Well I have read and heard some pretty awesome things about Terra Cycle so when I had the opportunity to share about them and check out one of their products I got really excited!! TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  makes affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide  range of different non-recyclable waste materials. With over 50 products  available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, The Home Depot,  OfficeMax, Petco and Whole Foods Market, TerraCycle is one of the  fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world. Our hope is to  eliminate the idea of waste by finding innovative, unique uses for  materials others deem garbage.

We here the words 'reduce, reuse, recycle' a lot  when it comes to cleaning our our environment and cutting down on waste in our landfills but have you thought much about the word 'upcycle'? To ucpcycle an item would be to use the product again in a totally different way than it was originally used.  Terracycle  <http://www.terracycle.net/> has found a ton of ways to take our trash and recyclables and make them into something new. The great thing about this company is that YOU can get involved, too!  Here is a little bit about Terracycle from their website:

All items that TerraCycle accepts to upcycle into new products will now be collected at five Walmart stores on the East Coast, the first retail outlets to test the new collection system, according to Green Biz. All told, the new collection system will accept 28 types of trash that can’t be recycled and would otherwise go to landfills, which TerraCycle turns into new products such as tote bags, plant pots, backpacks, pencil cases and portable speakers.

October 6, 2010—Five Walmart stores on the East Coast will be the first to test a new collection system for 28 types of trash that TerraCycle turns into new products. Brigades previously had to mail in trash they collect. The collection system at the five Walmarts, which went into operation October 1, allows anyone to drop off any waste TerraCycle accepts in converted 20-foot trailers at Walmart stores in Secaucus, Vineland, Deptford East and Lanoka Harbor, all in New Jersey, and Tullytown, Pennsylvania

The 15 students of the high school's environmental club, SAVE, or Students Against Violation of the Earth, are participating in a recycling campaign sponsored by TerraCycle, a Trenton-based company that "upcycles" trash and turns it into reusable items that are sold at stores like Target, Walmart and Home Depot. The students are encouraging the whole district and even residents to participate in the campaign which started Friday and runs through Dec. 15. SAVE adviser Donna Pancari said the competition is open to all public schools in New Jersey and could net the district a hefty prize. A total of $125,000 will be awarded to the six schools that collect the most garbage with the first-place prize being $50,000. Winners will be announced in January.

In their latest move to increase their upcycling of materials that normally end up in landfills, TerraCycle has partnered with five East Coast Walmart stores to test a new collection system for 28 types of trash that TerraCycle will then turn into new products. The New Jersey-based company collects waste through their Brigades programs, which not only keep waste out of landfills but bring financial benefits to schools and organizations as well. This new collection system, which began October 1st, will allow anyone to drop off any waste that TerraCycle accepts in converted 20-foot trailers at Walmart stores in Secaucus, Vineland, Deptford East and Lanoka Harbor, all in New Jersey, and Tullytown, Pennsylvania.

Jackie Fashjian became very passionate about spreading awareness to future generations on this very serious environmental issue.  She began working with a company called Terracycle.  Terracycle creates new products from non-recyclable trash that would otherwise end up in the landfills.  They resell these innovative products to major retailers like Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Home Depot just to name a few.  The best part about this program is Terracycle donates 2 cents to a school or charity for every piece of trash sent in.  So far The Dumpster Divers have diverted thousands of pieces of trash from the landfills and raised well over $100 for Floral Street School.  They have also opened a new account to raise $$ for a local Girl Scout troop.  Their hope in the future is to spread this program throughout Central MA and raise a lot more money for local schools and other non profit charities.

Just about every school - public or private - needs money. And I'm not against it by any means. This year I'm chairing the fund raising committee for my younger son's school. My goal is to incorporate projects that teach as well as bring in money. But In my quest, I've found another that I must share. The company is called TerraCycle, and its aim is to make eco-friendly, affordable consumer products from waste.

That’s where TerraCycle comes into play. The goal of TerraCycle is to prevent snack and drink containers from ending up in landfills or being incinerated. TerraCycle helps band consumers together into groups — called “Brigades” — to return used packaging in bulk to TerraCycle. Returned goods are then cleaned out and transformed into new products including bags, coolers, clip boards, picture frames and kites. In addition, for every package returned the brigade earns money to put towards a charity of their choice or, if the team is from a school or non-profit organization, they can keep the money to further their mission.  It is a win-win program: people can reduce their waste while raising money for a good cause. As word spreads about TerraCycle more and more snack and beverage companies are joining the program, meaning even more packaging can be returned and re-purposed. Some major companies whose wrappers can be sent back to TerraCycle include: Stonyfield, Capri Sun, Frito Lay, Kraft, Mars Wrigley, Kashi, Aveeno, Colgate, and Ziploc. The recycled products that TerraCycle produces are then sold at major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and K-Mart. The end products are labeled as TerraCycle products, so consumers know they are supporting a good cause and creating demand for the program. According to the TerraCycle website, there are 11,597,783 people collecting trash with TerraCycle brigades, and over one billion units of waste have already been collected and re-purposed into 186 different products. If that doesn’t already sound good enough, these efforts also helped raise $1.2 Million for various schools, non profits, and charities across the country.

If you're like most parents, right now is a bittersweet time. Sure, the kids are back in class, but with it comes a barrage of fundraisers. Just about every school - public or private - needs more money. And I'm not against it by any means. However, when the boxes of chocolate bars or the order forms for gift wrap arrive in the book bags, it's difficult to suppress a groan. On more than one occasion, I've told my husband I wish they'd just send us a bill for our portion and cut out the middle man. My girlish figure really doesn't need any candy, and I have enough wrapping paper to take care of Santa's Village. But we do it for our children. This year I'm chairing the fundraising committee for my younger son's school. My goal is to incorporate projects that teach as well as bring in money. I mentioned one a few weeks ago, Box Tops for Education, that's run by General Mills. But in my quest, I've found another I must share. The company is called TerraCycle, and its aim is to make eco-friendly, affordable consumer products from waste.