APR has recognized the tube through its Design for Recycling program.
New York-based Colgate-Palmolive says it has finalized the design of a first-of-its-kind recyclable toothpaste tube, saying the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, announced its recognition of the new tube last week. In a news release announcing the innovation, Colgate says this recognition is “an essential step in bringing it to the public.” The Colgate design is the first oral care or personal care tube to earn APR recognition for recyclability.
Under development for more than five years, the tube will debut under the Colgate’s Tom’s of Maine brand in the U.S. in 2020. Rollout to select global markets under the Colgate brand will follow, the company says, adding that it plans to fully convert to recyclable tubes by 2025, when all of its products will be in 100 percent recyclable packaging.
“Building a future to smile about means finding new packaging solutions that are better for the planet, but until now there hasn’t been a way to make toothpaste tubes part of the recycling stream,” says Justin Skala, executive vice president, chief growth and strategy officer for Colgate-Palmolive. “Once we’ve proven the new tube with consumers, we intend to offer the technology to the makers of plastic tubes for all kinds of products. By encouraging others to use this technology, we can have an even bigger impact and increase the long-term market viability of this solution.”
Plastic tubes are used to package a range of product categories from cosmetics and personal care products to pharmaceuticals and food. Toothpaste alone accounts for an estimated 20 billion tubes annually around the world, Colgate says.
APR President Steve Alexander says, “The Association of Plastic Recyclers appreciated the opportunity to partner with Colgate on this important project. Tubes are one of the most widely used forms of plastic packaging that still cannot be recycled. There is a lot of work ahead, but we believe Colgate is off to a great start.”
Most toothpaste tubes are made from sheets of plastic laminate that can be a combination of different plastics. The sheets often are sandwiched around a thin layer of aluminum that protects the toothpaste’s flavor and fluoride. The mix of materials is pressed together into a single film, making it impossible to recycle through conventional methods, Colgate explains.
To make the recyclable tube, Colgate used high-density polyethylene (HDPE). But because HDPE is rigid, it isn’t well-suited for ultra-thin laminate sheets and soft, squeezable tubes. The company’s packaging engineers working at its Piscataway, New Jersey, technology campus recognized that they could use more than one grade of HDPE in their designs, however, the company says. The team then tested a dozen different combinations—using from six to 20 layers—to find the recipe that allows people to comfortably squeeze out all the toothpaste, protects the integrity of the product and meets the demands of high-speed production.
To achieve APR recognition, Colgate also conducted tests to show that its toothpaste tube could navigate the screens and conveyor belts at the critically important material recovery facilities (MRFs) that sort recyclables. Colgate says it used radio frequency Identification (RFID) tags to track the tubes and prove they would be properly sorted with plastic bottles.
Finally, to demonstrate that the recyclable tube material could be repurposed after recycling, the company ground up the tubes to make new plastic bottles.
While APR provides guidelines for recyclability in North America, Colgate says it will need to engage similar organizations in other parts of the world as it expands use of its new tube. The company also must build awareness and support among other recycling stakeholders, including MRFs, reclaimers that produce resin from recycled plastic and the municipalities that operate recycling programs. To that end, Colgate has partnered with several groups, including Sonoma, California-based More Recycling, a data and technology firm that works with companies and others to navigate the recycling infrastructure and support sustainable choices, and The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, which provides grants, technical assistance and communication support to states, cities and communities to help residents recycle more and recycle better.
“Colgate people are excited about this challenge and meeting our goal of 100 percent recyclable packaging,” says Ann Tracy, vice president of global sustainability, EOHS and supply chain strategy. “We’re committed to using less plastic—and more recycled material—in our packaging. We’re helping to strengthen recycling by supporting the Closed Loop Fund and other efforts. And we’re exploring new ingredients and models, including TerraCycle’s Loop initiative for reusable, refillable packaging.”
Corona places recycling machines in key retailers, bars in several countries.
Corona is accepting plastic collected in cities and on the coast as payment for beer during the week of World Oceans Day as a way to protect paradise from marine plastic pollution. Hundreds of locations around the world are involved in the initiative, which include recycling machines, or reverse vending machines, in key retailers and popular bars in Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Spain and Colombia that will collect used beverage containers (UBCs).
Adrianna Lauricella, senior director of lifestyle at Alison Brod Marketing and Communications, says the plastic collected in the machines can be from anywhere. “The intention is to intercept as much plastic as possible before it reaches the beach,” she says. “The mechanics vary by country. In the countries where we are using recycling machines, they take plastic bottles and the coupon supplied can be exchanged for a Corona at many bars and retailers. Parley for the Oceans is working with local partners to ensure the plastic is handled properly.”
Corona and Parley for the Oceans partnered on this initiative. The two groups, who have been working together since 2017, are also encouraging participants to avoid plastic altogether with educational messaging at the recycling machines. “Signage at the drop sites educates and encourages to avoid plastic altogether,” Lauricella says.
The “Pay With Plastic” program kicks off a full summer campaign from Corona and Parley dedicated to the cause, featuring new product packaging that gives even more consumers a way to be part of the solution. For every limited-edition pack purchased, Corona and Parley commit to cleaning one square meter of local beach. In total, nine countries are rolling out the limited-edition packaging between June and August, including Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Brazil. Already, Corona and Parley have worked with 25,000 volunteers to complete 537 cleanups in more than 23 countries, cleaning more than 3 million square meters of beach in the process. The goal this summer is to clean another 2 million square meters.
“When we first started working with Parley, our ambition was to raise awareness of the issue by shining a light on how plastic pollution is threatening even the most remote paradises,” says Corona Brand Director Evan Ellman. “Our consumers asked us how they could get involved, so this summer we’re bringing Corona x Parley to their beaches and giving them a variety of ways to be part of a global movement. Everything from attending a cleanup to buying the product itself. It all helps protect paradise.”
Railway operator will transport aluminum coils and recycled aluminum products.
Novelis, headquartered in Atlanta, reportedly has signed a deal with MRS Logistica , a Brazilian railway operator, for the transportation of aluminum coils and recycled aluminum products.
According to an article from BNAmericas, Santiago, Chile, the contract is part of the expansion of Novelis' Pindamonhangaba plant in São Paulo, which the company announced in late 2018.
At that time, Novelis said it was investing $175 million at its Pindamonhangaba plant. The investment is designed to benefit its beverage can and specialty customers by adding 100,000 metric tons of rolling production and 60,000 metric tons of recycling capacity. These expansions, construction on which began earlier this year, will bring total capacity of the Pindamonhangaba facility to approximately 680,000 metric tons of aluminum sheet and 450,000 metric tons of recycled metal annually, Novelis says.
According to BNAmericas, Diário do Comércio has reported that the expansion also will include a rail terminal connecting the plant to the MRS rail line, helping Novelis improve its logistics system through better access to the ports of Santos and Itaguaí in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, respectively.
Valerie and Frank Montecalvo, owners of the Bayshore Family of Cos., were presented with the award.
The Bayshore Family of Cs., Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, has been named the Environmental Sustainability and Energy Conservation Award Winner in the Distinguished Leadership Award category at the 2019 Jersey Shore Partnership Summer Celebration. Valerie and Frank Montecalvo, owners of the Bayshore Family of Cos., were presented with the award.
The celebration took place on June 10 at Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, with more than 500 people in attendance. The Jersey Shore Partnership Summer Celebration honors individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the mission of shore protection and beach replenishment. The other Distinguished Leadership honorees include New Jersey Sen. Joseph Kyrillos and his wife Susan Kyrillos, PNC Bank and Weeks Marine Inc.
“It is such an honor for me to present this award to Valerie and Frank—longstanding friends who have contributed their time and resources tirelessly for decades to so many important causes beyond their most impressive work at Bayshore,” says New Jersey Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, who presented the award. “Bayshore’s diverse and extensive recycling companies define environmental sustainability, and their commitment to energy conservation through the use of renewable energy sources is a model for others to follow.”
“The recent passing of Jersey Shore Partnership founder and former chairman, New Jersey Sen. Tom Gagliano, makes us all stop and reflect on his vision for coastal protection in his 27 years of devotion to this cause,” Valerie Montecalvo said when receiving the award. “The 127 miles of sandy beaches which make up our Jersey Shore represent a priceless state and national treasure which drives New Jersey’s $43-billion annual tourism economy. Frank and I are deeply honored, along with our entire Bayshore team, for being recognized for our life’s work to advance sustainable materials management through recycling while seeking to operate 100 percent green businesses powered 100 percent by renewable energy.”
Bayshore has previously received notable honors, including the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, a NJ Future Award for Innovative Industrial Sustainability, and EarthShare New Jersey’s Environmental Leadership Award. Valerie and Frank have also been inducted into the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) Hall of Fame, and Bayshore was named “2007 National Recycling Facility of the Year” from this same organization.
Additionally, the Montecalvo’s are champions of many major charities as well as numerous area hospitals, athletic teams, schools, clubs, art centers and veterans' organizations.
Industry leaders share solutions for tackling plastic scrap, conference attendees tour $40M plastics recycling plant in Bulgaria.
Leaders in the recycling and waste management industries discussed solutions to the problems posed by plastic scrap at the Tomra Leads Global Conference 2019 June 4-5 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
With the theme “Recycling in a Plastic World,” the two-day event focused on trends and innovations throughout the plastic value chain. More than 200 delegates from 31 countries were also given the opportunity to see how Germany-based Tomra Sorting Recycling's technologies recover reusable materials from household waste at Elin Pelin, Bulgaria-based Integra Plastics’ new 40-million-euro plastics recycling plant.
The third biannual Tomra Leads event was “designed to share knowledge and accelerate progress in recycling and waste management” through keynote speeches, presentations, discussions and networking opportunities, Tomra says in a news release.
“The Tomra Leads conferences are proving to be a useful and popular forum for the exchange of information and ideas,” says Tom Eng, senior vice president and head of Tomra Sorting Recycling. “The focus of this year’s event was something which deeply concerns hundreds of millions of people all over the world: What can be done to tackle the discarded plastic piling up at landfill sites, drifting in oceans and killing marine life. The conference showed how recycling plastic [scrap] has a vital role to play, and how, at the same time as benefiting the environment, this is also a commercial opportunity.”
On the second day of the conference, speakers shared expert insights into the direction of the recycling market, the circular economy and the role of virgin materials and financial investment models. Eng opened the conference with a welcome speech titled, “The future of recycling—Are you ready?”
Five presentations were given that morning. Volker Rehrmann, executive vice president and head of circular economy at Tomra, shared the company's perspective on the circular economy and the role Tomra will play. Andy Grant, technical director of local government of Eunomia research and consulting, talked about waste collection systems and the impact on recycling plastics.
Herman Van Roost, business development manager recycling at Total Refining and Petrochemicals, gave a presentation on circular plastics’ fundamentals and innovation challenges. Ed Kosior, managing director at the United Kingdom-based consulting firm Nextek, talked about the recyclability of plastics. In addition, Iilya Kardashliev, principal banker in the infrastructure department at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), explained financial models to support plastics recycling investments.
That afternoon, visitors had the choice of attending either the Plastic Recycling Conference or the Legislation Conference, which ran at the same time. Both conferences were followed by panel discussions.
Discussions at the Legislation Conference focused on exchanging information and ideas on how recycling and waste management businesses must respond to changing regulations.
Tina Adjic, a senior consultant with Brussels-based consulting firm ADS Insight, first provided an update on European Union (EU) legislation on waste. Giving an overview of the current state of affairs, Fabrizio Radice, vice president of global sales and marketing at Tomra, reviewed what is actually being recycled at present, how new legislation will affect current practices and what will be required of new designs from packaging manufacturers, as well as aligning legislation and business. The discussion involved Grant, Adjic, Radice and Roland Ramusch and was chaired by Thomas Morgenstern, vice president of governmental affairs at Tomra.
The other discussion focused on overcoming challenges in the plastics value chain. László Székely, head of new plastics economy at Tomra, opened the session before Graeme Smith, innovation and sustainability manager at Austria-based Mondi Group, gave a case study of a converter’s requirements. The discussion involved Székely, Van Roost, Rehrmann, Kosior and Smith and was chaired by Jim Keefe, executive vice president and group publisher of the Recycling Today Media Group, Valley View, Ohio.
Visitors also watched the film “eXXpedition: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” which follows an all-woman crew as they sailed to the vast stretch of ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, in collaboration with Tomra, to study the environmental impact and raise awareness of ocean litter.
On a tour of Integra Plastics, which opened February 2019, conference attendees learned the new plant employs 85 people and 14 Tomra Autosort machines. One Autosort is combined with the laser object direction (LOD) system and two were designed for the plant to sort out black film plastics. The facility has capacity to recycle 40,000 tons of mixed-color postconsumer film plastics per year.
Integra’s specialty is the production of high-quality recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) granules. Attendees were shown Integra’s entire process for plastic recycling, which starts with plastic scrap arriving in bales and cut by a large shredder.
The shredded material moves along more than one kilometer of conveyor belts, where a magnet and a screen filter out unwanted materials, including metals. The material is then sorted by Tomra machines into six streams, by polyolefin type and color. After hot washing and drying, the plastic flakes are cleaned of any remaining impurities, colors and materials through additional Tomra units before being forwarded for regranulation, where plastics are compressed, melted, filtered, degassed, homogenized and made into pellets.
The pellets are packed into 1-ton bags, ready for reuse in a wide range of applications. At the facility, Integra produces customized resin qualities, including different material grades combined with different colors.