Collection corner

Wonky produce

The act of reducing and recycling food scraps is a growing area of focus as cities roll out food waste collection programs in neighborhoods across the U.S. To help raise awareness of food waste, the toy company Hasbro, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, partnered with the British grocery store chain Asda to create a unique, misshapen “Wonky Mr. Potato Head,” according to Toy News.

The limited edition model underwent a “wonky veg makeover” to resemble a more traditional potato in a bid to raise money for a food waste charity, according to the eBay page where the Wonky Mr. Potato Head was sold for charity. The auction ended July 3, with a winning bid of $728.97. The funds supported FareShare, which provides low-income families across the U.K. with produce.

“At FareShare, we are always happy to give surplus wonky veg a home—it’s the taste, not the shape, that counts,” FareShare’s Daniel Nicholls told Toy News.

Converting couture

In a hospital setting, the operating room can generate between 20 percent and 30 percent of the facility’s waste. To highlight material recovery in hospitals, sterilization packaging manufacturer Beacon Converters Inc., Saddle Brook, New Jersey, and DuPont Protection Solutions have created a wedding gown made from discarded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material from health care packaging.

Named Bella the Bride, the gown sculpture is made of DuPont’s Tyvek, an HDPE material that is used as a sterile barrier for medical devices and supplies. Tyvek is typically recycled into plastic decking and lawn furniture.

For the train of the gown, more than 400 flowers made from the discarded HDPE material cover the sculpture.

Beacon Converters commissioned Nancy Judd, a New Mexico artist and environmental educator who creates couture fashion from waste, to create the wedding gown from discarded packaging. Judd added Bella to Recycle Runway, her traveling exhibit showcasing sustainable fashion designs made from trash.

Go all the way

Mowing just half of the front yard. Grooming half of the dog’s fur. Running half of the race. “You wouldn’t do something halfway would you?” questions the voiceover in PepsiCo Inc.’s latest TV commercial.

The beverage and food company’s most recent efforts to encourage recycling involve an ad showing people performing tasks halfway. The visuals in the ad, “Give Recycling 100 Percent,” serve as a reminder that people can and should take the extra step to recycle.

Near the end of the 30-second clip, the voiceover states, “In the U.S. we’re recycling less than 50 percent of our bottles and cans. Join PepsiCo in the recycling of every last bottle and can.”