TerraCycle is a great new way to recycle! You can send in your ‘trash’ things like chip and cookies wrappers, juice pouches and more to be turned into things like binders, pouches, and more.

TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste. We do this by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and start sending us waste.

TerraCycle then converts the collected waste into a wide variety of products and materials. With more than 20 million people collecting waste in over 20 countries TerraCycle has diverted billions of units of waste and used them to create over 1,500 different products available at major retailers ranging from Walmart to Whole Foods Market.

Our goal is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating collection and solution systems for anything that today must be sent to a landfill.

Founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a 20-year-old Princeton University freshman, TerraCycle began by producing organic fertilizer, packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles. Since then TerraCycle has grown into one of the fastest-growing green companies in the world.

Products include traditional garden supplies like a Terra Stone Plant Caddy retailing for $14.99, the Eco-Terra Watering Can for $11.99 and TerraCycle’s trademark All-Purpose Plant Food for $4.99 – $32.00 at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, independent garden centers and online.

Other unique items include tote bags, lunch sacks, toiletry cases and travel pouches made from repurposed USPS mail bags and upcycled tents. All USPS and tent products will be available online at www.uncommongoods.com. Lunch sacks will retail for $37.00, dopp kits for $38.00, and tote bags for $46.00. The Coin Pouch, Tote, and iPad Case will retail from $14.00 – $84.00. We are also featuring portable, battery free Eco-Speakers for $19.99.

Over the years, Fallston High School has had a number of famous visitors such as President Ronald Reagan and Rudy Ruettiger, the Notre Dame Football player. This year we may be adding a new celebrity to the collection. Our new art teacher Ms. Sauer has involved the school in a program called TerraCycle in the hopes that we can raise enough money to bring artist Kevin Reese here to Fallston. D. C. resident Kevin Reese is famous for his sculptures and his work with students at various schools. After studying acting and play writing in college, Reese began sculpting in graduate school and has since obtained 106 art residencies in the country. “He’s a great guy. He’s really good at breaking down information so that students can understand it,” said Ms. Sauer. Reese would be scheduled to visit sometime in April or May. If Reese were to come to Fallston, he would be working with Advanced Painting, 3-D, and Drawing and Painting to collaboratively build six different mobiles that would hang as permanent fixtures in the main hallway upstairs. The mobiles would be based on Alexander Calder’s work. “It’s cool to have students’ work permanently installed in the school,” said Ms. Sauer. “It gives the students ownership of the building.” The students would not only be learning about the artistic aspects of the project, but also the math and science of mobiles as well. The physics of how air movement makes mobiles spin and the science of how to build and balance the structure are concepts that Reese would be teaching. It’s a concept of “integrating science and math into art.” Bringing Kevin Reese to Fallston would be an incredible experience and a benefit to the whole school, but first we must raise the money. TerraCycle is an excellent way to raise money. The program’s idea is to “eliminate the idea of waste.” It was started in 2001 by college freshman Tom Szaky, a student who wanted to prevent trash from going into landfills. The program quickly became one of the fastest-growing green companies in the world. TerraCycle takes what most consider trash and transforms it into various products. This “trash” can be anything from old cell phones and broken computers to shoes, juice boxes, milk cartons, etc. Our part as a school is to turn in as much “trash” as possible. Boxes are located in every classroom where trash can be donated. The art teachers then send away the trash and receive money in return. Bigger items such as lap tops and cell phones are worth more money. Each Capri Sun packet is only about 1 cent. Most art teachers are giving extra credit for students who donate, and the Environmental Sciences are collecting donated trash from classrooms. Ms. McGraw’s class earned a doughnut party for bringing in the most trash by Friday October 5th. More opportunities like this will be offered soon. Another personal benefit to our school is that TerraCycle is not going to end once we raise enough money for Kevin Reese’s visit. The program will be a continuous fundraiser throughout the year to benefit the art department. Everyone can play a part in raising money for the art department through TerraCycle. “I think that the TerraCycle program is a win-win because its keeping all of the trash out of dumps and landfills, so its teaching students about conservation, but it’s also beautiful because it gives the kids a once in a lifetime experience to work with a professional sculptor,” said Ms. Sauer.

  The university's environmental club and Residence Hall Association partnered with Terracycle to bring a new recycling contest to campus.