Francois Bailet. Senior Legal Officer, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Lea d’Auriol. Founder & Executive Director, Oceanic Global 4:00PM A Concert for our Ocean The Day will conclude with a celebration of the ocean through live performances from musicians around the world!  

  This year, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, UN World Oceans Day will be a free all-digital event that’s open to all. Streamed from 10am to 5pm EDT (UTC−04:00) on June 8th, the event, which is produced in partnership with non-profit organization Oceanic Global, aims to raise global awareness about the abundance our ocean provides humankind, and our individual and collective duty to use its resources sustainably. The program includes keynote speeches, panels, and presentations involving business leaders, scientists, youth leaders, cultural innovators, celebrities, and others, with a focus on this year’s theme: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.   At 12:40PM, Ellen Cuylaerts, curator of the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition, hosted by DPG, will be joined by the contest judges—Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, and John Thet—to announce this year’s winners. DPG will be announcing the winners shortly after, at 2PM EST. Check out the program schedule below and register at UNWorldOceansDay.org/2020.   SCHEDULE

Opening Remarks	10:00AM
High-level speakers will open UN World Oceans Day with remarks on the 2020 theme "Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean". Speakers H.E. António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande President of the General Assembly Remarks: Cara Delevingne
The State of the Ocean	10:20AM
Speakers will provide an overview of the state of the ocean and highlight the inter-linkages of the problems we face, as well as opportunities we can harness. Speakers Sylvia Earle President & Chair, Mission Blue Bill McKibben Co-Founder, 350.org João Miguel Ferreira de Serpa Soares Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs & United Nations Legal Counsel
"Spotlight Solutions" for the Ocean	11:00AM
This segment spotlights current projects offering innovative solutions that address the themes of the eight interactive dialogues of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference. Moderator Lucy Biggers Climate and Sustainability Correspondent, NowThis Speakers Peter Thomson United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Francis Zoet Co-Founder & Director of Operations, The Great Bubble Barrier Ahmad "Aki" Allahgholi Founder & Managing Director, Coralive.org Olivier Ceberio COO and Co-Founder, Resolute Marine Michael Selden Co-Founder & CEO, Finless Foods Jossie Jasmin Dive shop Manager & Instructor at Amun Ini Dive, and Bigs Eggert Owner of Amun Ini Dive Dirk Rosen Founder & Executive Director, Marine Applied Research and Exploration Elisa Morgera Professor of Global Environmental Law, Strathclyde University Law School & Director, “One Ocean Hub" Jim Ritterhoff Executive Director, FORCE BLUE
The Cousteaus: A Multigenerational Conversation on Ocean Exploration	12:00PM
The Cousteaus will provide a multigenerational perspective on our evolving understanding of the ocean across time, highlighting certain innovations in science and exploration that have shaped our relationship with the ocean. Speakers Jean-Michel Cousteau Celine Cousteau Fabien Cousteau
OceanX: Innovation, Technology and Deep Sea Exploration	12:20PM
The segment will highlight exciting developments in the world of science, technology and exploration, with a particular focus on deep sea exploration, opportunities for future discoveries and the rapid progress in this field. Speakers Mark Dalio Founder & Creative Director, OceanX Edith Widder CEO & Senior Scientist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc.
UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Winners	12:40PM
Announcement of the finalists and winners of the 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition. Curator Ellen Cuylaerts Freelance Underwater and Wildlife Photographer and Curator, 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition Judges Jim Standing, Adriana Basques, Adam Hanlon, Jill Heinerth, Darren Jew, Jane Morgan, Amos Nachoum, Miriam Stein Battles, David Salvatori, John Thet Remarks: Ellie Goulding
The Blue Economy and Private Sector Impact	1:00PM
This panel discussion will shed light on how the private sector is engaging communities to develop solutions for a healthy ocean. Moderator Curtis Brainard Managing Editor, Scientific American Speakers Tom Szaky Founder & CEO, TerraCycle Michael W. Lodge Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Dave Ford Founder, Soul Buffalo & Co-Founder, Ocean Plastics Leadership Network Melissa Garren CEO & Founder, Working Ocean Strategies Deeper Dive One Ocean Foundation
Communities Innovating for a Sustainable Ocean	2:00PM
Panelists will provide examples of community-driven innovative approaches to effecting positive change in our relation with the ocean, highlighting key lessons learned. Moderator Andrea Thompson Associate Editor for Sustainability, Scientific American Speakers Gayatri Reksodihardjo–Lilley Director & Founder, Indonesian Nature Foundation (Yayasan Alam Indonesia Lestari - LINI) Julia Kumari Drapkin CEO & Founder, ISeeChange Asha de Vos Founder & Executive Director, Oceanswell Shanta Shamsunnahar Program Coordinator, MPA Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bangladesh Deeper Dive Christophe Bailhache Photographer & Filmmaker, Co-Founder of Underwater Earth
Youth Driving Innovation	3:00PM
Youth from around the world will share their solutions to drive innovation, engage their community and bridge generational gaps for a healthy and sustainable ocean. Moderator Jack Harries Filmmaker & Environmentalist Speakers Forbi Perise Eyong Nyosai Greening Forward Lilly Platt Environmentalist and Global Youth Ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition, WODI &Youth Mundus. Founder of Lilly's Plastic Pickup. Dylan Vecchione Founder, ReefQuest Foundation Callie Veelenturf Marine Conservation Biologist; Founder, The Leatherback Project and Rights for Nature
World Ocean Week Remarks
Remarks on World Oceans Week and the efforts of the Friends of World Oceans Day (FOWOD) community. Speakers Francois Bailet Senior Legal Officer, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Lea d'Auriol Founder & Executive Director, Oceanic Global
A Concert for our Ocean	4:00PM
The Day will conclude with a celebration of the ocean through live performances from musicians around the world!

 

In this month’s edition of Business Report, we return to highlight the sometimes unexpected twists and turns resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, this time focusing on recycling and sustainability impacts. TerraCycle’s Szaky noted that though refillable container use at grocery stores has certainly suffered as a result of the pandemic, its Loop initiative, whereby consumers ship back reusable containers to consumer product companies and retailers through the LOOP system, has continued to gain traction, with 15 major retailers, 400 brands and 100,000 consumers participating, though it needs more scale to become  profitable, which it anticipates will take two to three years. And, packaging firm Ball Corp. continues to work on its aluminum drinking cup efforts, touting aluminum cups as infinitely recyclable.

Cara Delevingne is to lead the speakers at the United Nations’ Innovation For Our Ocean event on World Oceans Day (June 8, 2020).   The event will include speeches, panels, and presentations, from key speakers including Cara, Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken, Ali Velshi, and Jean-Michel Cousteau, and has been produced in partnership with the non-profit Oceanic Global.   The Carnival Row actress, who last year teamed up with progressive organization Advaya to launch EcoResolution, a platform that encourages people from all over the world to take action against the climate and ecological crisis and co-create a world that prospers, will oversee the opening remarks at the event.   The sessions featured throughout the day will include a general overview of the state of the oceans by environmentalist McKibben, a presentation by Hawken, a multi-generational conversation between Jean-Michel Cousteau, Celine Cousteau and Fabien Cousteau, and a panel discussion with a wide range of voices, including Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, and the youth activist Lilly Platt.

The sky is clearer these days, as mountain views come into full focus. Air traffic has dropped significantly, production of some industries has ceased and people around the world have been sticking close to home. With that, global greenhouse gas emissions fell as much as 17% by April, according to new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. While that’s good news in many regards, the coronavirus pandemic has also increased household and plastic waste, and disrupted the recycling industry.   “The pandemic has given way to a curious phenomenon. With some industries pausing activities and fewer cars clogging roads, we’ve seen a drop in greenhouse gas emissions and a subsequent improvement in air quality,” writes Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, a national sustainability company that focuses on recycling difficult-to-recycle packaging and products, in an email. “But even as the environment heals, we’ll be waking up to a waste crisis that’s worse than where we left it.”   There’s been an influx of single-use plastics and disposable plastic bags going to landfills, Szaky says, as reusables have been banned over health concerns. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, many of which contain plastic, have also significantly increased, adding significantly to the waste stream.   Before the start of the pandemic, approximately 40% of U.S. household waste was packaging and paper products such as plastic containers, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, newspaper and cardboard, according to the Product Stewardship Institute. Since the start of the pandemic, however, there’s 20-30% more trash and recycling coming out of households nationally, says Kate Bailey, policy and research director at Eco-Cycle based in Boulder.   At Eco-Cycle, the amount of single-use plastics such as take-out containers and bags hasn’t changed significantly, Bailey says. Although, there has been a larger-than-normal uptick in single-use beverage containers as summer approaches. Plus, smaller cardboard boxes associated with at-home delivery have increased as well.   TerraCycle, Szaky says, has seen a spike in both Zero Waste Boxes, which allow folks to mail in hard-to-recycle items (including PPE), and use of the company’s Loop e-commerce site, which sells packaged goods in durable, sanitized and reused containers.   While household recycling may be increasing, plastic and glass from businesses have significantly decreased, causing potential disruptions in the supply chains across the country.   “We have a lot of manufacturing companies in this country that make toilet paper, that make cardboard boxes, that make glass bottles that depend on recycling,” Bailey says. “So we’re seeing this call from manufacturers to say, ‘We need you to please keep recycling because we need these raw materials.’”   And the industry has had to shift gears toward more household pick-up to keep up with demand, as some commercial recycling companies have had to close.   “Since this increase in collections has been largely limited to residential locations as most businesses remain closed, many recycling haulers who exclusively operate in the commercial waste market have been forced to layoff employees,” Szaky says.   The pandemic comes at a time when the recycling industry was already struggling with historically low virgin plastic prices, made worse by the significant drop in oil and gas prices, and stymied international trading markets, as China banned recycling imports in 2018. There have been policy setbacks as well.   In Colorado, two separate bills banning single-use plastics like straws, bags and coffee stirrers and polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out packaging by 2022 were making their way (successfully) through the state legislature before the pandemic hit. Now, neither one is expected to move forward this year.   “This feels a lot like getting kicked while you’re down,” Bailey says.   But, Bailey says, the pandemic has also presented an opportunity to rebuild recycling programs and make them more resilient, and she expects the global momentum around reducing plastics and waste to continue beyond this pandemic.   “The short of it is the problems with plastic production — the fossil fuel consumption, the climate emissions, and then the problems with plastics waste in the ocean, in our bodies — those are not going away,” Bailey says. “We don’t see this as a long-term victory for plastic. I see this as a short-term trend and then an adjustment period for all of us.”   Szaky isn’t quite so optimistic, however, saying it’s hard to project the long-term impacts of the present challenges.   “This perfect storm of issues has been brewing for a while and the COVID-19 crisis seems to have tipped the industry over the edge,” he writes. “While only time will tell if the industry can bounce back, it will certainly not be returning to ‘business as usual’ as soon as lockdowns are lifted.”

Kao’s new recyclable package for MyKirei personal care products — which uses up to 50% less plastic by weight than traditional rigid plastic bottles with pumps — embodies functional, emotional, and social benefits of a holistic sustainable design.   While the recyclability challenges of lightweighted packaging are of increasing importance to producers and consumers, the tremendous benefits of smaller, lighter packages must be acknowledged to find solutions that balance their virtues with more intuitive resource management. Less material by weight equals fewer resources extracted from the planet, and less waste if disposed compared to heavier packages. For producers, less packaging brings down production costs overall, and with lighter, less voluminous shipments, transportation costs by weight, which are additionally offset by the ability to fit more items on a truck or pallet. This translates for consumers, who enjoy increased access to products by the pricing and delivery of packaged goods in-store. Ecommerce relies heavily on lightweight packing material to maintain product quality from point A to B, and even “non-packaged” items such as clothing, fresh produce, and durable goods like furniture and automobiles are often packaged for distribution. Lightweight packaging also lends itself to beauty and utility. Many packages are lightweighted by using plastic and other synthetics, which have near-endless potential for colorization, shaping, printing, and textures, often rendered to resemble wood, glass, and other high-value, aesthetically pleasing materials. Flexibles and films, ubiquitous across the packaging supply chain, have versatile characteristics. In sachets, pouches, cling wraps, and bags (which recycling critic John Tierney calls, not inaccurately, “a marvel of economic, engineering, and environmental efficiency”), these thin plastics are cheap, strong, and often elegant in design, making lots of sense from a utilitarian and practical perspective. It cannot be overstated that no lightweighted packaging material, namely plastics, in and of itself is at the crux of our issues with recyclability, pollution, and waste. It’s the way we use them, intentionally designing items to be thrown away in a global recycling system that isn’t equipped to effectively recover it for additional cycles of production. But just as the material, shape, and size of package is part of the design, the creation of systems that ensure it is recovered and reintegrated it into the supply chain are, as well. MyKirei is a new lifestyle brand launching in the US by Kao Corp. (makers of Bioré, Jergens, and Curél), with whom TerraCycle is partnered with in Japan. They are debuting the brand nationally with three products — Japanese Tsubaki & Rice Water Nourishing shampoo and conditioner, and Yuzu and Rice Water Nourishing hand wash — all of which are packaged in Kao’s patented “Air” Bottles, flexible film bottles filled with air pockets around the perimeter of the bottle to make it stand upright. The innovative Air Bottles are said to use up to 50% less plastic by weight than traditional rigid plastic bottles with pumps. The brand promises the Air Bottles are 100% nationally recyclable through the recycling program we manage, free to consumers to use with the points incentive they can use to donate cash to charity. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of “Kirei” (which favors sustainability as well as beauty, cleanliness, simplicity, and balance), this collection of products is founded on the belief that care and respect for ourselves, our societies, and the world around us is key to simple, beautiful living. The brand hopes to inspire a gentle, more sustainable way of life. With a recycling program and charity component developed as part of the product launch, vs. reactively down the road, MyKirei by Kao maintains and reinforces the functional, emotional, and social benefits of a beautiful, but typically non-recyclable, package with a holistic design approach.