Since many of these items cannot be recycled in your state and need to be mailed to the recycler, diehard recyclers may be faced with the moral dilemma of whether it’s worth the expense and resulting carbon emissions to ship an item off for recycling. Rather than delve into complex algorithms to solve this dilemma, I recommend reserving items like bras, medals, and trophies for recycling drives or bulk shipping. However, if you’re looking to replace a broken vacuum cleaner or worn out yoga mat, then some recyclers will offer you a discount on a new one. For you Clark Griswolds out there, you can upgrade your old incandescent Christmas lights for a discount on energy-saving LED lights. Sometimes recycling doesn’t just help the environment and your pocketbook. Just as thrift stores provide the opportunity for items to be reused while benefitting others, eyeglasses can be donated through most eyeglass retailers and through your local Lions Club for people in need. Similarly, if you’re in the mood for a new hairdo, your ponytail can be donated to a child with long-term or permanent medical hair loss. A great program for schools and community groups to raise funds while recycling difficult items such as chip bags and drink pouches is TerraCycle. They take these items and either recycle or upcycle them into new products that can be purchased at many large retailers. Terracycle has even incorporated their unique approach to recycling into their office design:  

We don’t have a beverage container deposit to encourage recycling in South Carolina, but for me, recycling has become a way of life. One motivating factor for me to recycle is the fact that I don’t want a landfill in my backyard. Every item I recycle is one less item taking up space in a landfill. Another motivating factor is conservation of natural resources. By recycling plastics, we use less petroleum which is a nonrenewable resource. Recycling also protects human and environmental health by keeping toxic substances out of the waste stream. I can’t help it; protecting our natural resources is something I am passionate about, which is why I am so excited about some things going on at Moore Intermediate School. Students, faculty and staff are participating in South Carolina Green Steps Schools, an environmental education and action initiative that recognizes schools in South Carolina that take annual sustainable steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible.One of their projects involves the collection of traditionally non-recyclable juice pouches which are sent to TerraCycle and converted into other products. By participating in program, students are learning, waste is being reduced, and the school receives 2 cents per juice pouch.

"Trash 2 Treasure is a wonderful way to tap into and inspire children's creativity and innovation, while at the same time bringing attention to how much garbage we produce in our homes and encouraging kids to think about steps we can take toward sustainable lifestyles and lowering our carbon footprint," said McMurrer. McMurrer rode the momentum from last year's contest even further, as she used the impetus of the contest to start, with the help of local mom Karen Baker, the TerraCycle Juice Pouch Brigade in the schools. The brigade is another one of those win-win-win propositions. The kids recycle their juice pouches at conveniently located receptacles within the schools, the schools get $0.02 per pouch that goes to TerraCycle, and TerraCycle turns the pouches into totes, backpacks, pencil cases, lunch bags – in total, 185 items for the home, office, garden, pets, school and more. Besides the first place winners each winning a $100 savings bond, donated by PNC Bank, all of the contest winners (first through third place) each won a prize donated by TerraCycle.

Anyone who packs a bagged lunch for a school-aged child knows that the Ziploc sandwich bag is for much more than just sandwiches. A regular packed lunch can have many, many Ziplocs, holding items such as sandwich, chips, carrot sticks, strawberries, and cookies. After lunch, all of these bags just end up in the trash. TerraCycle to the rescue!