Day 16 of 20: Big hair is fine, big packaging is another story...

In day #2 of this challenge, I began to notice and collect all of the disposable stuff in my house. Little stuff, everywhere:
  

I especially took notice of the stuff made of plastic in the kitchen and bathroom. For the first time ever, I turned the toothpaste tube over to discover that the manufacturer participates in the TerraCycle Program, which collects 'hard to recycle items' (postage paid!) and makes new things with them.

"TerraCycle will take traditional non-recyclable items like potato chips bags, pens, cookie packages, drink pouches, and candy wrappers. They then turn them into consumer products like insulated coolers, picture frames, pencils, placemats, flower pots, and laptop holders...."

The more I read about the program, the more I'm inspired to tell others about it. 

Did you know that TerraCycle does its work in 23 countries? 

The links on the TerraCycle World Map reveal the kinds of products that are consumed in each country and what waste becomes when it's reused. (Sociologically fascinating!) 

Discovering TerraCycle prompted me to investigate which other manufacturers offer recycling of their own waste by-products, in the event that they're not traditionally recyclable. Aveda is an example of a company doing cool things. They'll not only take their own Aveda product containers, but they collect caps from many other products: 

"This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles and pharmaceutical lids, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter. Click here to download a Cap Collection Guide."

Recently, I emptied two different Aveda hair care product tubes. I sliced the bottles open to access the last, surprisingly ample blobs of product lingering at the bottom of both tubes and set them aside for a time when I could find a location that would take them.

 

Tonight, I took the empty containers to a nearby Aveda hair salon which gladly accepted the return. What does Aveda do with the waste? According to Dave Rapaport, Vice President of Earth & Community Care at Aveda: "All materials will be recycled, reused or burned for energy recovery—with the intention of utilizing collected material to create new Aveda packaging or accessories." (From the Jan/Feb issue of Beauty Packaging)

Another product in my bathroom doesn't have a similar program, and its caps are seriously heavy duty. 

While I like this product, I prefer supporting companies that share responsibility for their waste by-products. Imagine which companies would prosper if we all did this.

Reducing the need (or desire) for products that have to be recycled in the first place is still the primary goal of nondisposable living since recycling is itself an energy-intensive process (see day #7). 

Sometimes though, making your own or buying in bulk is not a realistic option. When purchasing things in disposable packaging, recyclable options are generally preferable to those which are destined for landfill. This garbage could become your next toothbrush: