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Target & How2Recycle

Target’s Kim Carswell explains why the retail giant decided to join the How2Recycle program

Kim Carswell, Senior Manager of Packaging for Target

At Target, our guests are the center of everything we do.  We have a strong connection to our guests, and we continue to seek ways to be relevant to them.  Adding the How2Recycle label to our owned brand packaging is a way to heighten this relevancy.
Why did you decide to use the label?
Two reasons: our guests and our company strategies.
We know that how our guests manage their packaging when they are done with it is a key way for them to live sustainably. Adding the H2R label to our packaging will help them dispose of it the right way.  Using the label also increases the transparency between Target and our guests, which is important to us.
The label aligns with our three sustainability strategies:

  1.  Provide our guests with ways to live more sustainably
  2.  Offer a great assortment of sustainable products
  3.  Reduce waste

How did you go about it?
We were very intent to attach this work to other brand redesigns already in the works.. We are looking at a long term schedule that will allow the work to grow organically. We are keen not to create packaging waste when we change our packaging designs. We plan to flow through the changes so that old inventories can be depleted. Another key goal is to embed the addition of the label into current processes as much as we can to set ourselves up for a robust and sustainable approach.
What Target products currently use the label?

We have the How2Recycle label on our food brands including Market Pantry, Archer Farms, and Simply Balanced.  It is also on a wide array of our up&up products and select Spritz party supplies items.
And finally…
Here are 10 things we learned along the way and want to share with you. Success for Target, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and all the other How2Recycle label users is for more and more companies to sign on, so we are delighted to share what we learned.

  1.  Tie H2R to company strategies
  2.  Take internal partners and engage them
  3.  Find and tap into internal leaders
  4.  Share the story
  5.  Attach this work to planned brand designs
  6.  Go to where people are
  7.  Keep a close connection with the SPC
  8.  Be flexible
  9.  Keep sharing the story
  10.  Recognize and celebrate the people and work

 

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How2Recycle goes to high school

FullSizeRender
“Can I have a Pop Tart?”
This is one of the many questions I received while representing the SPC and my company, HAVI Global Solutions, at Antioch High School’s Earth Day fair in northern Illinois. I prepared for the fair by purchasing high school-friendly products that use the SPC’s How2Recycle Label. (The Pop Tarts, McDonald’s, and Keebler Fudge Sticks were a hit, particularly since the fair was at lunch time). The packages in the photo below are just a sampling of the items that now contain the label.
I have been working with the SPC on the How2Recycle Label for a few years now, so I consider myself to be pretty educated on the program and on recycling generally. However, I was struck by how much I learned as I looked at the various labels. For instance, without the How2Recycle Label present, I wouldn’t have known to keep the cap on the glass Honest Tea bottle or to keep the sprayer on the Seventh Generation cleaning spray.
The high school students ambled by and many looked at us skeptically as we asked them what they would do with a cereal box when they were done with it. Thankfully, this question was too easy for most of them as they knew to recycle the box. Then we asked about the plastic bag that held the cereal inside the box. This time, they were caught off guard and looked uncertain. Two out of the 200+ students and teachers that came by our booth got the right answer. Once we showed them the How2Recycle label on the cereal boxes, they were able to see that they could bring the cereal bag back to a store to place in the plastic bag recycling bins. The American Chemistry Council graciously provided magnets and notepads that we gave to students to bring home and educate their families about film recycling.
We were happy to teach the students something new and we left with some insights of our own. Some thoughts:

  • People think they know a lot about recycling — and many of them do. The students were more educated about recycling than many of the older people we have talked to, which is great news. However, they don’t know everything. This is where the How2Recycle Label can be helpful.
  • When people think they already know about recycling, they don’t necessarily want to learn more and may not check the package for additional information. The more easily the consumer can see the label, the easier it will be for them to recycle properly, even if they don’t actively look for recycling instructions. Special shout out to Seventh Generation for doing a great job on large, high-visibility labels and not being afraid to use the ‘Not Yet Recycled’ label.
  • When high school students have to squint to read the How2Recycle Label, it’s probably too small. I think it’s great that it is on there at all, but if 16 year olds can barely read it, it’s probably not big enough for my 94-year-old grandmother.
  • Incentives help a lot. Thanks to McDonald’s, the ACC, and Seventh Generation, we were able to give out some freebies to students who took the survey. Although we may not be able to give a S’mores Pop Tart to everyone each time they recycle, it is a reality that people are more likely to do something if they get something from it. We know that “Pay as you throw” policies aren’t a panacea, but they do provide economic incentive to recycle and thus increase recovery rates. Check out AMERIPEN’s 2013 White Paper for more information on this.

On a non-recycling note, this experience reminded me the importance of thinking big, even if an opportunity may be a long shot. Brenda Herman is a student at Antioch High School who reached out to the SPC without having any contacts there, asking if they would come to her high school’s Earth Day fair. The SPC is based in Virginia, so a staff member was unable to attend, but we were still able to have a presence at the high school since I am a local Executive Committee member. Thanks to Brenda for reminding us to take risks and ask questions!
IMG_8673Thanks also to HAVI Global Solutions for the priority placed on employees getting into communities and helping people. We have a popular annual tradition called the Week of Giving, which encourages employees to take time out of their work day in order to give back to our community. Through this program, we were able to participate in the Earth Day fair. These kind of activities help strengthen social capital, fostering the often-ignored social pillar of sustainability.
So, Readers: go connect with your community and share your sustainability expertise! Take a step away from our bubble filled with acronyms and technical jargon. You have plenty to teach and you’ll learn a lot as well.
Amy Duquette, SPC Executive Committee Member & Sustainability Project Manager for HAVI Global Solutions

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The Myth of Non-Existent Recycling Markets

This past weekend, the drop-off recycling center in GreenBlue’s hometown of Charlottesville, VA informed residents that, due to a lack of re-sale markets, it would stop collecting plastic films and plastic foam packaging. The problem wasn’t that markets don’t exist. The problem was that it collected these materials in one large bin, along with all plastics bearing the resin identification codes 3-7. Separating all these materials, once combined, can be hard. Plastic films, especially, bind equipment in the sorting facilities, and foam plastic is lightweight and breaks into tiny bits. The result? Bales of messy mixed plastic materials, intertwined with plastic films and bits of styrofoam, that just aren’t that valuable to re-processors.

Several years ago, GreenBlue received a grant from the state of California to study this topic. My research project was called “Closing the Loop,” and the goal was to look at how well the recovery infrastructure (bags, bins, trucks, sorting facilities, etc.) in different countries captures recyclable packaging materials. I studied recovery infrastructure in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, and the UK. In my final report, Road Map for Effective Material Value Recovery, one of my findings that cut across country or package type was that the cleaner (more separated) the material, the easier it was to sell that material for a consistently higher price in any market condition. Whether it was HDPE in the U.S., glass in Belgium, multi-layer cartons in Australia, or plastic film in Germany, those recycling programs that asked consumers to sort their recycling up front, even minimally, had no trouble finding a market for their material. The demand exists, but it’s for high-quality bales of post-consumer recycled material. Forget selling to pickier domestic markets — even China has stopped taking our most contaminated bales of materials.
In the U.S., single-stream recycling collection has been increasing in popularity. Single-stream means residents put all recyclable materials (paper, plastic, glass, metals, and cartons) in one bin separate from other trash. While not a recycling “best practice” based on my research, single-stream collection has some benefits, including simplicity for residents and a greater volume of materials collected. But as more types of materials are mixed together, the resulting bales of sorted materials are worth less and less. And this doesn’t even begin to take into account the abysmally contaminated material bales produced by “dirty” material recovery facilities out of “all-in-one” collectionsplastic film recycling where trash and recycling are mixed together in one bin.
In the U.S., we need to increase the quantity of recyclable materials collected. But let’s not forget about quality!If something sounds too good to be true, like all-in-one collection, it probably is. As citizens, sometimes we may have to take that extra little step and separate our recyclables, or due to “lack of markets” our cities will stop collecting them altogether.
Oh, and one more thing: you can recycle those plastic films at local retail store drop-offs! Go here for more information.
 

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Is Trash No Longer a “Weighty” Issue?

Traditionally, we have always used weight (in tons) to measure the amount of trash we generate and the amount of recycling and organic matter that’s collected for recovery. For example, both the U.S. EPA’s annual Municipal Solid Waste Facts and Figures report and Eurostat’s waste statistics for for European countries both report based on weight. Over time, this has allowed us to compare how we are doing on recycling from year to year in a meaningful way. However, the changing waste stream has made these types of comparisons over time less meaningful. At SUSTPACK 2015, one session focused on “Strategic Views of Recyclability and Recovery” and several of the speakers mentioned this changing waste stream issue.
There are actually two related issues: one is the lightweighting of traditional packaging such as bottles and cans made of glass, metal, and plastic. Second, even these light weight traditional packaging formats are being replaced by flexible films and pouches. While the weight of packaging has gone down, the quantity of collected packaging has actually increased, according to Susan Robinson of Waste Management, leading to higher costs for a company like Waste Management to process and sort the same ton of material. Gerald Rebitzer of Amcor Flexibles presented a provocative scenario that purposely questioned the sustainability of traditional recycling at all costs. His presentation put forth two extreme and hypothetical scenarios — one where all packaging is made of rigid materials (glass, metal, plastic) and is recycled at 100%, and one where all packaging is made of only flexible films and none of it is recycled. Which is more sustainable? In the end, Gerald commented that we need a hybrid of the scenarios, but the point of the comparison was to show that traditional material recycling is not always the most sustainable option. In fact, material reduction, the first “R” in the reduce/reuse/recycle mantra, remains the most effective sustainability action we can take.
Both Susan and Gerald suggested that weight, the traditional metric we use to measure waste generation and materials collected for recycling, is no longer relevant. This is because of the changing waste stream, but also because so many other life cycle assessment metrics could potentially provide a more relevant picture of sustainability for packaging recovery. They both suggested carbon footprint as a new metric, but Gerald also put forward additional life cycle metrics, such as water use.
I don’t like to abandon our tried and true weight metric completely for the sake of comparison over time, but I do think it’s time to start adding new metrics to our discussions about packaging recycling and recovery in the future. Should we start reporting our recycling, not in tons, but in carbon dioxide equivalents?

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Inspiring products showcased at SUSTPACK

Loliware cups (from Loliware.com)

At GreenBlue, we like to follow a sustainable materials management agenda of “use wisely, eliminate toxicity, and recover more.” Thursday morning at SustPack2015’s Innovative Packaging Flash Talks, each innovation appropriately originated from similar sustainability goals.
Jason Foster began the session talking about Replenish, a company and product designed to eliminate waste and save consumers money. Replenish uses a concentrate refill pod and a plastic bottle to create a reusable product that is typically found in a disposable package with a one-time-use product. Foster got the idea for the product after he noticed that companies were not using their products, and ultimately money wisely. Many products (particularly cleaning, personal care, and detergent products) are 90% water, and Foster thought why ship so much water in unnecessary containers when consumers have this substance in their homes already. Thus the Replenish Refill System was born. Check it out – the idea is pretty amazing and it’s hard to believe no one thought of it sooner!

Replenish Refill System (from myreplenish.com)
Replenish Refill System (from myreplenish.com)

 
 
Loliware is a start-up company only about a year old that is taking a very unique approach to foodservice packaging. Chelsea Briganti presented about her company that created the first “biodegr[edible]” cups as they like to call it. Loliware cups are biodegradable and edible! This is a new company that currently only sells cups, but it is incredible to think of other ways this technology could be used. Brigante mentioned the idea of an edible water bottle to be used in marathons or developing nations. At $12 for 4 cups, I might not trade out my disposable cups for edible ones quite yet, but I’m intrigued to see how the company and innovation grows in the next few years.
Loliware cups (from Loliware.com)
Loliware cups (from Loliware.com)

 
 
Next up was Travis Carter of Veritiv speaking about a collaborative innovation his company worked on with Dell. Veritiv helped Dell determine how to use their waste (Old Corrugated Cardboard, or OCC) to their advantage. Through the partnership, Dell transitioned from EPE foam cushion packaging to OCC molded fiber cushions. Approximately 80% of the OCC used for the new fiber cushions originated from Dell waste. This was a great example of how a material can change from “waste” to a valuable resource with the help of collaboration and innovation. I do wonder though if Dell is further working on the recovery end and articulating recyclability to their consumers to help close the loop.
veritiv-logo-h-rgb
The next innovation is based on the chemical process of creating a biodegradable plastic from methane. Molly Morse told the SustPack audience about the process and benefits of the Mango Materials technology. Mango Materials’ plastics can biodegrade in home and industrial composting facilities, and initially they are focusing on plastics that will likely end up in nature and could most benefit from biodegradability (marine environments, agriculture, etc.) Currently Mango Materials is focused on microbeads found in cleansers. These beads are typically polyethylene and often slip through the waste water treatment facilities and end up polluting our waterways. This would not be an issue with biodegradable Mango Materials plastic. Sounds like a great solution to a trending issue in the sustainability industry!
mangomaterialslogo
Last but certainly not least, Eduardo Ruiz of the Dow Chemical Company spoke about Dow’s polyethylene stand-up pouch. The stand-up pouch is a game-changer in the food industry as a recyclable alternative to standard multi-material pouches. As a pure polyethylene (PE) pouch, the package is recyclable at retail and store drop-off locations that accept other PE packages such as grocery, dry cleaning, and produce bags, case wraps, and packaging air-pillows. Ruiz gave the How2Recycle Label a mention, as these stand-up pouches are eligible to carry the Store Drop-off Label indicating to consumers their recyclability. Currently the technology is being used for pouch packages for dry and frozen foods and this will likely be expanded in the future to industries such as personal care, detergents, beverages, etc.
DOW
Be sure to keep these folks on your radar, as unique innovations such as these are bound to grow in the coming years!
 

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A Newcomer's Perspective on MRFs

Just before the truck dumped a new load of (mostly) recyclable trash

SUSTPACK 2015 started early Tuesday with a tour of place many consumers will contribute to each week, but will never think about — A Waste Management facility. The tour of the Tampa, FL facility started with an introduction to Waste Management’s (WM) recovery numbers and a brief overview of what materials the Tampa facility can recycle. A few of the recycling figures stood out to me — an admitted newbie to the recycling and sustainability industry.

  • In 2010, the U.S. produced 250 million tons of municipal solid waste
  • While paper and paperboard take the prize for biggest percentage of total municipal solid waste (28.5%), diapers alone represent 3.4% of total municipal solid waste!
  • Roughly 34% of total municipal solid waste is recycled, meaning 1/3 of our trash is diverted from landfills and other garbage disposal locations.

SUSTPACK MRF
The many levels of conveyor belts inside the Tampa, FL facility.

Then, it was time to see where the recycling magic happens. Inside the warehouse we were able to watch as workers made split second decisions about what had to be taken out of the recycling flow. Some of my favorite random objects that people had recycled included yellow caution tape, a dust bin, and two closet doors. It reinforces the belief that recyclability education is very much lacking in the U.S.
While the closet doors may have been an entertaining outlier, seeing how many plastic bags and styrofoam containers ended up at the WM facility I realized firsthand how important the How2Recycle program and website is as a resource to consumers. When consumers see the numbers on the bottom of different packages, they often think it can automatically be recycled; I definitely did before I started working for GreenBlue.
Beyond promoting consumer recycling, the tour of the WM facility taught me so much about the limitations of individual facilities. While this particular facility receives products from a single stream recycling system, many counties are not able to utilize this type of collection method. Single stream reduces the effort required on the part of the consumer, but increases costs at the facility. Dual stream requires consumers to be more educated about how to properly separate recyclable products. The facility representative expressed how he would like to accept more items, like styrofoam, but how it just isn’t possible with equipment at his facility. As an average consumer who recycles, I was led to believe that all recycling facilities accept all the usual suspects: water and soda bottles, printer paper and magazines. This just isn’t the case and it really takes due diligence on the part of the citizen to learn about their local recycling services.
I believe that we communications professionals working in the recycling and sustainability sphere have our work cut out for us when it comes to informing the public about these “invisible” facilities and what consumers can do to improve recycling output.

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Experts weigh in on Marine Debris at SUSTPACK 2015

Credit: NOAA

Anne Bedarf shares what the experts had to say about marine debris,  a complex issue of importance to many at SUSTPACK 2015.
Dr. Kara Lavender Law of the Sea Education Association kicked off the session with the review of the current science of marine debris. She debunked the idea that marine debris is like a floating landfill; rather, while sometimes individual objects can be seen in the open ocean, most of the debris takes the form of microplastics or ends up on beaches, shorelines, and the seafloor. There may even be significant portions within marine animals and seabirds, but this has yet to be quantified. There are a variety of sources, including waste and litter that flow from land, natural disasters, microplastics in wastewater, and maritime activities, including lost cargo.
Ted Siegler of DSM Environmental Services made the point that marine debris is not just an ocean problem, but an “all waterways” problem that can be seen in lakes and rivers. Expanding recycling to the point where all trash bins are paired with recycling bins, particularly in public spaces like parks and beaches, is one part of the solution. Collaboration to implement financing systems for locally-based waste collection systems is another important solution.
Dr. Linda Zettler at Brown University introduced the fascinating concept of the “Plastisphere,” the colony of microorganisms that can live on marine debris. The debris is surprisingly easy for populations to develop, acting as “an oasis in the desert” and can serve to transport invasive species and displace native species such as the endemic populations of the Sargasso sea.
Well-known expert on biodegradation, Dr. Ramani Narayan of Michigan State University, made the important points that:

  • Biobased does not equal biodegradable or compostable.
  • Marine biodegradability is setting up the wrong pathway for industry and for all of us; it is not a disposal environment.
  • There is value if a product inadvertently enters the marine environment that it breaks down, if it isn’t toxic and is usable as “food.” However, the material can still persist for a long period of time and is not a solution — but reduces risk.

For more information.
The final speaker, Nicholas Mallos from The  Ocean Conservancy made the important point that marine litter is not just plastic. A concerted global approach needed, and their project, the Trash Free Seas Alliance, aims to do just that and apply solutions to developing countries where no infrastructure exists. For more information:
The final question to be answered is: What about the consumer’s role? The point was made that at least in the U.S., we need to have recycling bins everywhere to send the message that materials have value and that recycling is important. Also, teaching children ocean literacy and the value of marine ecology will instill important values that will help solve this conundrum.
 

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Can public companies be sustainable?

In a recent Reddit “Ask Me Anything” thread, I asked Patagonia COO Doug Freeman: “What is the biggest impediment from business transitioning from a linear take-make-use to a more sustainable model?” He pointed out what many of us already know — we have to focus on the triple bottom line. But what he also pointed out is that none of the 1% for the Planet companies are publicly owned.
The topic of transforming business models is also a trending topic at SUSTPACK 2015. So far this week, attendees heard this theme echoed in Minal Mistry’s Sustainable Materials Management workshop and the opening keynote session.
SUSTPACKheader2.132535
This got me thinking, can public companies be sustainable?
By definition, a public company is owned by many individuals who buy shares of stock in the company. These owners expect a payback on their investment either through cash dividends or a making a profit when they sell their shares. See Investopedia for a more thorough explanation.
This model relies on ongoing profitability to meet these expectations. The traditional way to achieve this is through growth — more products, more sales, more profit. Profitability — through growth — is the prevailing measure of success. The impact on the environment may vary when you consider sales of products versus services, but the paradigm remains.
Public companies are subject to more transparency than privately owned companies through public disclosures, which can be a good thing. In fact, the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is working to create sustainability accounting standards to integrate into current reporting requirements. However, public companies are highly profit driven and power is dispersed through shareholders, expressed through a board of directors.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that private companies are also highly profit driven. But is their business model more open to sustainable models of success? How do private owners incorporating sustainability priorities impact success? Are private companies more willing to take new or different risks?
In public companies, we do see impact investing taking root. This public pressure, especially with the growing purchasing power of millennials, may move fast in the coming years. B Corporations, like Patagonia, are also a trend to follow.
This isn’t a value judgement on public versus private companies, but it does make me wonder how we can change future business models. We have limited resources, and limited capacity to handle the byproducts of our existence. We should be beyond arguing this issue. But we have some serious hurdles before we can say we’ve made it.
My answer: neither models are there yet. But we can get there.

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The latest news on Canadian Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs

As early as 1998, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) took action in regards to its waste reduction target of 50% of the packaging that companies place into the market. From 2004 to 2014, more than 7 reports, analysis, studies, tools and progress reports were published in regards to the principles, strategies and harmonization of a Canada-wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility (CAP-EPR). Packaging has been recognized as a priority of the Canada-Wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility.
In 2005, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) created the Extended Producer Responsibility Task Group (the Task Group) to direct the development and implementation of a Canada-wide EPR program and conducted studies, collected data, and prepared guidelines and best practices to help industry and provincial jurisdictions attain the reduction  targets.
In October 2006 the CAP-EPR was approved and adopted into the Canada Waste Management Strategy.  Different provincial jurisdictions committed to work on EPR frameworks legislation with the goal of harmonization across Canada.
Today, more than 200 EPR Programs and 30 categories of materials are targeted under various frameworks: Legislated EPR Programs, Voluntary EPR Programs, Shared Responsibility Programs and Product Stewardship Programs, with various requirements in different provincial jurisdictions.
These programs vary from packaging and printed paper (PPP) to electronics, household hazardous materials, special waste and automotive material, across  10 Canadian provinces.  Five (5) out of ten provinces currently  have packaging and printed paper (PPP) ERP programs.
In order to ensure the  harmonization and standardization of programs, to increase packaging recovery and lowering recovery costs, industry created the Canadian Stewards Services Alliance (CSSA) and the Electronic Product Recycling Association (EPRA). Their activities and progress can be applied across Canada.
Overview of Packaging and Printed Paper (PPP) EPR Programs

  • British Columbia: legislated PPP EPR Program with full producer responsibility, launched in May 2014
  • Saskatchewan: shared PPP EPR Program with 75/25 (industry/municipals cost share), to be launched in early 2015
  • Manitoba: shared PPP EPR Program with 80/20 (industry/municipals cost share), launched in 2010
  • Ontario: shared PPP EPR Program with 50/50 (industry/municipals cost share), launched in 2002 and new legislation (Bill 91) is under consideration, spring 2015
  • Quebec: legislated PPP EPR Program with full producer responsibility, operated by municipalities and launched in March 2006
  • Alberta: PPP EPR Program under consideration
  • Atlantic Provinces: PPP EPR Program under consideration. Collaborating to develop a common framework and approach for the region

PPP EPR Programs Highlights
The following table summarize the highlights of the activities of each of the provincial jurisdiction, industry financing organization (IFO), Fall/Winter 2014, early 2015.

PPP EPR Program Highlights
Multi Material BC (MMBC)
British Columbia
http://multimaterialbc.ca/notices-archive
Other resources are available here.

  • PPP (packaging and printed paper including the milk cartons) EPR Program
  • 100% industry funding
  • Managed by MMBC & 0perated by Green by Nature (consortium Cascades Recovery, Emterra Environment, Merlin Plastics)
  • MMBC Assumes Responsibility for Recycling in New Communities
    Starting January 1, 2015Communities of the City of Langley and the City of Revelstoke, will be managed directly by MMBC, representing approximately 6,400 single-family and 7,000 multi-family households of the 1.25 million curbside and multi-family households benefiting from the MMBC program, updates here.
  • MMBC Official Supplier of Canada Winter Games:MMBC will provide 550 recycling receptacles and will be gifted to Emterra Environmental so that MMBC can institute recycling for approximately 4,300 units in multi-family dwellings in Prince George MMBC on Board for Winter Games.
Multi-Material Stewardship Western Saskatchewan
https://portal.pac.ca/mpower/campaigner/redirect.action?d=Yj00MCZyPTIzOTQ=&u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tbXNrLmNhL25vdGljZXMtYWxlcnRz

  • PPP (packaging and printed paper) EPR Program
  • 75/25 shared funding (industry/municipals cost share)
 Program Exemptions for Businesses Announcement
Announced December 18, 2014

  • Saskatchewan Government Announces Exemption Criteria from The Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Regulations (Read the announcement here).
  • This exemption represents significant economic and operational challenges to MMSW’s Waste PPP; read here.
  • MMSM is not able to identify which producers fall under the $2 million to $5 million threshold and cannot quantify the packaging and printed paper is supplied in Saskatchewan by producers.
  • Three (3) exemptions for small businesses are: Exemptions from the EPR program can be declared if either a) the business has gross revenue of less than $2 million; b) the business generates less than one ton of packaging and paper; or c) the business operates as a single point of sale, not a franchise or chain, see here.
Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM)
http://stewardshipmanitoba.org/mmsm/whats-new/
SimplyRecycle.ca

  • PPP (packaging and printed paper) EPR Program
  • 80/20 shared funding (industry/municipals cost share)
  • Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba
    Announced December15,2014 – 2015Fees, to read more about the fees and the calculations that impacted them, click here to read the MMSM communication &
    Recycling & Waste Reduction: A Discussion Paper
  • Tomorrow Now, Manitoba’s Green Plan:
    Released December 12, 2014 Recycling and waste reduction were proposed by the government which could have an impact on stewards: general 75% recovery target for PPP (achieved a 63% recycling rate in 2013); reduction to be increased by 2020, more than 50%, in use of retail carry out plastic bags (achieved a 46.7% reduction rate) ; increase the 75% beverage container recycling target; expand existing programs to include ICI packaging and printed paper; reduce disposable beverage cups in the waste stream and require quick service restaurants to provide on premise recycling facilities by 2020, View the Recycling & Waste Reduction: A Discussion Paper.
  • Stakeholders have until March 20, 2015, to provide feedback.
  • Bag up Manitoba – Plastic Bag Challenge:During the month of October 2014, the program broke another record with nearly 1.6 million plastic bags being collected and recycled; 167 schools and two daycares collected a staggering 1,596,333 plastic bags. The participating schools received a garden box and 14 schools received a bench made out of 5,000 recycled plastic bags and composite wood fibers. Since 2008, it has kept close to six million plastic bags out of landfills.
  • Brandon’s Waste Reduction School Challenge: MMSM was the title sponsor of Brandon’s Waste Reduction School Challenge for the 3rd year in a row. The challenge ran from October 13-29, 2014 and encouraged all students to track their waste through garbage and recycling. Students collected their waste for three weeks, took part in reduction activities and also toured the local landfill.
Stewardship Ontario (SO)
http://www.stewardshipontario.ca/latest-news/
http://www.wdo.ca/news/
https://www.rco.on.ca/wra-overview–timeline

  • PPP (packaging and printed paper) EPR Program
  • 50/50 shared funding (industry/municipals cost share)
  • Bill 91 coming early spring 2015, a full industry funding is under consideration
  • Rules for Stewards for 2015:Update containing the following information; Municipal Obligation Arbitration Award Recap; The 2014 Steward Obligation Gap; Using Reserves To Pay Some Of The Obligation Gap, 2014 Fee Schedule And The Associated Adjustment Due To Arbitration and Steward Invoices And Payments 2015 Fee Schedule And Blue Box Rules.
  • Rules for 2015 are posted in SO website, available here, comments should be sent to WeRecycle@stewardshipontario.ca no later than January 23, 2015. The comments received and the responses will be posted along with confirmation of final approval for the Rules and Blue Box Fees 2015.
  • The Municipal Obligation Arbitration Award – Recap: The decision in the arbitration between the Association of Municipalities (AMO) and the City of Toronto, and Stewardship Ontario on November 25 was rendered by retired Justice Robert Armstrong. The adjustment Fee Schedule 2014 is due to be paid to municipalities by March 31, 2015.
  • Fulfilling the 2014 Steward Obligation Gap:Steward fees paid in 2014 raised a total of $99.7M which has left a funding gap of $17.4M after accounting for program management costs and CNA/OCNA in-kind payments. The Board of Directors decided to retain 10% of annual operating costs in reserve, the full 2014 Adjustment Fee Schedule, reflecting the above, can be viewed here.
  • Invoices to stewards were issued before the end of this year 2014 and payment is due February 27, 2015. Stewards who want to have a payment plan are asked to send an email to Accounts Receivable at accounting@cssalliance.ca.
  • Waste Diversion Ontario 2013 Datacall Reports Released: 2013 Blue Box Tonnage Highlights; 2013 Blue Box Program Cost & Revenue;2013 Non-Blue Box Recyclables Trends (Residential);2013 Organics Trends (Residential).
Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance (CSSA)
http://www.cssalliance.ca/latest-news

  • Stewards services provider for MMBC, MMSM, SO
  • West Provinces to be added; Saskatchewan, Alberta
 Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance (CSSA) 2nd Annual Steward MeetingOctober 15, 2014, in the presence of 550 participants. The highlights: cost savings through harmonization, program performance trends; status for the MMSW program in Saskatchewan, 2015 material fee schedules for the 3 provinces, B.C., Manitoba & Ontario; and updates on other provinces preparation on implementing EPR programs for packaging and printed paper.
Eco Entreprises Quebec
http://www.ecoentreprises.qc.ca/news-and-events
http://www.ecoentreprises.qc.ca/information-and-reporting/schedules-of-contributions-and-legal-framework/schedules-of-contributions/calendar-of-contributions

  • CP&PM (Containers, packaging and printed matter) EPR Program
  • 100% industry funding
  • Operated by municipalities
  • Schedule of Contribution for 2014:Deadline for the remaining 60 % to be paid before interest is charged – January 26, 2015.
  • Schedule of Contribution for 2015:Beginning of the reporting period – May 2015, Deadline for submitting company report – May to August 2015, Deadline for the remaining 60 % to be paid before interest is charged – September 26, 2015 (Subject to change without notice depending on the effective date of the Schedule of Contributions).
  • Creation of an Advisory Committee on Residual Materials: Launched November 10, 2014, the mandate is to advise the government on the implementation of Quebec’s Residual Materials Management Policy and its issues in order to optimize and re-evaluate of the role and responsibilities of stakeholders involved the compensation for municipal services.
  • First Consumer Survey on Ecodesigned Packaging in Quebec: The demand is there! Launched October 23, 2014, EEQ “in cooperation with The Responsible Consumption Observatory (RCO) surveyed Quebecers to determine their perception of ecodesigned containers, packaging and printed matter. Today’s findings demonstrate that Quebec consumers want eco-responsible packaging, but not at any price. If it costs the same, almost three-quarters of Quebecers (72.9%) would choose eco-responsible packaging.” The report can be found on the EEQ website here.
  • Sorting center, conditioner and recycler installation tour: January 29, February 10-12-18-26 and March 3-10, 2015.
Other Provinces
http://esrd.alberta.ca/waste/
https://www.recycle.ab.ca/public-policy
http://www.novascotia.ca/nse/waste/
  • To be followed closely.
Categories
Recover More Uncategorized

Top Five Fun Facts: Recover More Edition

This is the final of three Fun Fact entries focusing on GreenBlue’s mission alignment to Sustainable Materials Management, a robust framework with three main foci 1) Use Wisely  looks at material sourcing; 2) Eliminate Toxicity from products and packaging, and 3) and Recover More value from the waste stream.
Eric DesRoberts continues his series of facts and tidbits he’s uncovered during his research to better understand materials used in products and packaging. You can check out his past Fun Facts here.

  1. Paper and paperboard accounts for over half of the total weight of materials recovered in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. In 2012, roughly 86.6 million tons of MSW was recovered and about 44.3 of this was attributable to paper or paperboard.
  2. U.S. food production uses roughly 10 percent of the country’s total energy budget, 50 percent of its land, and 80 percent of the freshwater consumed in the United States. Even more shocking is that roughly 40 percent of this food goes uneaten which equates to about $165 billion in waste. The toll is much greater when one accounts for the 4 percent of the U.S energy wasted, the unnecessary use of inputs used to farm 20 percent of the land, and the overuse of water for irrigation by 32 percent to produce the discarded food.
  3. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, household waste increases by more than 25%. We now know the true meaning of “Black Friday.”
  4. In 2013, 648,000 Ocean Conservancy volunteers collected over 12 million pounds of trash, covering nearly 13,000 miles of shoreline.
  5. If 50 percent of the food waste generated each year in the U.S. was anaerobically digested, enough electricity would be generated to power 2.5 million homes for a year.