Going paperless has been a trend across industries for the last several years. A move to increase efficiency and keep up with changing systems, digitalization streamlines information and addresses environmental concerns. However, going paperless is still very much in the future at many businesses due to the fact that sweeping infrastructure changes and comprehensive iterations to existing document management solutions (DMS) pose challenges of security and compliance, two of the most important considerations when going paperless.   These considerations are why the shredding industry is a multi-million dollar business. Shredding companies offer legislative compliance for businesses and institutions obliged to protect the private information under their control. In a highly competitive marketplace, well-established shredding companies face the constant challenge of not only offering top-of-the-line service, but finding new ways to add value for their customers.   Some shredding companies are expanding their portfolio of services to include a turn-key waste solution for clients to diversify their offerings and scale for growth. Through my company TerraCycle’s highly customizable Zero Waste Box platform, major paper shredders across the country are bringing their customers the ability to recycle more than 300 categories of waste. The core benefit of this program mechanic is that TerraCycle makes it accessible for these shredding companies to offer new solutions to their clients while not increasing costs. This is possible because they are ‘piggy-backing’ on their own logistics.   With the traditional model, an individual, organization or business purchases one or many Zero Waste Boxes, priced by size and degree of material separation; this cost pays for the actual separation and processing of the recycled materials, as well as the cost associated with shipping.   When a shredding company works with TerraCycle to offer Zero Waste Boxes as an add-on service to customers, the shipping cost back is offset by the logistics used to handle the recycling boxes, which are already in place as an aspect of their shredding service. The shredder sets up and collects the Zero Waste Box in their clients’ place of business, taking over the shipping and transportation from FedEx or UPS.   At the point where shredders have accumulated a large amount of boxes and are ready to return them, some will send them back to TerraCycle via freight, while more local companies may choose to deliver the boxes directly to the TerraCycle warehouse using their own box trucks; both methods are less expensive (and more environmentally sound) than shipping through an external delivery company.   Shredding isn’t going anywhere, and staying competitive within the marketplace by offering a service that other companies do not is advantageous to both shredding companies and their clients. Recycling is an environmental business practice in and of itself. Coupling these circular systems with sustainable logistics that provide concurrent purpose is not only killing two birds with one stone and conserving valuable resources, it’s highly profitable.   In a similar manner that recycling is one of the most accessible and easily understood aspects of environmentalism, doing away with paper is an aspect of waste reduction perceived to be a sustainable and entirely doable practice. But until a total conversion to digital has come to pass, shredding companies will remain an integral part of keeping our information safe. By investing in another line of business that solves for a negative value commodity (that which people pay to have taken away), shredders and other logistics experts are able to sustainably diversify their offerings at low risk, and pass these benefits to customers and clients.

Don't let the unseasonal heat wave fool you — winter is, eventually, coming. That means it's time to stock up on those hydrating and repairing products. One of the most effective ones out there? Sheet masks. But as we drench our faces in donkey milk or snail goop, we can forget one glaring issue: all the leftover waste. After a week of regular treatments, your garbage can can might look like Hannibal Lecter and Jason Voorhees went on a bender — full of crumpled eyeless and mouthless masks along with heaps of plastic packaging, which will all end up in a landfill. According to the EPA, Americans throw out, on average, 254 million tons of “municipal solid waste.” 30% of that is containers and packaging. On top of that, we have a “stagnant” 35% recycling rate — pretty much the worst compared to other industrialized nations — with a paltry 3% of that being plastic. And we just keep on consuming, including more and more beautifully packaged beauty products. The NPD Group found that U.S. sales of prestige facial masks increased 20% from September 2015 to August 2016. And that doesn’t even count the $1 sheet masks people snap up like candy (and maybe shouldn’t). Don’t get us wrong — we’d never try to shame you out of partaking in your weekly sheet masks. They've saved us from many a cold, dry winter or morning after a particularly rough night. But it never hurts to be more aware, right? So here are six points to consider before you stock up your winter sheet-mask reserves. Know that recycling options are limited. Most (if not all) local curbside recycling programs in the U.S. will not recycle complex number seven plastic, which includes mask pouches and backings. But check your sanitation department website to be sure. (And ignore the recycling triangle featuring Korean wording on K-beauty products. Those are specific to South Korea.) But TerraCycle, an innovative company that can recycle flexible plastic, offers a Zero Waste Box for bathroom products. Buy a cardboard bin ($95 or $186) to fill with all your previously non-recyclable empties, like sheet mask detritus, and return to TerraCycle with a prepaid UPS label.

It’s Halloween weekend, and no doubt a lot of you are headed off to a party, parade or some other costume-themed event this weekend — not to mention the actual trick-or-treating day on Monday. Halloween is big business these days, with Americans spending more than $6.9 billion last year on costumes, candy, decorations and such, or an average of $74 per person. That’s got the potential for a lot of waste, trash and excess. I’ve written before on reducing your Halloween waste, but here I am doing it again, since I’ve run across a couple of brilliant new ideas. • One problem with those fun-sized candies is that just about all of them are encased in wrappers made from mixed materials, which are notoriously hard to recycle. But here’s a thought: Terracycle, the company that has become a global leader in recycling oddball items, has greatly expanded its programs of late. It’s now offering Zero Waste Boxes specifically for candy and snack wrappers. Go to zerowasteboxes.terracycle.com and you can order a Zero Waste Box for this need. Then you load up the box and ship it to the company, and they’ll handle the wrapper recycling. The cost of the box includes the shipping fee, and the least expensive box is $85. If this isn’t within your budget, consider splitting the cost with neighbors, family, friends or workmates. Also be sure to check out the many, many Zero Waste Boxes for different types of recyclables — from action figures and art supplies to vinyl siding and water filters.

Problem: Laboratories and research organizations generate millions of nonhazardous lab disposables per year. International science journal Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html) estimates that lab plastics waste accounted for 5.5 million tons in 2014, roughly the combined tonnage of 67 cruise liners—and this estimate only speaks to one of the many types of waste created by labs. The quantity and variety of waste generated depends on the type of lab, as the lab and research industry can be broadly defined to include hospitals, universities, pharmaceutical corporations and regulatory agencies. Every lab is different and creates a mix of natural and synthetic materials, which may include glass, plastic, hybrid material lab garments, and nitrile and rubber gloves. Laboratory disposables have been fated to linear disposal methods like landfilling and incineration because there is no comprehensive recycling solution for them in the current waste management infrastructure. The economics of recycling (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-szaky/the-economicsof-waste_b_9616522.html) creates little incentive to employ alternative recycling solutions for discarded lab disposables, as the cost of collection, separation and processing for these mixed items is far greater than what the materials are worth. Thus, many labs do not offer well-managed systems for waste disposal, doing nothing for their internal sustainability numbers. However, labs have the ability to employ customizable, regenerative waste solutions for their lab disposables. Solution: Considering the reasons why waste is difficult to manage in labs and research facilities is the first step in finding solutions. As mentioned, the current recycling infrastructure does not support alternative recycling solutions for items like lab disposables because the process is too expensive. A private lab or research facility does not stand to gain any sort of monetary return on footing the potentially high cost of specialized recycling services, and must be presented with additional incentives to bring a perspective of value to recycling opportunities. Many lab employees may also believe that all laboratory waste is unrecyclable, which is not the case. Lab managers can facilitate staff training and sustainability courses for employees and building personnel to build morale around green awareness and improvements in lab processes, such as the integration of new in-house recycling solutions. One regenerative waste solution to consider when evaluating and setting internal sustainability goals in the laboratory is the Zero Waste Box, a premium recycling option from TerraCycle, an international recycling company. Major distributors and suppliers of laboratory equipment and accessories such as Krackeler Scientific, VWR, and Thomas Scientific have partnered with TerraCycle to offer Zero Waste Boxes through their website, allowing labs and other research facilities easy access to a turnkey waste solution for more than one type of lab disposable. Excluding food waste, sharps, hazardous materials, and other federally regulated items, the Zero Waste Box platform offers a solution for nearly every type of waste, without the need for corporate or municipal sponsorship. This innovative waste solution can be used by labs in conjunction with a lab’s own zerowaste strategies and participation in curbside collection programs, or as a primary waste solution. Separating waste is the key to making everything recyclable. For example, nitrile and latex gloves are comprised of different materials. Category specific Zero Waste Boxes for each type of waste stream keeps them separate at the capture phase, creating no need to work in the cost of that separation process. Labs and research facilities that use both types of gloves can either buy two types of Zero Waste Box for the respective items, or go a size up to include both for increased convenience. Labs can also increase internal sustainability by using Zero Waste Boxes to recycle other traditionally unrecyclable items. Waste created by building management (batteries, air fresheners, cleaning wipe packaging, trigger heads from cleaning spray bottles), researchers and scientists (binders and presentation materials, books, and magazines), and every person that walks through the door (coffee pods, chip bags, food storage containers) can be solved through TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box platform.

What started as a single-serving beverage brewing system targeting the office market has grown into the standard by which people make coffee at home, in waiting rooms, at convenience stores and in the workplace, but these things are an eco-disaster.

How Coffee Pods Came to Dominate!

Single-serving coffee pods and their related brewing machines are the second most popular brewing system after standard drip coffee makers, with 25 percent of American coffee drinkers using them in 2015, beating out instant coffee and ready-to-drink coffee beverages. Soon expected to totally overtake standard roast, ground and instant coffee with a whopping 30 percent sector increase in the U.K., coffee pods and capsules continue their rise to the standard in hot beverage consumption. While the category’s metonymic capsules and pods have disrupted the way coffee is produced and consumed, the market no longer ends there. Single-serving pod-based beverages now include hot chocolate, ciders, fruit drinks, teas, cold brew coffee, iced tea, even beer and Jell-O shots. This rapid market growth is despite the environmental implications that have put the category under fire for the exorbitant amount of waste they create, the component make-up of which is fast-tracked for the landfill or the incinerator. Comprised of plastics, aluminum, foil, and paper components that require separating and additional processing due to contact with food and beverage substances, these items are not recyclable in the current infrastructure.

Why aren’t coffee and beverage pods recyclable?

The hard truth is most of the product and packaging waste we create falls outside the scope of municipal recycling. Where the economics of waste dictate that an item will only be recycled if it is profitable to do so, coffee and beverage pods are the precise opposite of profitable; not only is collection and processing of these mixed component products quite costly to begin with, potential contamination of recycled materials at recycling facilities due to a rogue pod creates a negative cost for municipalities. In this fast-paced culture of convenience that prompts people to purchase these brewing systems in the first place, it is highly unlikely that their users will sit down to separate the pods’ component parts. But even those who want to have their coffee quick and eco-friendly, too, and do set aside the time and effort to take apart the plastic, metal, paper and compostable coffee grinds may be doing so to no end; these components parts are so small that most recycling facilities are not able to capture them. It is clear that these mixed-component items cause a lot of waste (in 2013, enough of one brand of coffee capsules were produced that, if placed end-to-end, they would circle the Earth 10.5 times), but people continue to use them in a world where convenience is currency. The coffee pod industry purports that the controlled water temperature and pressure, exact measurement of coffee or tea per pod, internal filter and air tight pod structure delivered by this type of single-serving system creates the “perfect cup” with precision. The jury may be out on that one, but the fact remains that these little pods cause a big waste problem.

What Can be Done to Recycle Coffee Pods?

For the eco-conscious consumers who use coffee pods, work in an environment that uses them, or simply want to spread the word, there are custom solutions available. TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Boxes provides an accessible option for consumers, offices, schools and more, to solve for this waste stream and contribute to a more sustainable landscape. Zero Waste Boxes solve for capsule and pod waste, and many other waste streams that cannot be recycled through curbside.

Read more: Why K-Cup (Coffee Pod) Recycling is Not Enough

To get started, you can order your custom category separation Zero Waste Box from TerraCycle. Once received, TerraCycle recommends placing recycling boxes in a high traffic area where coffee capsules are used and typically thrown away. When the recycling box is full, the liner must be tightly closed inside the box prior to shipping. Once the top of the box is sealed securely with packing tape, it can be placed in the designated shipping area to be sent back to TerraCycle. When TerraCycle receives the box, the adhesive packing will be recycled into new, innovative products, like park benches, chairs, watering cans and even paving stones. We are sitting on a mountain of coffee pods, so solving for their waste can seem like an uphill battle. But recognizing the problem and being aware of a solution is the most important ingredient for galvanizing action and structural change. If you still have them lying around, here are 17 ways to upcycle of all the coffee pods.

The global market for coffee pods and capsules expanded 16 percent in 2015, the significance of which is dwarfed by the 30 percent sector increase for the category in the U.K. alone, where projections estimate £137.5 million in supermarket sales. Soon to overtake standard roast, ground and instant coffee, according a study from Kantar Worldpanel, coffee pods and capsules continue their rise to the standard in hot beverage consumption, “The Clooney Effect” playing no small part in this continuing market trend.   And it doesn’t stop at coffee and tea. The capsule and pod technologies that so successfully disrupted the hot beverage industry for the greater part of a decade have been since applied to a burgeoning number of food and drink categories, turning food and drink into the most profitable business since software. Beer-drinkers who want something beyond a home brewing kit can turn to a modulated beer machine that uses prepackaged pods to brew a cold batch. Pod technology for Jell-O shots have been marketed for the B2B (bars and catering) and B2C markets, cutting down on the time it takes to make the novelty items, and the space taken up in your fridge.   On the opposite side of the spectrum, a baby formula manufacturer has developed a system featuring capsules containing differentiated and optimized nutrition for every stage of an infant’s development. “Organic, fresh tortillas” individually pressed and cooked from pods containing a ball of dough (inserted into a machine are now available for your home, because the manufacturer says “best way to enjoy a tortilla is right after it has been freshly baked and is still warm.” The list goes on of new start-ups and inventions that aim to do for their respective markets that the pod system did for coffee.   Though the proliferation of this kind of trending technology is easily dismissed as being “trendy,” these kinds of innovations address a need in the market that is only confirmed by consumer behavior. Pods and capsules do not exist in a vacuum; where there are problems in need of solutions, pods and capsules are in a position to provide. And consumers are buying them.   Convenience is currency, as is time and ease of use, but what of innovation? Consumers are becoming more interested in health food trends, food science, and access to quality food experiences in the home, and the disruptive nature of pods and capsules create a new space in the food and drink market.   But even more so now that it has been clearly demonstrated that people will not abstain from capsule and pod technologies, despite their environmental implications, what the compact contraptions mean for sustainability is a considerable issue. The pods are not recyclable in the current infrastructure due to their component parts. Comprised of plastics, aluminum and sometimes paper, a person would need to separate and take the pods apart in order to effectively recycle the elements in their respective bins; in this fast-paced culture of convenience, it is safe to say that few pod-users would not consider this step. Further, contact with food and beverage would mean that most municipal recycling facilities would require this waste to undergo additional processing so as to not contaminate recycled batches.   However, consumers do have recycling options for their beverage capsule and pod waste. My company TerraCycle solves for nearly every type of waste through our premium Zero Waste Box solution, including coffee capsules. Simply fill with coffee and beverage pods and send back to TerraCycle using the pre-paid shipping label. Consumers can enjoy the convenience and innovation of this turn-key recycling solution as they do pod and capsule technology. While these disruptive innovators in the food and additional beverage markets remain start-ups in the beginning stages of growth, end-of-life solutions can be developed early to prevent unnecessary waste from negatively impacting the planet. Innovative, sustainable solutions for waste can be worked into the product function from the start, inventing the most efficient, environmentally sound ways to accommodate the world’s changing lifestyles.

If “summer cleaning” is at the top of your to-do list, you’ll find all sorts of items you can get rid of to make room and give yourself some peace of mind. But during the fervor of freshening up your home, be sure you continue to be mindful of the environment! When it comes to discarding difficult-to-recycle items, sometimes you have to think outside of the garbage bin. Give your “clutter” a second life and consider these seven alternatives: Take Back Programs Take back programs are company or retailer-sponsored initiatives to collect and “take back” old or used products. Instead of an item being lost in a landfill, the company instead takes responsibility for their product waste. Some of these initiatives are brand-specific (think Apple Renew). Others accept items regardless of brand, like cosmetics brand Origins and the Back to Origins recycling program. Generally, individuals can give back or drop off items at a storefront or retail location, sometimes being rewarded for their return in the process. For example, this past Earth Month, TerraCycle partnered up Target to create a free recycling initiative for old baby and child car seats in the Houston area. Every individual who recycled a car seat was rewarded with a 20% discount on a new one purchased at Target. Waste is diverted from landfills, and customers are rewarded for doing the right thing!

For Veronica Rajadnya, what’s most rewarding about working for an innovative recycling company is that it brings people together. The numbers say it all. To date, over $60 million people in 20 countries have helped to collect and recycle enough waste to raise over $15 million for charities around the world.

TerraCycle's founder and CEO, Tom Szaky, appeared on Sydney radio station Eastside FM's Friday Drive show to talk all things TerraCycle. Select the show from Friday July 1 and scroll to the 82:45 mark to hear Tom speak.