Hey, New Orleans: instead of filling up your trash can with empty food wrappers and plastic Hurricane cups after guests leave, you can reuse the packaging yourself or send the detritus to TerraCycle. In so doing, earn some summer cash for your favorite charity and also keep trash out of landfills. A win-win. TerraCycle, a recycling and so-called upcycling company -- meaning they not only help melt old cans but also turn formerly useless products into useable stuff -- partners with brands such as Frito-Lay and Nabisco to reduce the amount of waste being tossed out. The company's goal is to eliminate "the idea of waste" by creating collection and solution systems for anything that ends up in a landfill. According to TerraCycle intern David Smith, the company has inspired New Orleans school kids to go truly green: "TerraCycle, in partnership with brands such as Lunchables and Kraft, will be working to keep waste out of the lunch room. As school is revving up and lesson plans are being laid out, TerraCycle will be working with schools in New Orleans and elsewhere to set up brigade programs and collect all the waste possible, while at the same time giving financial rewards for the hard work of these kids. In turn, they are learning about how their efforts impact the environment." Continue reading on Examiner.com Turn old Hurricane cups and Frito bags into upcycled products - New Orleans Green Living | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/green-living-in-new-orleans/turn-old-hurricane-cups-and-frito-bags-into-upcycled-products#ixzz1TyRql9PY