4 Blue Waves is Awarded the Coveted Preferred Vendor Status of the Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program by the Surfrider Foundation.

July 8, 2019 - Huntington Beach, CA — 4 Blue Waves, LLC is distinguished as a Preferred Vendor in association with the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program offered through the Surfrider Foundation.  The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network with over 80 Chapters across the country.  

Started locally in Huntington Beach, CA, the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program has spread nationwide. With nearly 500 restaurants currently participating, the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program offers restaurants an easy way to show their commitment to making sustainable choices for the benefit of our ocean.

 To help restaurants meet and exceed the Ocean Friendly Restaurant standards, 4 Blue Waves offers Green Products 4 Our Blue Planet™, including brandable high-quality reusable, recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable food and beverage packaging. Among these products are durable dishwasher safe reusable bamboo cups, plates, bowls and platters.  4 Blue Waves also carries barrier coated paper products, such as hot and cold cups and takeout boxes that are engineered with patented EarthCoating®, which cuts plastic by more than half compared to traditional paper products and are easily pulpable for recycling. Disposable product offerings include bamboo sheath and palm, wood utensils, as well as paper cups, takeout containers, and straws.

What sets 4 Blue Waves further apart is its concern for a product after it has been used.  4 Blue Waves strongly believes in closing the loop in a circular economy by educating the food service industry, consumers, waste haulers, and public agencies on how its products can be diverted from the landfill and turned into a commodity.  4 Blue Waves is further dedicated to giving back with a portion of its proceeds toward ocean protection and research.

 The impressive national network of Surfrider Foundation volunteers serves as a first response to local threats in coastal communities across the country.  It has never been easier or more important to get involved, and 4 Blue Waves is proud to assist by providing better alternatives to our Ocean Friendly Restaurants.

CONTACT:

4 Blue Waves 

Shane Coons                shane.coons@4bluewaves.com 

(844) 44B-WAVE          www.4BlueWaves.com

CupPrint and FLYERALARM Launch First AAA Certified Recyclable Paper Cup on the German Market.

The announcement was made at an event in Berlin to celebrate the growth of Irish industry presence in Germany, hosted by Enterprise Ireland, (Ireland’s trade and innovation agency), during a state visit of the Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

CupPrint, the European market leader for short-run printed paper cups, and FLYERALARM, Europe’s leading online B2B printing company based in Würzburg, have made sustainability their top priority.

Together they’re launching the first paper cup on the market with AAA recyclability certification, the re|UUSI Cup, which is now available in Germany.

re|UUSI cups are specifically designed to be recycled in regular waste processing plants. In 2018 this product was awarded AAA certification by the Institute cyclos-HTP in conjunction with the German Green Dot scheme, which is recognised throughout Europe.

re|UUSI cups use up to 46% less plastic and can be recycled with normal mixed waste paper.

Ireland is clearly committed to the Green Agenda, sustainability and environmental awareness. Today’s announcement of CupPrint and FLYERALARM is a collaboration between two innovative European companies that are demonstrating their environmental awareness and responsibility by offering sustainable solutions to end users.

Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in Berlin: “Irish industry is increasingly focusing on trade with European partners. Today’s event, taking place in the heart of Germany, in the heart of Europe, is proof of this”.

Terry Fox founded CupPrint in 2009 – just one year later the company expanded and opened a European sales office in Germany.

Terry Fox discovered a gap in the market through his many years of experience in high-speed commercial printing and packaging: The production capacities of the printed paper cup lines did not match the needs of the market, which consisted mainly of small cafés. “In particular, the high standard order volumes and long delivery times are a competitive disadvantage for smaller catering companies,” explains Terry Fox.

“CupPrint has therefore set itself the task of serving the market even in small print runs and accelerating the ordering process with the help of the latest technologies – including the possibility of digital 3D design preview”. Orders are accepted from a quantity of a thousand cups with a maximum delivery time of 15 days.

In 2013, Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s government trade and innovation agency, established the contact between CupPrint and FLYERALARM: “We are delighted to be working with CupPrint to further expand our already broad portfolio of cups – for coffee enjoyment with a clear conscience,” says Pascal Ritter, Head of Give Aways at FLYERALARM.

Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, continues: “CupPrint is a good example of how an ambitious Irish SME makes innovative products for an international market – and demand continues to grow”.

About CupPrint

Established in 2009, CupPrint specialise in short run, fast turnaround, customised paper cup printing. A service that was previously only available to large volume buyers. The Ennis-based company have manufacturing operations in Co. Clare, Ireland and The United States, as well as a European Sales Office in Germany. The CupPrint range includes the first and only cup that’s designed to be recycled in regular waste processing plants. In 2018 this product was awarded ‘Triple A’ certification by the Institute cyclos-HTP in conjunction with the German Green Dot scheme, which is recognised throughout Europe. CupPrint’s offering allows smaller businesses, such as those with limited storage space, to present their brand on bespoke paper cups and to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable values if required. Customised cups are also attractive to event organisers, for in-house brand use or promotional merchandise resellers. Now with 160 employees, CupPrint have enjoyed solid growth in recent years and, in 2018, joined forces with global food service packaging giant Huhtamaki.

• cupprint.ie

• cupprint.co.uk

• us.cupprint.com

Über FYLERALARM

FLYERALARM ist eine der führenden Online-B2B-Druckereien in Europa und eines der größten deutschen E-Commerce-Unternehmen. Seit 2002 zeigen die Würzburger Druckspezialisten, wie intelligent die Bestellung von Druckprodukten sein kann. Heute beschäftigt FLYERALARM mehr als 2.300 Mitarbeiter und erzielte 2018 einen Umsatz von mehr als 350 Millionen Euro. Das Unternehmen ist bereits in 15 Ländern vertreten, die alle mit Papierbechern aus Ennis, Co. Clare in Irland, versorgt werden.

FLYERALARM

Über Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland ist eine Organisation der irischen Regierung zur Wirtschaftsförderung. Sie arbeitet eng mit irischen Unternehmen zusammen, um ihnen zu helfen, globale Märkte zu erschließen sowie zu wachsen, Innovationen voranzutreiben und Exporte zu steigern. Enterprise Ireland kooperiert mit Unternehmern, irischen Firmen, Forschungseinrichtungen und Investoren, um den Außenhandel, die Innovationsstärke, Führungsrolle und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit Irlands voranzutreiben. Auf diese Weise unterstützt die Organisation nachhaltiges Wirtschaftswachstum und regionale Entwicklung. Zudem trägt Enterprise Ireland aktiv dazu bei, Beschäftigung in Irland zu schaffen und zu halten.
Enterprise Ireland

California Assembly Approves Ambitious Measure to Cut Packaging and Plastic Waste by 75% by 2030

Just one day after Senate passes companion measure, AB 1080 approved to phase out top trash items contributing to global pollution crisis 

SACRAMENTO--Acknowledging the worldwide environmental devastation and health problems wrought by plastic and non-recycled trash, both houses of the California State Legislature have now approved identical first-of-their-kind measures to dramatically reduce plastic and packaging waste and jumpstart the in-state clean recycling economy.

Senate Bill 54 (Allen) and Assembly Bill 1080 (Gonzalez), together known as the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, attack the trash crisis at both ends -- both before a product is ever created or purchased, and after a single-use item is ready for disposal.  The measures help businesses transition from single-use plastic containers to reusable or compostable packaging with reasonable timelines to make changes in order to achieve an overall reduction of 75 percent by the year 2030. The measures also call for incentives for in-state manufacturing using recycled materials.  Together, these requirements will cut back on the amount and type of trash going into landfills and litter in neighborhoods, waterways, and the ocean, which will reduce costs to taxpayers for disposal and clean-up. 

By increasing recycling rates and incentivizing the in-state manufacture of goods using recycled materials, the Act will end California’s existing reliance on other countries to take its waste, and it will boost the state economy.  Currently, California waste and recycling industries are struggling to adapt to China’s 2017 “National Sword” policy to stop accepting other nations’ trash. This has resulted in Californians’ garbage and recyclables piling up at local waste facilities, going into landfills, or being shipped to other countries in Asia that cannot process the sheer amount of trash coming to them.  California’s local governments -- and, therefore, ratepayers -- are experiencing increased costs as a result. But if fully implemented, the Act’s 75 percent recycling rate will not only help reduce California’s need to ship meaningful quantities of waste out-of-state, it is expected to double the existing 125,000 California jobs in recycling and manufacturing.

Plastic and single-use packaging contribute to a variety of environmental ills.  As plastic breaks down in the environment, it becomes microplastic particles that leach chemicals into waterways and ocean environments, or is eaten by wildlife and marine creatures.  Further, single-use items don’t simply cause pollution; they also contribute to the climate crisis. Plastic items, in particular, are derived from fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases as they break down.  Reducing California’s reliance on these items is critical for the state to meet its climate and waste diversion commitments.

Plastic and single-use items also contaminate drinking water sources, food supplies, and even air.  Human exposure to plastic and its associated toxins has been linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other serious health problems.

The measures are supported by a broad coalition of environmental organizations, health advocates, green businesses, local governments, and labor.  AB 1080 now goes to the State Senate, while SB 54 heads to the State Assembly.

For more information about the measures, see the bill text or view the fact sheet here.

What others are saying about the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act:

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), joint author of SB 54 and co-author of companion measure AB 1080: “We need to phase out single-use plastics as quickly as possible.  These plastics are ruining entire ecosystems, poisoning our oceans and waterways, and killing wildlife. It’s time to transition to better alternatives and to send a powerful signal to industry to innovate and to create more sustainable products.”

Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), joint author of AB 1080 and principal co-author of SB 54: “Our decades of overusing non-recyclable and non-compostable single-use products has set the stage for what could be one of the greatest man-made ecological and environmental crises in history. The longer we go without taking action, the higher the costs to our environment, animal life, public health, and our economy. These bills are an important step forward and a direly-needed investment in the health of our planet.”   

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), joint author of AB 1080:  “Tossing our single-use plastics in recycling bins is no longer good enough. If we don’t step up and change our ways, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050. California can turn an environmental crisis around with bold plastic reduction policies like this one. Companies must re-use materials they’ve already made.”

Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and CEO, Plastic Pollution Coalition: "Plastic Pollution Coalition urges your support of this legislation to dramatically reduce plastic and packaging waste in California. It's time for California to take the next step towards Zero Waste to protect human and animal health, waterways, oceans, and our environment for years to come."

Dan Jacobson, Director, Environment California (djacobson@environmentcalifornia.org): “Nothing we use for a few minutes should end up polluting our environment for thousands of years. The time of the single-use plastic container needs to go the way of the dinosaur.” 

Geoff Shester, California Campaign Director and Senior Scientist, Oceana: “Solving the plastics problem in our oceans will take a concerted effort from the companies that are producing and selling these materials. This legislation will create the framework desperately needed to turn the tide on our single-use plastics problem. We applaud these state leaders and urge that these bills remain strong in their commitment to meaningfully and drastically reduce the impacts of single-use products. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, California has the opportunity to remain an environmental leader on responsible plastics policy and inspire national and international change.”

Stiv Wilson, Campaigns Director, The Story of Stuff Project (Stiv@storyofstuff.org):“This represents California drawing a line in the sand on plastic pollution. As plastic production skyrockets, we're witnessing the growing environmental and financial cost of attempting to manage the unmanageable. Without a policy like this, we won't address the scale of the problem. This is California making a quantum leap in the fight against plastic pollution.”

Kathryn Phillips, Director, Sierra Club California (kathryn.phillips@sierraclub.org):  "We are in the midst of a global health crisis. Single-use packaging and product waste pollutes our environment and harms humans and wildlife. California must dramatically reduce the amount of single-use packaging and products. We must also ensure that these products are reusable, recyclable or compostable. Sierra Club California thanks the legislators who have taken a bold step forward in addressing this urgent crisis." 

Katherine O’Dea, Executive Director, Save Our Shores (katherine@saveourshores.org):  

“Comprehensive legislation like this is exactly what is needed to address the plastic pollution crisis we have reached. The framework it puts in place provides the kind of flexibility that is required to address various single use packaging formats and some of the most ubiquitous plastic products with a best approach for each. At the same time, the legislation mandates significant source reduction while driving recycling rates to levels we should have been able to achieve voluntarily but have failed to for decades. Save Our Shores applauds our state legislators for taking bold action.”

Shilpi Chhotray, Senior Communications Officer, Break Free From Plastic (shilpi@breakfreefromplastic.org): “China may have set the trend of refusing foreign plastic waste but now other countries are following suit, including Malaysia, Thailand, and India. It's time for California to set the gold standard for the US in reducing the overall global production and consumption of plastics and redesign for their reuse. This type of systemic legislation is crucially needed to address the global plastic pollution crisis.”

Christopher Chin, Executive Director, The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE) (media@coare.org): “Waste management is an important part of the conversation, but it cannot effectively address the deluge of plastic pollution we all face.  We cannot recycle our way out of this problem, and it is imperative that we, as a society, support upstream solutions considering the full lifecycle of plastics - including its production and consumption.  This legislation begins providing the framework for an approach that the world wants, and that the world so desperately needs.”

Sophie Haddad, State Board Chair, CALPIRG Students (shaddad@ucsd.edu): "As students and young people, we are the generation who will have to face the worst levels of ocean pollution. We know that if we don't act now, our environment will be even more devastated by trash. We have to do everything we can to stop using single-use plastics, and SB 54 and AB 1080 are great steps in the right direction."

Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director - AZUL (media@azul.org):"From production to disposal, single-use plastic and packaging waste negatively affect humans, wildlife and the environment, with a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. This legislation is a strong step towards remedying this environmental justice crisis. Mil Gracias to supporting legislators for their strong leadership!" 

Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of National Stewardship Action Council (heidi@nsaction.us): “Producers of wasteful single-use products need to rethink their design and share in the responsibility for those end of life costs previously externalized onto the public sector and the environment do achieve a circular economy.  We need well-designed durable, reusable products and the product producers are the only ones who can change that and why we support SB 54/AB 1080.”

Angela Howe, Legal Director, Surfrider Foundation (ahowe@surfrider.org): “Surfrider Foundation stands in strong support of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, which will help Californians rise above plastics and begin to free our ocean of the plague of plastic pollution.  We applaud the state legislature for taking this critical step to usher in forward thinking policy and pave the way toward zero waste.”

Anu Natarajan, Legislative Affairs Manager, Stopwaste (ANatarajan@stopwaste.org):“StopWaste is pleased to support SB 54 and AB 1080 because these bills constitute meaningful progress toward managing packaging and plastic waste, which are both among StopWaste’s top priorities.”

Nick Lapis, Director of Advocacy, Californians Against Waste (nicklapis@cawrecycles.org): “These monumental bipartisan votes on SB 54 and AB 1080 show that California will continue to lead on tackling environmental pollution that our federal government actively ignores. We simply can’t continue to trash our planet.”

 
Contact: Arianna Smith
arianna@ariannazsmith.com
916.542.8303

Sky Ocean Rescue commends Canary Wharf Group’s sustainability drive

The Canary Wharf Group’s ‘Break the plastic habit’ programme has been commended by Sky Ocean Rescue.

Fiona Ball, group head of inspirational business & Sky Ocean Rescue, Sky, said the recycling and sustainability initiative was ideal for a near ‘micro-city’ such as the Canary Wharf estate.

‘Breaking The Plastic Habit’ is a 12-month programme to promote a culture of reduction, re-use and recycling to challenge single-use plastic within Canary Wharf.

“It’s a huge opportunity – a ‘micro-city’ is enclosed and you can control what comes in. Doing something jointly with partners [businesses on the estate] is good – with real business leaders making a commitment and taking a stance,” she said.

Up to 120,000 people travel to the Canary Wharf estate every day – both working and visiting.

John Garwood, managing director and group company secretary of Canary Wharf Group, said: “The aim was to encourage move away from throw-away plastic culture. ‘Break the plastic habit’ programme has enabled us to eliminate one million pieces of single use plastic from the estate and a further four million plastic items have been recycled.”

Martin Gettings, group head of sustainability at Canary Wharf Group, announced that 4.2m coffee cups have been recycled at the estate (much of each through using Smart Planet Technology’s reCUP), and cut the use of 1.2m straws. “This is not an initiative, this has to be business as usual,” he said.

Sky’s Ball added that up to 40m people have been made aware of the issues surrounding single-use issues through TV coverage on SKY, BBC and Netflix.

She confirmed that Sky’s own goals include a commitment to be single-use plastic-free on operations, products and supply chain by 2020, particularly product packaging sent to customers.

Last year Canary Wharf become the first UK site to offer a deposit return schemewith a functioning machine.

In January the Canary Wharf Group launched the HELPFUL mobile app – a plastic recycling and rewarding app.

HELPFUL simplifies and incentivises reuse and recycling for consumers, helping visitors to correctly recycle waste, switch to reusable products and collect rewards.

Participating retailers at Canary Wharf support the app with QR code points to claim reuse coin rewards, include Café Nero, Carluccio’s, Crussh, Eat, Krispy Kreme, Leon, Notes Coffee, Ole & Steen, Paul, Pret a Manger, Scribbler, Starbucks and Ted Baker.

Additionally, the Canary Wharf Group was included as one of the highest voted inspirational businesses driving sustainability forward in Edie’s Business Leadership Survey 2019 and named as an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development – United Kingdom’ in the Capital Finance International Sustainability Awards 2018.

Smart Planet Technologies to speak at the Rising Tide Summit

Leading engineering company for sustainable packaging materials, Smart Planet Technologies, to speak about the reCUP® recyclable paper cup and EarthCoating® with ocean conservation leaders and businesses

Smart Planet Technologies will be presenting at the Rising Tide Summit, scheduled to take place in San Pedro, CA on the 27th and 28th of March, 2019. The materials engineering and intellectual property company will be speaking about reCUP and EarthCoating, their recyclable solutions designed to address the 50 billion paper cups that end up in US landfills each year.

Paper cups are a mixed material, comprised of paper and plastic. Conventional recycling systems are not designed to process the plastic coatings usually found in paper cups, so paper cups are typically diverted to landfills.

Smart Planet Technologies has developed EarthCoating, a barrier coating for paper cups and other paper products that is fully compatible with conventional paper recycling. EarthCoating contains 51% less plastic than conventional coatings, and the reCUP, made with EarthCoating, can be pulped into recycled paper using conventional paper recycling equipment. A paper cup that is compatible with recycling systems is a valuable material to recover for use in the production of recycled paperboard products.

Recycling is an optimal end-of life solution for paper cups because it supports a circular economy, as paper materials can be recycled up to seven times. The solution has already become a global phenomenon, with millions of paper cups across having been sold by packaging manufacturers and distributors including Detpak, CupPrint, VaioPak, Pureco, Linstol, Bunzl, Sysco, and more.

Attendees of the event will be served coffee in reCUPs, which will be collected for recycling into new paper products by Allan Company, a leading materials recycling service provider, upon the completion of the 2-day event.

“The first step to getting paper cups recycled is to make them valuable and easy for recyclers to process through their conventional recycling equipment,” said Todd Gasparik, Vice President of Business Development for Smart Planet Technologies and presenter at the Rising Tide Summit.

“Solving tough problems requires a thirst for innovation.” Said Vipe Desai, Founder of the Rising Tide Summit and CEO of HDX. “Smart Planet Technologies is bringing forth a solution that is long overdue and is already having an impact on the marketplace. It’s exactly the type of innovation needed and attendees are going to have a chance to experience and learn all about their technology.”

The Rising Tide Summit is underwritten by the X Prize Foundation and Marisla Foundation, and will be attended by several NGO's that are focused on waste diversion, plastic reduction, increased recycling rates, and ocean conservation. Some of the participating NGO's are Ocean Institute, 5 Gyres, Final Straw, and AltaSea.

Panel info:

Environmental Entrepreneurs: Problem Solvers in Action

Entrepreneurs are hard wired to solve problems and in this conversation, President and CEO of the Ocean Institute, Dan Pingaro, will sit with two entrepreneurs who are using business as a force for good. The problems of single-use plastic straws and un-recyclable paper cups might just be about to meet their match.

Their businesses are built on solving issues related to waste and we’ll learn how they’re doing, where they’re going and what can businesses and NGOs learn from their efforts.

Moderator: Dan Pingaro, President and CEO, Ocean Institute
Panelist: Emma Rose-Cohen, Founder, FinalStraw
Panelist: Todd Gasparik, Vice President of Business Development,Smart Planet Technologies

More information about the Rising Tide Summit to be held in San Pedro, CA on March 27 and 28 can be found here.

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