Terracycle is a company that collects and "upcycles" different kinds of waste packaging and turns that waste into new consumer products. Repurposed products include pencil cases made from Oreo cookie wrappers, kites from Skittles packages, backpacks from Capri Sun drinks pouches and natural plant fertilizer made from worm excrement that is packaged in empty soda bottles. These upcycled products are available for sale in several large national chain stores including Home Depot, Walmart and Wholefoods Markets. So far, Terracycle has collected over 1.5 billion tons of waste. In Lays potato chip packets alone, over two million tons of waste has been diverted from landfills.

The economy has undoubtedly impacted every aspect of American life, including the way people spend their money. The shrinking retail sales may be a tell-all about a reduction in consumerism — whether by necessity or because it’s trendy — but there’s one other number that may indicate America’s love for “stuff” is changing. For the past few years, the amount of garbage generated nationwide has been decreasing: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, between 2007 and 2009 (the last year available), municipal solid waste (a.k.a. garbage) generation went from 255 million tons to 243 million. Still, considering that amount is double that of four or five decades ago, it’s easy to understand the efforts to promote and encourage recycling. Consumers, of course, are complying, recovering about 34 percent of materials nationwide (from less than 10 percent 30 years ago). But while paper recycling has become second nature (and 64 percent of it is diverted from the landfill), a growing number of people are looking for ways to recycle various other things that usually go into the trash, from candy wrappers and Ziplock bags to potato chip bags and Elmer’s glue sticks.