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BizX Education | BizX Community | Holiday Shopping

Perks: A Cashless Way to Reward Your Employees this Holiday Season!

December 14, 2021 | Written by BizX

For the vast majority of holiday shoppers, we have found ourselves in this situation: stretched thin for time, not super clear on what the recipient(s) needs or wants, we speed walk to that "giant front rack in the sky" of gift cards. Fast food sports bar? Online app store? Oh perfect - an American Express/Visa/Mastercard gift card! They can use it on anything! Then the cashier rings up your cash total and you start thinking of all your holiday cash expenses. There has to be a better way...

Well there is with Perks by BizX . As a member of the digital business to business barter exchange, BizX , Perks accounts are a perfect member benefit for you to spread the love and appreciation this Holiday Season. When you enroll your team (or even family members) in the Perks Program, they will receive a BizX account and card -   just like that AMEX gift card at the supermarket - l oaded up with BizX dollars! WHICH OF COURSE SAVES YOU CASH WHILE ENABLING YOUR EMPLOYEES OR FRIENDS TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.

Some of the more popular items that your employees, friends and family might be interested in: Restaurants that Accept the BizX Card  – dine at any of these restaurants and pay with BizX! Travel  – we have access to hotels, resorts, vacation homes and more all over the world. Wine & Spirits – With wineries from Walla Walla to Sonoma to choose from, there are selections to please every palate. Health & Beauty – Schedule your next massage, meditation, or spa day! Gift Cards  – with so many to choose from, you'll have a great time treating yourself, family or friends. Cost-wise, your employees WILL NEVER PAY A FEE to BizX unless they elect to have items shipped to them or they spend more than the amount in their account. For the primary account holder, transferring money into a Perks account is the same as purchasing anything on BizX. Your employees are the backbone of your company, show how much you appreciate their efforts by opening their BizX Perk account today! See what other members have to say about their Perks accounts here .

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Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

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Home » Prices and Trans-Siberian Tickets » Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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Baltic Travel Company (BTC) is the only destination management company in Russia that organizes unforgettable corporate and incentive programs, efficient on-shore tours and event logistics at equally impeccable level and launches original touristic products. We exist to share with you bright impressions from our beautiful country and to bring you joy in every trip.

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Our goal is to provide the highest quality services to make your clients fall in love with Russia.

Whether you are looking to get the most out of a tight budget or prefer premium luxury when discovering Russia, Olta Travel will be your perfect partner.

Let us make your tour to Russia a memorable experience, so you can enjoy a worry-free journey!

• FROM BIG GROUPS TO INDIVIDUALS: we craft a tailored offer for almost any budget, thanks to our distributed network of trusted partners, direct connections with service providers and our own profound knowledge of destinations in Russia. 
• TOP SERVICE GUARANTEE:  We take care of everything to secure travelers’ satisfaction and are prepared to deal with unexpected issues should they arise.
• COMFORTABLE PRICING:  Olta Travel keeps the cost of discovering Russia at a fair, reasonable level because we love our country and seek to share this love with you.
• NATION-SPECIFIC PROGRAMS : based on our experience working with tourists from all parts of the world, we know how to surprise and amaze your compatriots with Russia.

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This Policy of personal data processing (hereinafter - the Policy) applies to all data that "OLTA Travel" Co. Ltd (hereinafter – Olta Travel) receives from the visitors of website http://www.oltatravel.com (hereinafter "the Website") and explains how it is processing, stored and how the confidentiality is ensured.

1. Processing and use of personal data.

1.1. In this Policy, personal information means any information left by users on the Website of Olta Travel, including Name, Surname, company, email address and other contact information, left in the message.

1.2. The person who left personal data on the Website of Olta Travel, consents to their use, namely:

1.2.1. The inclusion of the email address, name, surname, company name or any other contact information left in the message in the contact database of Olta Travel. The database is hosted in a secure cloud-based customer relationship management service Bitrix 24, as well as on a secure service for newsletters – Unisender.

1.2.2. Receiving email newsletters with news, promotions, special offers and other useful materials, but no more than twice a week. The visitor of the Website at any time has the right to unsubscribe from the mailing list of Olta Travel, by clicking on the unsubscribe link located at the bottom of each letter.

1.2.3. Direct communication with the manager of Olta travel on the treatment of the user.

1.2.4. The use of contact information to show relevant advertisements to users in social networks and the Internet.

1.2.5. For other purposes performed with the individual consent of the user.

2. The collection, storage and protection of personal data.

2.1. All personal data collected on the Website is processed, stored and secured in strict accordance with the provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation (Federal law of the Russian Federation of 27 July 2006 № 152-FL "On personal data") and the European Union (The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679).

2.2. Olta Travel is taking the necessary legal, organizational and technical measures to protect personal information from unlawful or accidental access, copying, distribution of personal information, as well as other unlawful actions in relation to personal data of users, which include:

•     secure transfer and storage of personal data on secure servers;

•     automated processing of personal data;

•     identification of possible threats to the security of personal data;

•     limiting the number of persons having access to personal data;

•     application of measures of internal regulation of the procedure of working with personal data (internal regulations for employees of Olta Travel);

•     improving methods of collection, storage and processing of data.

2.3. All data received on the Website of Olta Travel are transmitted via a secure https Protocol and stored on servers in secure, cloud-based customer relationship management service Bitrix 24, as well as in safe service for creating email newsletters Unisender.

3. User rights and obligations of Olta Travel.

3.1. Upon the request from the user Olta Travel should:

•        confirm the fact and methods of storage and processing of personal data of users;

•        inform about the method of obtaining personal data of the user;

•        explain the legal bases, objectives and timing of the processing of personal data;

•        in case of personal data leakage, inform the user about it;

•        make changes or delete users ' personal data from the database to stop storing and processing it;

•        warn about the expected cross-border transfer of personal data.

3.2. The user has the right to request the deletion of his personal data by sending an e-mail to [email protected] as well as the exclusion from the email-mailing by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" button located in the body of each letter.

4. Conditions of termination of processing and storage of personal data:

•       company liquidation;

•       a written request for withdrawal of consent or exclusion from the database;

•       at the request of the user, if the data were obtained illegally.

5. Olta Travel is not responsible for information posted by a visitor on the third party websites, links to which can be posted on the Website of Olta Travel.

6. More information about the collection, storage and processing of personal data by Olta Travel, the user may get by sending an email to [email protected] .

TravelStore-Pasadena

Review Highlights

“ We had a terrific experience with Catherine Adde at the Pasadena TravelStore. ” in 9 reviews

“ We were able to get to our beautiful hotel, The Ritz, only to see that Maral had been able to get us an upgrade. ” in 10 reviews

“ There is no doubt in my mind that we will call Susannah and Travel store again!!! ” in 6 reviews

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140 S Lake Ave

Pasadena, CA 91101

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PLEASE NOTE: We only sell airline tickets or transfers when booked as part of a package, tour or cruise. Our professional travel experts specialize in planning the vacation and business travel needs of discerning travelers looking to enhance their travel experiences and make them more meaningful and memorable. Our services don't cost any more and we usually add more value. We have the knowledge, leverage and personal connections to provide you with the best services and value on all seven continents on cruises, tours, custom travel planning, group travel, airfare and corporate travel. Our services include: - Exclusive value and savings on thousands of cruises - Exclusive amenities at 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts worldwide with free WiFi, free breakfast and more - Access to our expertise and global connections - A dedicated travel professional assigned to work with you - A vacation travel app and travel blog to help with trip planning. Visit our website and sign-up for our FREE VIP Club to receive our exclusive offers and enter our quarterly Travel Sweepstakes. …

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Highly recommend booking your next vacation with Maral Nazarian. I just got back from my bachelorette trip in Puerto Vallarta and had the weekend of a lifetime thanks to Maral's years of expertise and personal relationships built with the local contacts on-site. We booked a top-floor 3 bedroom panorama suite, overlooking the ocean. The 4,000+ sq ft room comfortably accommodated the entire group and was one of the most luxurious properties we'd been to. Maral takes into account the specific preferences of your trip and offers helpful recommendations. You are in great hands with Maral. So thankful and can't wait for our next adventure!

I called to get some help booking a trip to Europe and Morocco, spoke with someone who said they had the "perfect" person I can speak with, but I never got a call back. We ended up making our own travel arrangements.

My agent at TravelStore thought of everything and put together the most amazing vacation for my daughter and me. I had not done a lot of travel so I counted on her to take care of all details. She did that and then some. I will never plan another vacation without Maha's expertise!

Vacation memories

My daughter and I had a fabulous Hawaiian getaway thanks to Maral at the Travel Store. Wonderful accommodations at the Sheraton Waikiki central to great food and shopping. With all the destruction and fires on Maui, Maral and the team quickly changed our plans so we were able to take a great trip. We were so sad for the people in Maui and hope and pray that they will quickly rebuild. Maral and the team are the best and I am so grateful for all they did for us. Tina and Ani

Master Travel Planner Anita Kayekjian prepared an extensive and complicated trip for four people traveling to meet in Venice, Italy from three locations: LA, San Francisco, and Mexico City. Travel for a month from Venice to Sicily required hotel reservations, trains and flights, restaurant suggestions and sometimes reservations, site guides, taxi service...the itinerary was QUITE complicated and Anita pulled it off without a hitch and for a reasonable price. I remain astonished. This was a perfect family trip. I will use her again! The Reverend Canon George F. Woodward III (St. Paul's, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) (formerly St. Edmund's, San Marino, CA)

San Marco, Venice

My husband and I just returned from our magical trip to Mo'orea & Bora Bora which was planned by the amazing Maral Nazarian! We had given her our budget and left the rest to her and as usual she didn't disappoint! She thought of every single detail from A-Z and had planned the trip so perfectly all we had to do was show up. It was one of the most incredible and memorable trips we have ever been on!!! Tahiti is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth and we are so lucky to have been able to experience it the way that we did thanks to the amazing planning and recommendations from Maral. She booked every single hotel, airfare, transfer, boat, and even lounge for our layover making it a seamless experience! She has planned every single vacation that we've been on for the past 6 years and they keep getting better and better each time! She's already planning our next vacation for this summer & we can't wait to see all the exciting things she has planned for us! I highly recommend that anyone planning a trip near or far contacts Maral at The Travel Store. She is very knowledgeable & professional and you won't be disappointed! PS. These photos are not edited and have zero filter, yup it's that beautiful!

See all photos from Christina D. for TravelStore-Pasadena

Catherine Adde is the absolute best travel agent we have ever worked with! Her expertise and professionalism, coupled with her warmth and wisdom make working with her such a joy! Catherine assisted my husband and I in planning our dream trip to Alaska, and it was unforgettable because of Catherine's attention to detail. She is so knowledgeable and gave us such great recommendations, she wanted everything to be perfect for us! Catherine ensured that every detail of our trip was taken care of and that attention to every aspect of our travels made all the difference. She communicated with us every step of the way and we enjoyed her frequent calls and e-mails and her follow up after we returned home. If you are looking for a professional and thoughtful travel agent, someone who will go out of her way to be certain that your travels are everything you're dreaming of and more, you've found her! We highly recommend Catherine Adde and give her our highest endorsement!

Anita Kayekjian is an absolutely amazing travel agent! She organized an almost month long trip to Italy for four people traveling from different places. My partner and I from Los Angeles, my cousin from San Francisco and my brother from Mexico. She arranged flights, drivers, trains, hotels and events. Anita knew we were budget conscious, and all of our accommodations were amazing. She timed flights and trains with plenty of time between connections. We travelled very comfortably from Venice to Sorrento over the course of a little more than three weeks. We are looking at planning some more travel, and will definitely call Anita to arrange our trip! - Stacy and Andres

view from our hotel room in Venice!

Michelle is the best! I've used her for so many trips over the years, and most recently for my trip to Tokyo and Kyoto last month... everything went smoothly. Michelle makes it so easy to explore foreign places. I just give her a list of all my must-do's and she helped me so much making reservations, suggesting the order of the itinerary, and setting up transportation. She's also great at suggesting other activities if you need ideas. Can't recommend enough. Thanks, Michelle.

Business Manager

Sep 15, 2017

Hi Joyce, Thanks for posting your review of Michelle and photo! We appreciate your comments and support! Wishing you many more happy travel adventures.

Michelle Enriquez is the besttt!!! She has planned our Italian honeymoon and our Balinese anniversary. Both have been absolutely jaw dropping and amazing. All of our friends swoon over the gorgeous photos and wonderful stories we come back with to share. Michelle met with us several times to go over our desires, budgets, interests, etc. and she executed it wonderfully. We can't travel without her planning now!

We were fortunate to meet Michelle Keith through the TravelStore, Pasadena. Michelle planned our vacation. We had a lot of different requests and she fulfilled all of our requests. Michelle went above and beyond every expectation we have. She sailed through our last minute requests happily. Michelle not only went the extra mile for us, she ran a marathon for us. Everything was exactly planned and ran smoothly. Michelle even anticipated what we may have needed and had everything readily available to us. Michelle is an amazing individual. I cannot say enough about how much we loved working with her. There are no words that can actually describe how super fantastic she is. If you are planning a trip and want everything to run smoothly Michelle is the person for you. If you are looking for someone who will answer all calls and emails, she is the person for you. We will forever go to Michelle for all of our travel needs. I cannot thank her enough for all of her hard work and everything she did for us. She is awesome!!!!!

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Small Business Trends

Millennials and gen-z spending on travel and entertainment this summer.

American Express has released its latest Amex Trendex Millennial and Gen-Z Summer Spotlight Report, revealing the spending habits of younger generations this summer. The report highlights how Millennials and Gen-Z are prioritizing travel, dining, and memorable experiences, with a particular focus on concerts and music festivals.

The survey found that Millennial and Gen-Z women are especially keen on attending concerts and festivals. This demographic played a significant role in last year’s economic growth, driven by the popularity of national stadium tours from major pop artists. This summer, they continue to fuel demand in the entertainment sector. According to the report, 51% of Millennial and Gen-Z women plan to attend music festivals and concerts, with 43% wanting to cross entertainment experiences off their bucket list. Additionally, 38% of those traveling abroad for a concert or sporting event plan to visit Europe.

Travel remains a top priority for Millennials and Gen-Z this summer. The report shows that 81% of respondents have travel plans, with 62% organizing trips around specific activities such as wellness or entertainment. Moreover, 70% of these younger travelers typically purchase new clothes or shoes to prepare for their trips, highlighting the importance of fashion and preparation in their travel plans.

Food and dining are also significant areas of spending for Millennials and Gen-Z. Nearly half (47%) of respondents plan to attend food festivals this summer, and two-thirds (66%) report spending at least $40 per week on takeout. The desire to secure hard-to-get reservations is also prevalent among this group, with 41% enjoying the status of dining at exclusive spots, compared to only 13% of Baby Boomers and 24% of Gen X. Additionally, 20% of Millennial and Gen-Z respondents are tipping more than they did last year, indicating a trend towards greater generosity in their dining experiences.

The Amex Trendex is a trend index that tracks consumer sentiments about spending, saving, and traveling. It provides insights into how consumers are feeling and behaving but does not represent actual Amex customer spending data or trends. This latest report underscores the enthusiasm of Millennials and Gen-Z for experiences that bring joy and excitement, especially in the travel and entertainment sectors.

Image: Envato

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Pact including Coca-Cola, Nestlé moves 2025 plastic reduction goals to 2030

The absence of federal standards is hindering the progress of the U.S. Plastics Pact, according to the group.

By Elsa Wenzel

June 13, 2024

Single-use forks and spoons are on the list of materials the U.S Plastics Pact seeks to phase out by 2030. Credit: Shutterstock/Jiri Hera

The U.S. Plastics Pact representing 80 companies — including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone — has pushed back deadlines to drastically reduce their use of plastic, from 2025 to 2030.

The five-year slip reflects how corporations are often failing to meet the audacious climate goals they set less than a decade ago. At the same time, plastic production has escalated . In 2022, manufacturers churned out 400.3 million metric tons of plastics, up by 1.6 percent from 2021, according to Statista.

The following targets for plastic packaging are no longer set for 2025, according to the pact:

• Eliminating problematic materials, such as tableware and PFAS chemicals.
• Baking in reusability, recyclability or compostability to all packaging. 
• Reaching a 50 percent plastic recycling rate. 
• Integrating recycled or responsibly sourced bio-based materials into 30 percent of all packaging.

“Yes, they were very ambitious,” said Emily Tipaldo, executive director of the U.S. Plastics Pact. “You have to set a marker. And that's what the targets did in 2020. This put a marker out there very publicly to say, ‘This is what we're aiming for, especially in the US when we don't have a federal government that's really acting on this.’”

Not all pact members expressed a rosy outlook.

“I am frustrated that the burden of creating infrastructure is continually shifted,” said Lauren Click, executive director of Let’s Go Compost, a nonprofit pact member. Her Scottsdale, Arizona, organization advocates for compostable packaging in school lunchrooms. “Packagers refuse to fund it, municipalities lack the funds, and the public is already overwhelmed by recycling, let alone compostable plastics.”

Missing federal policy

Founded in 2020, the U.S. Plastics Pact was first launched in the U.S. by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. There are now 12 pacts globally.

Roadmap 2.0 by default acts as a national strategy for the plastics packaging value chain.

At the time, the U.S. was — and remains — the largest market without laws mandating extended producer responsibility (EPR), which require companies to take care of the waste their packaging creates, Tipaldo noted. So members of the U.S. Plastics Pact — representing about a third of the nation’s plastic packaging market — made their commitments independently. 

Over time, that encouraged bills to move forward in several U.S. states.

“Because they've been able to do that on a voluntary basis over the last few years, that's what has cultivated the support for extended producer responsibility for packaging to deposit return systems and recycled content mandates,” Tipaldo said.

“One of the unseen, in-the-background benefits, I would argue, is the groundswell of support for policy. … And again, it may be incremental, but we need to be going in that direction.

The U.S. Plastics Pact's new targets. Credit: U.S. Plastics Pact

Sticking points

The blown deadline does not come as a surprise. It was clear in October 2023 that most companies were not on course to hit the 2025 target .

The main sticking points were the lack of national standards imposed by federal regulation — which would have forced all companies to change — and the low prices of abundant virgin plastic , Tipaldo said.

The pact, based in Walpole, New Hampshire, now requires members to submit annual progress reports on how they are removing virgin plastic from their operations. That project is called “Roadmap 2.0.”

“Roadmap 2.0 by default acts as a national strategy for the plastics packaging value chain, in terms of how we're looking across the value chain, to build a circular economy for plastics packaging,” Tipaldo said.

How the roadmap has changed

Here’s how the pact’s five new targets differ from the original four from 2020:

1. New target: By 2030, eliminate 11 “problematic and unnecessary materials,” such as plastic cutlery and straws. 

• Original target: Develop the list and eliminate the materials on it by 2025. 
• Progress: Members reduced the presence of those items from 14 percent to 8 percent of packaging.

2. New target: All plastic packaging to be capable of being reused, recycled or composted. For packaging makers and users, the deadline is 2030.

• Original target: 2025 deadline.
• Progress: Members grew the amount of reused, recycled or compostable materials from 37 percent to 47.7 percent of all packaging.

3. New target: Recycle half of all plastic packaging. Establish recycling or composting at scale.

• Original target: Recycle or compost half of plastic packaging by 2025.
• Progress: Data not available.

4. New target: Reach an average of 30 percent recycled or bio-based content for all plastic packaging.

• Progress: Increased post-consumer recycled and biobased content in packaging from 7 percent to 9.4 percent.

5. New target: Identify, increase implementation and scale viable reuse systems by 2030. Reuse is a new major focus.

The second, third and fourth targets no longer have an overarching target date. However, most of the “building block” steps leading to them have delivery dates between now and 2030.

The U.S. Plastics Pact's old targets, set in 2020. Credit: U.S. Plastics Pact

Coca-Cola: ‘We know more must be done’

U.S. Plastics Pact members Unilever, Mars, Clorox, Conagra, Kraft Heinz, L’Oréal and Kimberly-Clark did not respond to requests for comments on their group’s shifting targets.

However, Coca-Cola — the biggest generator of plastic pollution, according to an April study  — said it is 90 percent of the way toward its 2025 goal of making all its packaging recyclable. The company also wants to cut its plastic usage by the equivalent of 800 million plastic bottles next year .

I am frustrated that the burden of creating infrastructure is continually shifted.

By 2030, the beverage giant wants half its packaging to be from recycled material; to recycle a bottle or can for each one sold; and to make reusable or returnable packaging 25 percent of the total.

“We know more must be done, and we can’t achieve our goals alone,” a Coke spokesperson told GreenBiz.

A spokesperson for Plastics Pact member Keurig Dr Pepper told GreenBiz it remained optimistic about reaching its 2025 goals. By the end of 2022, the company was 92 percent of the way toward 100 percent recyclable or compostable packaging for 2025, according to its last sustainability report. Twenty-four percent of its post-consumer content was recycled, against a goal of 30 percent.

Conspicuous by their absence: PepsiCo and Altria

Of the five biggest generators of plastic — who create 24 percent of the pollution — two are not members of the pact. They are PepsiCo and Altria. Tipaldo is hoping that the new, more lenient deadline might tempt more brands to join.

“I'm really curious to see if we might be able to bring some additional companies in, now that we're looking beyond 2025,” Tipaldo said.

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More on this topic

• Circular Economy
• Plastic Waste
• U.S. Plastics Pact

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Elsa Wenzel

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