TERRACYCLE NEWS
ELIMINATING THE IDEA OF WASTE®
Posts with term ZWB X
Une innovation pour recycler les produits des professionnels de la cosmétique
Pour les professionnels de l’esthétique, TerraCycle a créé une gamme de « Boîtes Zéro Déchet » pour transformer les déchets cosmétiques en une nouvelle matière première utilisée dans la fabrication de nouveaux objets, ce qui permet de limiter le besoin d’extraire du pétrole pour créer du nouveau plastique vierge.
Une innovation pour recycler les produits des professionnels de la cosmétique
Pour les professionnels de l’esthétique, TerraCycle a créé une gamme de « Boîtes Zéro Déchet » pour transformer les déchets cosmétiques en une nouvelle matière première utilisée dans la fabrication de nouveaux objets, ce qui permet de limiter le besoin d'extraire du pétrole pour créer du nouveau plastique vierge.
TERRACYCLE UNVEILS RECYCLING SYSTEM FOR SINGLE-USE PPE
Waste management company TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box hopes to provide a ‘recycling solution’ for single-use PPE items, such as gloves and face masks.
The system will offer individuals, households, schools, businesses, manufacturing facilities and events an opportunity to recycle single-use PPE, material considered ‘non-recyclable’ in traditional recycling systems.
Une nouvelle solution pour l’industrie agroalimentaire afin de recycler les déchets «non recyclables»
TerraCycle, expert du recyclage des déchets « difficiles à recycler », a créé une gamme de Boîtes Zéro Déchet conçue pour permettre aux fabricants de produits alimentaires de recycler les filets à cheveux et à barbe, les masques, les gants jetables et les équipements de protection, des déchets qui ne sont pas collectés par les filières de tri traditionnelles pour être recyclés et qui sont donc généralement destinés à être enfouis ou incinérés.
Food Manufacturers can recycle equipment destined for landfill or incineration
TerraCycle, which is known for tackling 'hard-to-recycle' waste, has created a range of Zero Waste Boxes designed to allow food manufacturers to recycle items such as hair nets, earplugs, disposable gloves and safety equipment. These are items that are not collected by councils and waste management companies for recycling so are traditionally destined for landfills or incineration.
J&J Vision funds partners’ CL recycling resources
Following an earlier 2022 survey which revealed that only 39% of contact lens (CL) wearers recycled, J&J Vision has partnered with TerraCycle to fund the provision of 3,500 Zero Waste Boxes to partnering opticians.
Keeping up the momentum on reducing waste
TerraCycle
BIC
Include UK
zero waste box
ZWB
l’Occitane
Tesco
Loop
Pringles
Pladis
Babybel
Baylis & Harding
Cathedral City
Murad
Carex
TerraCycle specialises in providing solutions for hard-to-recycle products, working with a range of partners globally to eliminate the idea of waste. In Scotland alone, the organisation has 355 public drop-off sites across its programmes. Here, Julien Tremblin, general manager of TerraCycle Europe, tells Packaging Scotland about the organisation’s history, greatest achievements to date, and long-term aspirations.
Recycling Mystery: Coffee Bags
If you’re a java lover who purchases coffee in bags rather than metal cans, you’ve likely wondered, “Can I recycle coffee bags?” at some point. As is the case for so many packaging items, the answer is, “Maybe, but probably not curbside.”
In the recycling realm, some folks declare, “If in doubt, toss it out.” It’s preferable to discard items unless you know for sure your local recycling facility accepts them. That’s because non-recyclable items potentially interfere with efficient sorting at the recycling facility. Sometimes, they disrupt the functioning of equipment. A recycling facility may dump out full loads of worthy recyclable items when they’re mixed with non-recyclable items.
Non-recycling discards often include coffee bags.
established a free recycling program for eligible Dunkin’-brand coffee bags. If you want to participate, you need to establish a TerraCycle account and enroll online. When you’ve filled a box with Dunkin’ bags, print out a free UPS shipping label and ship off your empties.
“We encourage you to ship when your box is full to minimize the transportation carbon footprint for this program,” the TerraCycle website states.
Probably Not Curbside
Unless your program specifically accepts coffee bags, including them in your curbside bin jeopardizes the recycling load. Usually, household recycling programs do not recycle empty coffee bags, even if the exterior looks like paper or foil. Representatives from the recycling industry, including Rumpke and WM, say the flexible packaging for your java beans and grounds is often manufactured with mixed materials. For example, paper or foil bags are often lined with plastic. Bags layered with varied materials are not in demand for recycling, the representatives said. Packaging that’s paper only is likely recyclable, but most coffee bags have an inner coating to preserve the freshness of the beans. “If you are a coffee drinker, the best option is a reusable container. But if that’s not an option, a recyclable paper bag is best,” says Amanda Pratt of Rumpke.Reduce Waste
On its website San Jose Recycles, the City of San Jose offers a recommendation to reduce packaging waste. “Instead of buying single bags of coffee, buy coffee beans from the bulk section of your supermarket. Bring an empty coffee bag or jar into the store for your coffee instead of using a brand new container every time.” If you buy beans from bulk bins, ask your grocer if using your own jar or pouch is allowed.Recycling by Mail
These TerraCycle programs offer recycling opportunities for empty coffee packaging that is not usually accepted with household recycling.Dunkin’
Dunkin’ and TerraCycleDon Francisco’s
Don Francisco’s Coffee Family Reserve bags from F. Gaviña & Sons are also eligible for free recycling with TerraCycle. In addition to the empty bags, the TerraCycle partnership program also accepts:- Don Francisco’s single-serve coffee pods and espresso capsules
- Café La Llave espresso capsules and espresso-style single-serve coffee pods
Zero Waste Box
TerraCycle accepts a variety of hard-to-recycle waste items through its fee-based Zero Waste Box program. This is a good option for businesses or organizations that generate a lot of the specified waste type. For coffee-related recyclables, these programs include:TerraCycle Recycles
TerraCycle explains that the empty bags may be melted into hard plastic, which can be remolded to make new products such as park benches and picnic tables. Mary Ellen Down of TerraCycle states, “We work with brands, retailers, and other stakeholders who fund the recycling process. We have in-house scientists and material application specialists who work out how to recycle all kinds of materials. We then use our global network of processors to convert the items into raw material, which is then sold to manufacturing companies.”Upcycled Coffee Bags
If you’d like to upcycle your empty bags, here are some decorative and fun projects:- Weave a bag or basket from empty coffee bags; the instructions are on YouTube.
- Turn a foil-lined bag into a tabletop planter (from We Must Be Dreamers) or a hanging planter (from Instructables).
- Make a coffee bag bracelet with help from instructions on YouTube.
Shop Wisely
Some producers, cafes, and coffee shops are working on establishing or enhancing eco-friendly packaging and recycling programs. Australian coffee roaster and cafe chain Industry Beans, for example, favors Eco Barista™ recyclable coffee bags. “These bags are made using soft plastics (polyethelyn), stripping away aluminum and using a removable valve to ensure the bag can be recycled and coffee is protected and kept fresh,” states the website. Tell your favorite suppliers you’re eager to support their sustainability endeavors. Happy sipping.Is your morning coffee worth polluting our environment for?
Though Canada has committed to a plan of zero plastic waste by 2030, we need immediate action, Kaeley Cole writes.
Globally, less than 10 per cent of the world’s plastics are recycled; the rest ends up in landfills, incinerators or as litter.
Why should you care? Plastic pollution harms the ecosystems we rely on to keep our planet healthy. According to a report released by the World Economic Forum in 2016, plastics will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050. Toxic chemicals from plastics end up in our water and cause behavioural and physiological changes in fish. These chemicals also climb the food chain and eventually impact humans directly. In fact, studies have found tiny plastic particles in human blood and embryos. This is extremely concerning because it means plastics can move around inside our bodies, accumulate in our organs, effect babies’ developing immune systems and cause long-term damage.
Though Canada has committed to a plan of zero plastic waste by 2030, we need immediate action. One way we can act now is by making takeout practices greener, much like New York City has done. In 2020, New York cafés and restaurants implemented a 25 cent charge for disposable cups, encouraging people to bring reusable mugs. Additionally, their takeout materials are compostable. We need incentives like this in Canada.
Globally, 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups are discarded annually. Most takeout chains have fully plastic lids and cold cups, while hot cups are typically paper with an inner plastic lining. Cups lined with plastic are difficult and expensive to reprocess since the materials need to be separated. As a result, many municipalities don’t recycle these and they end up in the landfill resulting in unnecessary garbage.
Lids and cold cups are usually recyclable, but they need to be end up at the right facility. This means making sure residents are properly sorting their waste. Unfortunately, the City of Hamilton doesn’t have public recycling bins, so when people are out and about waste that could be recycled ends up in garbage bins.
The solution? First of all, municipalities should provide clearly marked trash and recycling bins in public spaces. Second, we need to curb our use of single-use cups. This doesn’t mean you need to give up your morning coffee run, but you should do it more sustainably.
I conducted a little experiment this week. I got my morning coffee from Starbucks and Tim Hortons at McMaster University. I brought in my own reusable cup to avoid the single-use waste. I was told, because of sanitary reasons and COVID-19, my cup couldn’t be used.
What shocked me is that Starbucks’ website states that as of Aug. 24, 2021, personal reusable cups were reintroduced in stores across Canada. So what’s going on? Either there’s a discrepancy between Starbucks’ policies and operations at individual locations’ or perhaps McMaster Facility Services has imposed a set of rules vendors need to comply with that differs from those at Starbucks’ HQ. Either way I urge students — and Hamiltonians more broadly — to fight for the reintroduction of reusable cups at cafés throughout Hamilton.
Tim Hortons brought back the reusable cup option on April 6. It also has innovative plans in the works, like creating recyclable and compostable cups, using artificial intelligence to educate consumers on recycling and composting, as well as piloting TerraCycle’s zero-waste platform Loop.
On Nov. 1, 2021, Loop was set in motion at five Burlington locations. Customers can opt to get their orders in returnable containers for a $3 deposit per item, to be refunded when the products are returned. This is a great way to cut down on single-use plastics. I urge folks to participate in this program — let’s make it a success!
Even with Canada following through on its promises toward zero plastic waste, the issue at hand will not just disappear. Plastics travel long distances by wind and water, making plastic pollution a global issue. Though it is important to start at a community level, we can’t forget to advocate for global change.